Undergraduate Research in Chemistry

An enthusiastic, energetic research environment has developed at SCU. Research experience is extremely valuable to chemistry students, and may help them find jobs or gain admission to graduate or professional schools. SCU chemistry majors are therefore encouraged to participate in faculty-supervised research projects year-round. Occasionally outstanding students majoring in other fields may do research in the chemistry department. The faculty places a strong emphasis on individually mentoring students and providing intensive research experiences. Typically, 10-15 undergraduates are actively involved in research during the academic year, while about 15 students participate in the summer research program.

The department has sponsored the local section ACS undergraduate research conference (joint meeting of the California and Santa Clara Sections) in 1989 and 1993, and will host the conference again in 1999.

Academic Year:

Santa Clara Students registering for Chem 182, Undergraduate Research, earn 1 credit hour for every three hours per week spent doing research. Interested students need to directly contact the faculty member they wish to do research with, preferably before the start of the quarter. Students may register for 1 to 3 credit hours, and should note that oral presentations and written reports constitute a part of the third credit hour. All research students are required to attend the departmental research seminar program of 3 seminars per quarter. In addition, undergraduate researchers meet with faculty, present work in progress, and discuss research projects in regular research group meetings. Students commonly present results at research conferences including national and local meetings of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Sigma Xi, and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

Summer Program:

The summer program is an intensive, full-time, ten week program open to Santa Clara students and students from other universities. Students do not receive academic credits, but do earn a summer stipend ($3000 in 1998). In addition to research students are involved in a weekly Seminar in Scientific Ethics to prepare them to deal with the ethical complexities commonly faced in modern scientific careers.

Internship Programs:

Sophomores and juniors are usually encouraged to participate in summer internships, either here or through programs hosted by other universities. Acceptance to these programs is based on qualifications. Application deadlines may be as early as January, so students should start researching summer internships in the fall quarter.

Summer 1997 Research Program students and faculty

Student Research Publications

Flores, V.*; Nguyen, C. K.*; Sindelair, C. A.*; Vasquez, L. D.*; Shachter, A. M. "Synthesis and Circular Dichroism of Tartrate?Linked Porphyrin Dimers" Tetrahedron Letters 1996, 37, 8633.

Dancil, K.-P.*; Hilario, L. F.*; Khoury, R. G.*; Mai, K. U.*; Nguyen, C. K.*, Weddle, K. S.*; Shachter, A. M.; "Synthesis and Aggregation of Cationic Porphyrins" J. Heterocyclic Chem.1997, 34, 749.

Starr, J.*; Rai, G.*; Dang, H.*; McNelis, B. "An Improved Oxidation Method for the Synthesis of Azodicarbonyl Compounds" Synthetic Communications 1997, 27, 3197.

Monreal, O.*; Esmaeli, T.*; Hoggard, P. "A kinetic Study of the Photoreduction of Hexachloroplatinate(IV) in Chloroform", Inorg. Chim. Acta 1997, 265, 279.

*Undergraduate co-author

Career Information and Job Postings

• NSF Chemistry REU site listing (1999) paid summer research jobs
• American Chemical Society
  • Career Services guidance, resources, contacts, etc.