Meet the Chemists

Join us for an informal virtual Zoom gathering!

Wednesday, November 11th at 5:30pm

Meet chemistry faculty, lab instructors and students (both majors and non-majors), ask questions about spring semester courses, the major, studying abroad, etc.

All attendees will be entered into a RAFFLE for an Amazon gift card!!

Meet the Chemistry Faculty

Richard Broene headshot

I am a synthetic organometallic chemist who develops catalysts. We make molecules and then test them for activity in a variety of reactions especially those that could decrease waste in the petroleum industry. I teach most things organic and the chemistry of food and wine.

Spring Courses: Chem 1055 and Chem 2260

Michael Danahy headshot

I'm a senior lecturer who has taught classes across our department: introductory chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and a non-majors course on poisons and toxins.

Spring Courses: Chem 1092 and Chem 2260

Danielle Dube headshot

I am a chemical biologist who develops and applies chemical tools to study and perturb biological systems. My lab's goal is to create new antibiotics that inactivate bacteria by dismantling their sugar armor. I am a member of the Chemistry Department and Director of the Biochemistry Program. I teach General Chemistry, Biochemistry, an advanced 3000-course in Chemical Biology and a non-science majors course in Drug Discovery. I'll be on sabbatical during academic year 2021-2022.

Spring Courses: Chem 1058 and Chem 2320

allison dzubak headshot

I am a computational quantum chemist, and I model chemical processes that happen in porous materials like metal-organic frameworks. Metal-organic frameworks are materials that are promising for many applications such as separations and catalysis, but the combinatorial design space to explore is so huge that computational modeling is needed to guide experimental efforts. I teach Gen Chem (1109), quantum chem (2520), and will soon teach a new course in computational chem (2550).

Spring Courses: Chem 2520 and Chem 2550

benjamin gorske headshot

I consider myself a bioorganic chemist, as I delight in applying Nature's elegant "ideas" to solving problems in synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, and medicinal chemistry. I am a member of both the Chemistry Department and Biochemistry Program at Bowdoin.

Spring Courses: Chem 2260 and Chem 3270

jeffrey nagle headshot

I am an inorganic photochemist with experience in computational chemistry. I teach introductory chemistry and inorganic chemistry courses. I have been at Bowdoin since 1980 and I will retire at the end of this academic year.

Spring Courses: Chem 2400 and Chem 3400

elizaeth stemmler headshot

I am an analytical chemist who applies high resolution mass spectrometry and chromatographic techniques to questions that involve the identification of organic molecules in complex mixtures. I work with students and collaborators to address questions that most recently include the identification of larger molecules (neuropeptides and antimicrobial peptides) and small molecules (products from the photocatalytic degradation of personal care products and pharmaceuticals). I teach courses that include Introductory Chemistry, Chemical Analysis and Instrumental Analysis.

Spring Courses: Chem 1102

kana takematsu headshot

I am a physical photochemist. I love to look at chemistry problems, especially the movement of charges, with light. I am a member of both the Chemistry Department and Biochemistry Program and teach General Chemistry, Thermodynamics and Kinetics, an advanced 3000-course in physical chemistry, and a non-science majors course in Chemistry for the Common Good.

Spring Courses: Chem 1109

dharni vasudevan headshot

I am an environmental chemist who easily gets excited about the fate of chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides, in soil and aquatic systems. My research lab ( fondly called Team Dirt by my students) focuses on understanding how the structure of chemicals and the composition and properties of soils and soil minerals govern the extent of chemical retention (or soption) to soil and sediment systems. I teach introductory courses for the Environmental Studies program and intermediate and advanced courses for the Chemistry Department; most of my courses are cross-listed.

Navigating the Major:

The following worksheets and visuals can be used to understand requirements and keep track of the courses needed to meet the major requirements for the different chemistry concentrations and the ACS-certified chemistry major.

A worksheet to help track progress in the chemistry major:

Navigating the Chemistry Major

The following courses will be taught in the spring:

Non-Standard Rotation.

Methods of food and wine preparation and production emerged from essentially controlled scientific experiments, even if the techniques of cooking are often carried out without thought of the underlying physical processes at play. Considers the science behind food and wine using bread baking, cooking techniques, the role of microbes in our diet, and wine making and appreciation to explore the chemistry and biology that underlie our gastronomy. Molecular structures and complex interactions central to cooking and wine are examined in integrated laboratory exercises. Assumes no background in science. Not open to students who have credit for a chemistry course numbered 1090 or higher.

Non-Standard Rotation.

The process of drug discovery of medicinal compounds has evolved over millennia, from the shaman’s use of medicinal herbs to the highly evolved techniques of rational design and high-throughput screening used by today’s pharmaceutical industry. Examines past and present approaches to drug discovery, with an emphasis on the natural world as a source of drugs, historical examples of drug discovery, and the experiments undertaken to validate a drug. Encourages students to take initial steps to identify novel therapeutics and to directly compare conventional versus herbal remedies in integrated laboratory exercises. Assumes no background in science. Not open to students who have credit for a chemistry course numbered 1090 or higher.

Every Spring.

The second course in a two-semester introductory college chemistry sequence that follows Chemistry 1091. Incorporates additional instruction focused on developing quantitative reasoning and problem-solving skills in the context of learning chemistry. Topics include gases, properties of solutions, thermodynamics and thermochemistry, kinetics, equilibrium, electrochemistry, and acid-base chemistry. Three hours of lecture, mandatory one-hour problem-solving session, and four hours of laboratory work per week.

