Our department is a national leader for teaching, research and innovation in the fundamental
chemical and biochemical sciences that are helping shape America’s future.
The University of South Carolina was chartered in 1803, and is one of the oldest state
flagship research universities in the country. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
has been an integral part of the university. Our first recorded hour exam dates back
to 1851, and our first research paper in an American Chemical Society journal was
published in February, 1914.
Today, the Department has grown to a vibrant and productive department of 32 tenure-track faculty, 612
undergraduate majors, and over 145 Ph.D. graduate students (as of Fall, 2018). The three undergraduate major tracks in Chemistry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology accounted for 85 B.S.
degrees awarded in the 2017 – 2018 academic year. The Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry contributes strongly to the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences
by providing broad support for STEM majors, as well as others on pre-professional
tracks. Over 7,900 students were taught by our faculty and instructors in Fall 2017
alone, and we are on track to teach over 15,000 undergraduates for the 2017 – 2018
academic year.
News
Congratulations to Natalia Shustova
She received a grant from the South Carolina EPSCoR GEAR of $60,000 for her project entitled "Well-Defined Stimuli-Responsive Materials with Dynamically-Controlled Optoelectronic Behavior: Experimentally-Supported Modeling"
Congratulations to Natalia Shustova
She received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NFS) for a total amount of $458,902 for her project entitled "Synthesis of Hierarchical Materials with a Tunable Photoisomerization Response"
SPARC Recipients Awarded
Congratulations to the students who had their research grants funded
Congratulations to Chuanbing Tang & Wayne Outten
Dr. Wayne Outten & Dr. Chuanbing Tang have been elected fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Outten was honored for distinguished research contributions deciphering the mechanisms for iron sulfur cluster biogenesis, its regulation, and its roles in microbial physiology and stress responses. Dr. Tang's election was for distinguished contributions to the field of polymer chemistry, particularly for sustainable polymers and charged metallopolymers.
Congratulations to Brian Benicewicz
Congratulations to Brian Benicewicz who was awarded a grant from BASF New Business GmbH for a total of $111,225 for his project entitled "Evaluation of a New Process for a Durable Proton Conducting PBI Membrane."
View all news
Department YouTube Channel
An introduction to the department highlighting the departmental strengths, with departmental
and divisional overviews.
For her career of work to keep drinking water safe, UofSC chemistry professor Susan
Richardson has been elected a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement
of Science.
Read more in the UofSC Today article
If you are thinking of investing in the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
we recommend donating to the Chemistry and Biochemistry Enhancement Fund . If you have given in the past, we appreciate your continued support!
