Teaching and Learning


Undergraduate Courses


CHEM 315 Analytical Chemistry: Introductory Instrumental Analysis

This course aims to teach students the fundamentals of instrumental analytical chemistry, which is of increasing importance in the context of mitigating human exposure to pollutants to maintaining human health and well-being. After covering the basics of QA/QC and providing an overview of available sample preparation procedures, this course covers the underlying measurement principles of frequently used analytical instruments, including UV-vis spectrophotometers, light sources, optical components and detectors. In terms of atomic spectroscopy, flame atomic absorption spetroscopy (FAAS), graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS), including inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are covered in detail. After and introduction to chromatographic separation methods, a detailed overview of gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis as well as chromatographic separation mechanisms is provided.

CHEM 541 Concepts in Biochemical Toxicology

This interdisciplinary course is team-taught by faculty from Biological Sciences and Chemistry for students who want to learn about how organisms are exposed to pollutants. The overall focus is on the biochemical mechanisms that unfold after organisms are exposed to environmental chemicals. Unraveling these mechanisms is of considerable public health relevance since the nexus between water, food and energy - which in the case of fossil fuel combustion releases considerable amounts of inorganic pollutants into the global environment - is inextricably linked to the chronic exposure of human populations to pollutants. In fact, in 2015 alone 9 million human deaths were caused by exposure to pollutants. This course was first offered in W2016 and has since been taught in W2017, W2019 and will be offered in W2021.

Graduate courses


CHEM 641 Concepts in Biochemical Toxicology

This interdisciplinary course is team-taught by faculty from Biological Sciences and Chemistry for students who want to learn about how organisms are exposed to pollutants. The overall focus is on the biochemical mechanisms that unfold after organisms are exposed to environmental chemicals. Unraveling these mechanisms is of considerable public health relevance since the nexus between water, food and energy - which in the case of fossil fuel combustion releases considerable amounts of inorganic pollutants into the global environment - is inextricably linked to the chronic exposure of human populations to pollutants. In fact, in 2015 alone 9 million human deaths were caused by exposure to pollutants. This course was first offered in W2016 and has since been taught in W2017, W2019 and will be offered in W2021.

CHEM 701

This is an intensive writing course that is offered to all incoming graduate students. Students are assigned to write two to three 15-20 page papers about topics that are intended to familiarize them with the research literature that is relevant to their respective research projects.