The increasingly multidisciplinary nature of chemistry

Joseph S. Francisco

William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

Purdue University

2010 President, American Chemical Society

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Recruiting and Educating New Chemists

• Challenge students to find solutions to Chemistry’s problems

• New chemists are needed to solve our problems– Environment – Catalysis– Energy – Drug Discovery and Synthesis– Materials – Nanoscience

• If we present these needs and challenges to students, we can attract them into the chemical sciences to meet critical human needs.

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What skills should out students have?

• Expertise in a domain

• Breadth of scientific knowledge

• Ability to solve problems

• Find and define new problems

• Teamwork skills

• Oral, visual, and written communication skills

• Confidence and independence

• Creativity

The Chemistry Profession is Changing

Does Our Curriculum Achieve These Goals?

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What skills should out students have?

• Expertise in a domain

• Breadth of scientific knowledge

• Ability to solve problems

• Find and define new problems

• Teamwork skills

• Oral, visual, and written communication skills

• Confidence and independence

• Creativity

Working across cultures

Preparing Undergraduates: Chemistry of the Future

• Does one course fit All in the Future?

• Given the economics climate, the employers are looking for a “well-rounded” chemist who is ready to do experiments, and at the same time run his/ her team.

• This would mean our undergraduate should have course work not only in chemistry but also have exposure to skills that will enable them to function in a business environment.

• Students who have multidisciplinary exposure or experiences will be more attractive to any employer.

• At the same time there is no compromise in their area of specialty.

• CPT needs additional metrics to assess the development of student skills and the overall excellence and the rigor of a program)

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2008 ACS Guidelines and Beyond

Opportunities

• Increased curricular flexibility

• Increased ability for programs to innovate while maintaining ACS approval

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A Paradigm-Shift

• Shift Curriculum Responsibility

– From CPT to Departments

• Redefine How Chemistry is Taught

– New textbooks (Can the foundations of organic and physical chemistry be laid down in one semester?)

• Create New Vision of an ACS Certified Chemist

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Big Question for Department and Programs

Given the changes occurring in the chemistry profession and the changing expectations and skills being required by chemistry employers,

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What innovations could you introduce into your curriculum, under the proposed new ACS guidelines, that would help your future graduate be more competitive and marketable in the changing employment landscape?

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Challenges

• Maintaining curricular rigor

• Time to redesign and implement new curriculum/tracks

• Breadth versus depth

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Thank You

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