Prerequisites: CHEM 1091.

Every Spring.

The second course in a two-semester introductory college chemistry sequence. Introduction to chemical bonding and intermolecular forces, characterization of chemical systems at equilibrium and spontaneous processes, the rates of chemical reactions, and special topics. Lectures, review sessions, and four hours of laboratory work per week. Students who have taken Chemistry 1109 may not take Chemistry 1102 for credit.

Prerequisites: CHEM 1101.

Every Semester.

A one-semester introductory chemistry course. Introduction to models of atomic structure, chemical bonding, and intermolecular forces; characterization of chemical systems at equilibrium and spontaneous processes; the rates of chemical reactions; and special topics. Lectures, review sessions, and four hours of laboratory work per week. Students who have taken Chemistry 1102 may not take Chemistry 1109 for credit. To ensure proper placement, students must take the chemistry placement examination and must be recommended for placement in Chemistry 1109.

Prerequisites: Placement in CHEM 1109/1101 or Placement in CHEM 1109 or Placement in CHEM 2000/1109 or Placement in CHEM 2000 level.

Every Spring.

Continuation of the study of the compounds of carbon. Highlights the reactions of aromatic, carbonyl-containing, and amine functional groups. Mechanistic reasoning provides a basis for understanding these reactions. Skills for designing logical synthetic approaches to complex organic molecules are developed. Lectures, review sessions, and four hours of laboratory work per week.

Prerequisites: CHEM 2250.

Every Spring.

Focuses on the chemistry of living organisms. Topics include structure, conformation, and properties of the major classes of biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids); enzyme mechanisms, kinetics, and regulation; metabolic transformations; energetics and metabolic control. Lectures and four hours of laboratory work per week. This course satisfies a requirement for the biochemistry major. (Same as: BIOC 2320)

Prerequisites: CHEM 2260 or CHEM 2261.

Every Spring.

An introduction to the chemistry of the elements with a focus on chemical bonding, periodic properties, and coordination compounds. Topics in solid state, bioinorganic, and environmental inorganic chemistry are also included. Provides a foundation for further work in chemistry and biochemistry. Lectures and four hours of laboratory work per week.

Prerequisites: CHEM 1092 or CHEM 1102 or CHEM 1109 or CHEM 2000 - 2969 or Placement in CHEM 2000 level or Placement in CHEM 2000/1109.

Every Spring.

Development and principles of quantum chemistry with applications to atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical reactivity, and molecular spectroscopy. Lectures and four hours of laboratory work per week. Mathematics 1800 is recommended. Note: Chemistry 2510 is not a prerequisite for Chemistry 2520 .

Prerequisites: Three of: either CHEM 1092 or CHEM 1102 or CHEM 1109 or CHEM 2000 - 2969 or Placement in CHEM 2000 level or Placement in CHEM 2000/1109 and MATH 1700 or higher or Placement in MATH 1800 (M) or Placement in 2000, 2020, 2206 (M) and PHYS 1140.

NEW Course - Taught by Allison Dzubak

Non-Standard Rotation.

A guided exploration of the primary scientific literature concerning weak covalent and noncovalent interactions that collectively determine the three-dimensional structures of biomimetic and foldameric molecules and that govern the aggregation of molecules into discrete multi-molecular assemblies. Surveys practical applications in biochemical investigation, catalysis, and medicine, as well as in the young but rapidly expanding sciences of molecular and nanostructural engineering. NOTE: There is NO LABORATORY WORK associated with this course. The required designated lab is a required discussion session.

Prerequisites: CHEM 2260 or CHEM 2261.

Every Other Spring.

Inorganic chemistry is incredibly diverse and wide-ranging in scope. Symmetry, spectroscopy, and quantum-based theories and computational methods are employed to gain insight into the molecular and electronic structures and reaction mechanisms of inorganic compounds. Examples from the current literature emphasized, including topics in inorganic photochemistry and biochemistry. Chemistry 2520 is recommended.

Prerequisites: CHEM 2400.

Research Opportunities

As we are still waiting for guidance from the College about in-person summer research, we will wait to hold our department research opportunities talk until the spring semester. There are research opportunities that are being offered outside of Bowdoin with deadlines in the winter

group photo of students in druckenmiller atrium

Links to National Research Fellowship Applications:

Bowdoin Summer Fellowships

National Science Foundation (NSF) - REU Programs

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD

2019 Summer Research Overview

Chemistry

Meet the Chemists

Meet the Chemistry Faculty

Richard Broene - Professor of Chemistry

Michael Danahy - Senior Lecturer in Chemistry

Danielle Dube - Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Director of Biochemistry

Allison Dzubak - Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Benjamin C. Gorske - Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Jeffrey Nagle - Professor of Chemistry

Elizabeth A. Stemmler - Professor of Chemistry, Chair of Department of Chemistry

Kana Takematsu - Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Dharni Vasudevan - Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Studies

Navigating the Major:

The following courses will be taught in the spring:

CHEM 1055 - Science of Food and Wine

CHEM 1058 - Drug Discovery

CHEM 1092 - Introductory Chemistry and Quantitative Reasoning II

CHEM 1102 - Introductory Chemistry II

CHEM 1109 - General Chemistry

CHEM 2260 - Organic Chemistry II

CHEM 2320 - Biochemistry

CHEM 2400 - Inorganic Chemistry

CHEM 2520 - Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy

CHEM 2550 - Computational Chemistry

CHEM 3270 - Biomimetic and Supramolecular Chemistry

CHEM 3400 - Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

Research Opportunities