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Focusing on academics
Department of Chemistry sets two priorities
New Department Chair Daniel Jelski has set two priorities for the chemistry department:
increasing the number of students majoring in chemistry, and encouraging students and
faculty to engage in more research and independent study.
Accomplishing the first goal will require a major revision of the department’s web
page. This project is currently under way, with hopes of having a new page online by this
summer.
The department will work hard at recruiting students from within the Institute, offering a
curriculum that contrasts with the engineering departments. This will give students
disenchanted with engineering an opportunity to remain enrolled at Rose-Hulman.
Curricula are also being developed that will allow students to double major in chemistry
and chemical engineering or applied biology.
The second departmental goal will also contribute to recruitment.
“Rose-Hulman students should have many opportunities to work with faculty outside the
classroom in independent research projects. Research gives students an opportunity to
begin building their professional career,” Jelski said.
The department will take advantage of the fact that Rose-Hulman has relatively few majors,
and faculty are available to work with students individually. Increasing research will
raise the stature of the department among its peers, and will make it easier to raise
external funds for equipment and space.
Recently acquired equipment includes a Varian Saturn 2000 gas chromatograph with mass
spectrometric detection, a Perkin-Elmer luminescence spectrometer, and a glove box with
vacuum atmosphere. Another acquisition is a Mettler balance and associated hand-held
scanner that reads bar codes. When connected to appropriate software, these devices will
produce, for over 6,400 chemicals, an inventory record, including purchase date, shelf
life, safety codes, amount remaining, course where used, and the last person to use the
particular chemical. The department acquired a “new” used gas chromatograph/mass
spectrometer from Dow-Corning.
 
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