Chemistry Electives: Special Topics Courses for Fall 2023

Please note that these are half-semester, 0.5-credit courses. For CHEM majors, taken together, these courses would count as the “one elective course” required for the major. If you take one or the other, you would still need an additional 0.5 or more elective credits to meet the major requirements. If you have questions about requirements, please consult with your academic advisor; if you’d like to learn more about the courses, please reach out to the instructors!

CHEM 39902 (0.5 credits), Advanced Organic Synthesis, FIRST HALF FALL 2023

Instructor = Paul Bonvallet; meets MWF 10 – 10:50 am

In this course, students will analyze and design strategies for the preparation of complex organic compounds. Advanced theory in structure and reactivity will also be discussed. Topics include named reactions, Nobel Prize-winning research, and novel methods in the context of medicinal chemistry, polymers, and organic materials. 

Pre-requisite: CHEM 212, C− or higher

Bioinorganic Chemistry, SECOND HALF FALL 2023

Instructor = Anna Gallo; Meets MWF 10 – 10:50 am

In this course, students will examine the chemistry of inorganic elements in biological systems. To understand the role that metals play in biological processes, principles of coordination chemistry will be covered, including topics on structure and bonding, spectroscopic methods, and reaction mechanisms. Current literature articles will be used to further discuss and contextualize the material. Three class hours per week for a half semester.

Pre-requisite: CHEM 240, with C- or higher