The Department of Chemistry has a multifaceted mission that includes providing the best education possible for our students, contributing significantly to tomorrow's knowledge through research, and being of service to our discipline, university, community, state and nation. Chemistry is the central science and has a strong relationship with other departments and institutes. Central to our efforts to provide the best possible education for our students is the maintenance of a contemporary and sound curriculum, using guidelines provided by the American Chemical Society. Since chemistry is a laboratory science, special attention is given to the laboratory component of our curriculum. Our research efforts will involve faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and are significant teaching component. Solving research problems give students more experience in critical thinking and problem solving than any other component of their education--empowering students with capabilities which will make them better contributors to their employers and society.

October, 2005: At the Origins of Life Symposium, held at UCF, two Physics majors (among eight student presenters) won student paper awards. Pontus Ahlqvist won first place for his paper on "Inflation in the Universe," and Tania D. Cubano-Cruz (double-major Physics and Chemistry) received Second Prize for her presentation on Liposome: A Perfect Medium for Life Formation."