Chemistry At Hope College

Hope College is a four-year liberal arts college with a strong program in the natural sciences, especially chemistry. Despite the moderate size of the total student body (about 3000), an unusually large number of chemistry majors graduate from Hope College each year (about 40). An important aspect of our program is the extensive laboratory experience that is available to students in both the traditional academic courses and through independent study. The Chemistry Department at Hope College places a strong emphasis on faculty-student research and has been recognized for the productivity of its research programs (J.N. Spencer and C.H. Yoder, J. Chem. Ed., (1982), 72, 146). During the 1997-98 academic year over 30 students, at the freshman through senior year, were involved in chemical research. During the summer of 1998, 33 students worked full-time under the direction of chemistry faculty for a period of 10 weeks or more on grant supported research projects. The success of the faculty-student research program is demonstrated by both the publication of research results and by the accomplishments of our graduates in scientific careers. There have been 111 papers published by Chemistry faculty and students from 1977-92 (this ranks fourth for four-year colleges), while 246 Hope graduates have gone on to earn Ph.D.s in chemistry or biochemistry from 1920-90 (this ranks second for four-year colleges). Majors who have applied to dental or medical schools over the past 5 years have experienced nearly a 80 percent acceptance level.

The Chemistry Department, housed in the A. Paul Schaap Science Center, maintains excellent facilities for teaching and research. Each chemistry faculty member has a private office and an adjoining laboratory for research. The adjacent Van Wylen Library, completed in 1988, holds subscriptions to over seventy chemical journals, including Chemical Abstracts.The Department has access to the full range of computer resources provided by the College through the computer labs in the A. Paul Schaap Science Center. A full-time Director of Laboratories handles purchasing, maintains the chemical stockroom, and does equipment repair. The department also has a full-time secretary and employs over thirty students on a part-time basis as laboratory assistants and stockroom attendants.

The Chemistry Department continues to acquire major instruments in order to offer significant opportunities for faculty-student research and modern chemical education. An annual update of departmental activities can be found on our home page at http://www.hope.edu/academic/chemistry. A list of major instruments currently available in our department can be found here.