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Chemistry Department Scholarships
There are several departmental scholarships available to chemistry majors who attend West Chester University. These scholarships are in addition to other scholarships that are offered university wide. For a full list of scholarships and awards see Scholarships and Awards in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Some of these departmental scholarships are for students that have already made some progress towards their degree (Reynolds and Challen), and others are specifically for incoming freshmen (Bravo and Magnuson).
Students normally apply for the Reynolds Scholarship and the Challen Scholarships in the fall semester. For application forms and specific information about the scholarships offered in Fall 2021, please use this link.
Tenure Track Search for a Biochemist
West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Chemistry invites applicants for the position of a Biochemist at the tenure-track Assistant Professor level beginning Fall of 2022. Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. The Department of Chemistry is ACS-approved and has an excellent reputation of providing the highest quality of chemical education to undergraduate students at a State-school price. We seek others who share our commitment and mission. Responsibilities will include teaching lecture and laboratory courses in Biochemistry at the advanced and intermediate levels, general chemistry, and other chemistry courses in the general education program as needed; and developing a robust research program in Biochemistry that is competitive for external funding and that involves undergraduate students. Other responsibilities include advising students and serving the University and the community through participation in various committees.
Minimum Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in Biochemistry or Chemistry is required (must successfully defend by June 1, 2022). Applicants must demonstrate a strong background in Biochemistry through academic training and productive active research.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Undergraduate or graduate level teaching experience
- Curricular development experience
- Grant writing experience
Applicants will submit a letter of interest, CV, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, a statement of teaching philosophy, and a statement of research interests to the WCU NeoGov system. Application should be submitted by 11/1/2021. Applications arriving after this date will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Three letters of recommendation will be requested from select applicants after initial screening. If necessary, candidates will be remotely interviewed. Selected candidates will be invited to the Department where they will interview with the Chemistry Faculty and CSM Dean. Candidates selected for interviews must demonstrate their teaching skills by giving a complete lecture on a specified topic in Biochemistry, and must also present a research seminar to the Department. A candidate whose teaching demonstration and research seminar meets the department standards will be considered as a finalist.
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award
Congratulations to Professor John Townsend, who was named the winner of the 2021 Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in Chemical Science. The award is presented by the Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society and is sponsored by Merck & Co.
ACS Award for Excellence in Chemistry
Congratulations to Teresa Lee who was awarded the 2020 Scholastic Achievement Award by the Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society.
NSF S-STEM Grant Awarded - Scholarships Available
Complete information is available here.
Accepted Students:
If you have already been accepted at WCU and are planning to major in Physics, Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Geosciences, you can submit an application for the S-STEM scholarship program. You will be taken to the S-STEM scholarship application after you sign-in.
Interested Students:
If you have been not already applied and been accepted to WCU, please submit an application. For the 2021-2022 academic year, you will need to submit an application and send in your high school transcripts. SAT or ACT scores are optional this year. When you apply, please email Dr. Brandon Mitchell (bmitchell@wcupa.edu) to make sure your application is expedited. Once you are accepted, please follow the link above to access the scholarship application. While you are waiting for your formal acceptance, you may wish to start on the two short essay questions for the S-STEM application, which are:Commitment to STEM Field: Please write a 400-500-word essay about your career goals. Include details about your interest in and commitment to majoring in one of the selected fields. This may include participation in STEM-related activities during high school.
Commitment to S-STEM Cohort: The S-STEM activities will include participation in a cohort of scholars/accountability teams, where you and the other scholars support each other during your journey through your STEM program of choice at WCU. Please write a 400-500-word essay about how you plan to participate in and support this community of scholars.
1871 Award
Congratulations to Yaseena Alli and Emily Dwyer, who are Chem Bio majors, for being named among 40 outstanding students to receive West Chester University’s 1871 Award. This award recognizes students who excel in the academic and co-curricular realms.
Meeting the World's Biggest Challenges with the Tiniest Objects
In a presentation from the 2021 NNI Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop: Charting the Path Forward, Professor Kurt Kolasinski discusses future directions in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Work on Luminescent Nanostructures Published
The pandemic may have stopped our students from going back into the lab but it didn't stop them from analyzing their data and writing up the results. Three of our recent graduates – Teresa Lee, Benjamin Roe and Joseph Swanson – have had their work published in this article Response of Photoluminescence of H-Terminated and Hydrosilylated Porous Si Powders to Rinsing and Temperature.
International Collaboration Leads to Publication
A collaboration involving undergraduate researchers Joseph Swanson and Bret Unger directed by Professor Kurt Kolasinski together with researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Connecticut have published their result on nanostructure formation in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
International Year of the Periodic Table Commemorated
WCU celebrated the International Year of the Periodic Table on November 4 by receiving Proclamations from the PA State Senate and PA State House of Representatives. The event took place in front of the Department’s Interactive Periodic Table display; picture are (L to R) Dr. Jeff Evelhoch (donor of the Periodic Table Display), State Senator Andrew Dinniman, State Representative Carolyn Comitta, Dr. Melissa Cichowicz (Chair, Department of Chemistry) and Dr. Radha Pyati (Dean, College of the Sciences and Mathematics).
Podcast on Nanoscience.
Listen to some reflections on nanoscience in this podcast from Prof. Kolasinski. This podcast series features voices from the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). Researchers and innovators discuss their work at the nanoscale, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve connected with the NNI.