Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry programs at UMass Dartmouth provide students with the theoretical and practical expertise necessary for success in a wide variety of careers. Chemists and biochemists pursue a broad spectrum of rewarding professional careers ranging from pharmaceutical research scientists to production supervisors in the chemical industry to physicians and patent attorneys. Class sizes, especially at the junior and senior levels, are usually small, affording the student ample opportunities for interaction with the faculty. Students benefit from individualized attention and instruction usually encountered only in a small-college setting. The department is professionally accredited by the American Chemical Society.

Teaching and research facilities are equipped with modern instrumentation, including a state-of-the-art 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer and x-ray diffractometer funded by NSF major research instrumentation grants, a UPLC-QToF-MS system and an impressive range of atomic absorption, biosensors, calorimeters, chromatographs, FTIR, electrophoresis systems, DNA sequencer, mass spectrometers, UV-visible spectrophotometers and spectrofluorometers.

The department maintains a computer-learning classroom as well as a variety of computers and accessories, including PC and Mac computer workstations and printers. Students have access to the full range of campus computing services.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMass Dartmouth also offers graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. in Chemistry or the M.S. in Chemistry, as well as a 4 + 1 B.S./M.S. option. The department actively participates in the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology with faculty serving as research advisors for students in that program.

Teacher Preparation Program Option: Enrollment in the 4+1 (BA/BS-MAT) Teacher Preparation program allows undergraduate students to explore teaching as a profession through completion of graduate-level education coursework and field experiences within local public school settings. Students pursing teacher preparation at UMass Dartmouth graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in their chosen major, a Master’s degree in Teaching, and a Sheltered English Immersion endorsement. In order to develop a plan towards a license to teach, students should indicate their interest to both their chemistry major advisor and the Coordinator of Teacher Preparation Programs. Students may enroll in the 4+1 program once they have earned 30 credits with a 3.0 GPA or above.

Premedical: Both chemistry and biochemistry options satisfy the mathematics, physics, and chemistry requirements for admission to medical, osteopathic, optometric, podiatric, dental or veterinary school. The biochemistry degree option also satisfies biology requirements, by including 11 credits of biology courses such as BIO 234 (Cell Biology), Biology 236 (Cells and Genetics Lab), BIO 235 (Genetics) and one appropriate advanced BIO elective chosen in consultation with the faculty advisor. All premedical students must have their degree programs approved by the Premedical Faculty Advisor to make sure that they will satisfy the prequisites of the professional schools to which they plan to apply.

Environmental Chemistry: For students interested in marine chemistry, geochemistry, toxicology, environmental monitoring and analysis, environmental law, or other areas of environmental science, the department allows for a more interdisciplinary course of study with electives chosen from other departments such as biology, physics, environmental engineering, economics or political science.

The Chemistry option is modified as follows: CHM 552 (Instrumental Methods of Analysis) is substituted for CHM 318 and 319. CHM 431, CHM 433, and either CHM 416 or 424 can be waived. In place of the two advanced science electives, at least five courses chosen from an approved list of environmental electives are required. (One of these can count toward the university social science requirement.) Contact the department’s environmental chemistry advisor for full details.

Faculty and Fields of Interest

Robert E Berry, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Protein Structure, Biochemistry

Brian Blanchette, BS 1997, MS 2000 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2002 University of Massachusetts Lowell, Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry

Donald W Boerth (emeritus), MS, PhD, Physical Organic Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry, Theoretical Studies of Acidity and Isotope Exchange in Nucleic Acid Components, Computer Graphics in Chemistry

Shuowei Cai, BS 1990, MS 1993 Nankai University MS 1998 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2001 University of Massachusetts Amherst, Bioanalytical and Biophysical Chemistry, Protein Chemistry, Drug Formulation, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology

Patrick J Cappillino, BA 1997 State University of New York at Albany, PhD 2010 Boston University, Inorganic Chemistry, Inorganic Materials and Nanomaterials Synthesis, Energy Storage and Production of Carbon-neutral, Renewable Alternatives to Petroleum-derived Energy

Wei-Shun Chang, PhD 2007 University of Texas Austin, Physical Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Single-particle Spectromicroscopy, Catalysis, Biosensing

Maolin Guo, BSc 1989, MSc 1992 Shanxi University, PhD 2000 University of Edinburgh, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Structural Biology, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Metals in Biology and Medicine

Xiaofei Jia, PhD 2008 Michigan State University, Biochemistry, Structural Biology, HIV-1 Viral-host Interactions

Jamie S. Lawton, BS 2004 Stonehill College, PhD 2010 Northeastern University, Physical Chemistry

Anne M Liberty, BS 2002, MS 2009 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD candidate University of Massachusetts Lowell, General Chemistry, Biochemistry and Cancer Biology

David R Manke, BS 2000 Brandeis University, PhD 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Inorganic Chemistry, Synthesis of Solid Materials for Separations and Discreet Transition Metal

Complexes for Small Molecule Activation

Maricris Mayes, BS 2000 Mindinao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, PhD 2007 Michigan State University, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry and Materials/Nanoscience, Quantum Chemistry, Reaction Dynamics and Mechanisms, ab initio Molecular Dynamics, High-performance Computing

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, BS 1983 Southeastern Massachusetts University (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), PhD 1987 Brown University, Phytochemicals with Anti-cancer, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activity from Cranberries and Other Plant Sources, Bioactivity, Purification, and Analysis of Natural Products, Factors Influencing Production of Secondary Metabolites Including Functional Food Factors

Olusegun Bamidele Olubanwo, BS 1996, MSc 1998 Moscow State Academy, MS 2006 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2010 University of Massachusetts Lowell/Dartmouth, Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Christine Piva, BS 2008, MS 2010 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2015 University of Rhode Island, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Natural Products

Sivappa Rasapalli, BSc 1992 Sri Krisnadevaraya University India, BEd 1993, MSc 1995 Regional Institute of Education India, MEd 1997 Karnataka State Open University India, PhD 2003 University of Pune India, 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

Melissa A Silvia, BS 1989 Rhode Island College, MS 1996 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, General Chemistry, Biochemistry

Timothy C K Su (emeritus), PhD, Physical Chemistry, Gas Phase Ion-molecule Interactions, Mass Spectrometry, Chemistry of the Atmosphere

Yibin Wei, BE Beijing Technology and Business University, MS Institute of Molecular Science, China, MS University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, PhD 2005 Shanxi University, Bio-organic Chemistry