News & Events

Senior Research Scientist Frederick Khachik is one of the 2009 recipients of an Astellas Award from the American Chemical Society. The awards, funded by the Astellas USA Foundation, are given to individuals or teams who have made significant scientific research contributions that improved public health through their work in the chemical and related sciences. The award includes a $30,000 grant to support the recipient's continuing research program. 

Sang Bok Lee, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, partners with Gary Rubloff, Minta Martin Professor of Engineering, to develop "super batteries" using nanowires. The University of Maryland's newly launched Energy Frontier Research Center links faculty from Engineering, Chemical and Life Sciences, and Computer Science to address fundamental energy issues.

Read the article in the Fall 2009 issue of Terp magazine.

In the Fall of 2009 the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department introduced a six-week, mandatory Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) training course for all first-year graduate students. The course covered multiple topics including student-TA communication, student assessment, TA evaluation and teaching strategies. Participation from Department Chair Mike Doyle at each session emphasized the importance of the material. Interactions with faculty and experienced GTAs were valued by the new students, as was the sense of community built through the discussions during the course.

Both students and alumni returned to campus this Fall, participating in several College events including Alumni Advice Day, Terps football games, and visits with faculty. View photo gallery.

More than 111 undergraduate students from Chemistry Instructor Bonnie Dixon's general chemistry (CHEM 131) class assembled in the amphitheater outside the student union to form the Periodic Table of Elements. Dressed in traditional clothing from a country they identified with or had visited, or colors of a country's flag, the students held up hand-decorated boards to represent their element. Dixon came up with the idea to have her students harmoniously form the Periodic Table as part of National Chemistry Week's theme "It's Elemental" and the University's Semester on Peace (Fall 2009). "Our goal was to put together the pieces of peace - the elements of harmony," said Jan Tunney, Coordinator of the Semester on Peace. "Out of all the events, I've got to say, this was the most fun!"