Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Donald W Boerth physical organic chemistry, theoretical chemistry, theoretical studies of acidity and isotope exchange in nucleic acid components, computer graphics in chemistry

Shuowei Cai bioanalytical and biophysical chemistry, protein chemistry, drug formulation, and pharmaceutical biotechnology

William L Dills, Jr metabolism of xylitol cheistry and biochemistry of carbohydrate analogs, carbohydrate metabolism in the coastal cranberry, hands-on scvience exercises for K-12 classrooms and science courses for non-science majors

David Z Goodson theoretical chemical physics, quantum chemistry methods development, physical chemistry of the environment, mathematical and computational methods of chemical data analysis

Maolin Guo biochemistry and molecular biology, protein engineering, sturctural biology, bioinorganic chemistry, metals in biology and medicine

Harvey J M Hou analylitical and bioanalytical chemistry, photosynthesis, alternative energy technologies, photoacoustic spectroscopy, structure and function relationships of membrane proteins, agricultural chemistry

Charlene W Mello antimicrobial peptides, protein chemistry, biomolecular recognition, naturally derived structural materials, interfacing of biological materials with inorganic materials, biochemical sensors

Catherine C Neto phytochemicals with anti-cancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activity from cranberries and other plant sources; bioactivity, purification, and structure elucidation of natural products; effects of plant physiology and plany nutrition on production of secondary metabolites including functional food factors; chemical education in the organic laboratory

Emmanuel C A Ojadi photochemistry, photobiology, and photophysics of porphyrin compounds and their applications to energy transformation processes involving oxidation reduction reactions; photorefractivity of porphyrin polymers, photoelectrochemistry on porphyrin coated electrodes and thin films

Sivappa Rasapalli synthesis of natural products, heterocyclic chemistry, green chemistry, development of novel synthetic methodologies, catalysis (enzymatic, organo and organometallic), development of novel biomaterials for bioengineering and for drug delivery

Bal-Ram Singh physical biochemistry, structure-function relationships of biological macromolecules, spectroscopy of proteins and membranes, protein-membrane interactions, mode of action of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins, enzymatic activity in non-aqueous solvents, light signal reception and signal transduction by a biosensor, phytochrome, bioremediation, cranberry research, marine biochemistry

Timothy C K Su physical chemistry, gas phase ion-molecule interactions, mass spectrometry, chemistry of the atmosphere

Yuegang Zuo analytical nvironmental chemistry, toxicology, environmental monitoring, marine chemistry, atmospheric photochemistry, photobiology, natural products chemistry

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth offers a graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Science with specialization in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, physical chemistry or computational chemistry. Several options leading to the degree in chemistry are available which are tailored to the needs of individual students.

The Research Thesis option (Plan A) is designed for full-time students who wish to continue their graduate education at a PhD granting institution or who want to pursue a career in teaching, research, or industry with the Master of Science degree. The Research Project (Plan B) and the Library Research Project (Plan C) are non-thesis options which are intended primarily for working students who wish to earn the Master of Science degree on a part-time basis.

A Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry may be obtained through our joint PhD program with the Department of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Through this program students enroll in courses and conduct their research on either the Dartmouth or Lowell campus. We also offer a cooperative PhD program with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Through this program, qualified students who complete the UMass Dartmouth MS degree in chemistry and who enroll as degree-seeking students at UMass Amherst may continue their research at UMass Dartmouth and may apply to receive UMass Dartmouth research assistantship support. Details are given below.

Research Facilities

Research is conducted in fifteen research laboratories and six instrument rooms. These facilities are housed in the Group II and Violette Research Buildings.

Modernization of instrumentation is a high priority in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The departmental instrumentation includes NMR spectrometers, gas chromatograph, mass spectrometers, infrared, UV-visible, fluorescence, atomic absorption spectrometers, preparative and analytical gas and liquid chromatographs, a capillary gas chromatograph, scintillation counter, isothermal titration Calorimeter, ultracentrifuge, electrophosesis systems, spectropolarimeter, optical fiber-based biosensor, microtiter plate reader and washer, dialyzer/protein concentrator, DNA sequencer, Parr hydrogenation apparatus, electroanalytical instrumentation, and related apparatus for chemical and biochemical research. An electronics shop and electron microscope facilities are shared with other science departments.

Admissions Requirements

Undergraduate training in chemistry or biochemistry is the usual background of graduate students in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. However, students from other disciplines (physics, biology, etc.) with a strong emphasis in chemistry are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must submit the required application materials to the Graduate Office, with the following additional considerations:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required for admission to the MS program. However, an applicant may strengthen the application by submitting scores for Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical and Advanced (Chemistry) parts of the GRE. GRE scores are required for those who would like to be considered for the joint PhD or cooperative PhD programs.
Two confidential letters of recommendation are required, from chemistry professors (a third letter is recommended).
For those submitting TOEFL scores, a minimum score of 550 is required for admission and a teaching assistantship.
Please submit a separate list of all chemistry courses taken at the college or university level.

While there is no formal application deadline, applicants are encouraged to submit and complete their applications early to place themselves in the best position for consideration for assistantships. Applications from international students for the fall semester will only be considered if they have been completed by May 1 (November 1 for spring semester). International applications completed after those dates will be considered for the following semester.

The department has established a fast-track BS-MS program permitting UMass Dartmouth Chemistry undergraduates to progress to the masters level smoothly and at a savings of some overall credits. See the General Catalogue for information and special admissions procedures.

Financial Assistance

For qualified students, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry provides competitive teaching and research assistantships for the academic year (includes waiver of tuition). The number of teaching assistantships, however, are limited. Therefore, persons interested in such support are encouraged to apply early.

A student holding an assistantship must be registered for at least 9 credits per semester. An additional summer research or teaching assistantship has usually been awarded to students in good standing working on thesis research. Students may be supported by research assistantships by faculty members holding research grants from various external agencies.

Other assistance, such as loans or work study, may be available to you. Please consult the chapter on “Expenses and Financial Assistance.”

Contacts

Dr Timothy C K Su
Graduate Program Director
Chemistry
508 999-8238
tsu@umassd.edu

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300