the increasingly multidisciplinary nature of chemistry joseph s. francisco william e. moore...

The increasingly multidisciplinary nature of chemistry

Joseph S. Francisco

William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Purdue University

2010 President, American Chemical Society

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Recruiting and Educating New Chemists

• Challenge students to find solutions to Chemistry’s problems

• New chemists are needed to solve our problems– Environment – Catalysis– Energy – Drug Discovery and Synthesis– Materials – Nanoscience

• If we present these needs and challenges to students, we can attract them into the chemical sciences to meet critical human needs.

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What skills should out students have?

• Expertise in a domain

• Breadth of scientific knowledge

• Ability to solve problems

• Find and define new problems

• Teamwork skills

• Oral, visual, and written communication skills

• Confidence and independence

• Creativity

The Chemistry Profession is Changing

Does Our Curriculum Achieve These Goals?

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What skills should out students have?

• Expertise in a domain

• Breadth of scientific knowledge

• Ability to solve problems

• Find and define new problems

• Teamwork skills

• Oral, visual, and written communication skills

• Confidence and independence

• Creativity

Working across cultures

Preparing Undergraduates: Chemistry of the Future

• Does one course fit All in the Future?

• Given the economics climate, the employers are looking for a “well-rounded” chemist who is ready to do experiments, and at the same time run his/ her team.

• This would mean our undergraduate should have course work not only in chemistry but also have exposure to skills that will enable them to function in a business environment.

• Students who have multidisciplinary exposure or experiences will be more attractive to any employer.

• At the same time there is no compromise in their area of specialty.

• CPT needs additional metrics to assess the development of student skills and the overall excellence and the rigor of a program)

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2008 ACS Guidelines and Beyond

Opportunities

• Increased curricular flexibility

• Increased ability for programs to innovate while maintaining ACS approval

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A Paradigm-Shift

• Shift Curriculum Responsibility

– From CPT to Departments

• Redefine How Chemistry is Taught

– New textbooks (Can the foundations of organic and physical chemistry be laid down in one semester?)

• Create New Vision of an ACS Certified Chemist

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Big Question for Department and Programs

Given the changes occurring in the chemistry profession and the changing expectations and skills being required by chemistry employers,

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What innovations could you introduce into your curriculum, under the proposed new ACS guidelines, that would help your future graduate be more competitive and marketable in the changing employment landscape?

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Challenges

• Maintaining curricular rigor

• Time to redesign and implement new curriculum/tracks

• Breadth versus depth

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Thank You

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