Literature, Conduct and Safety in the Chemical Sciences

Catalog description

CHEM 358 is designed to prepare a student majoring in chemistry to interact with the scientific community as a professional. The course will be divided into three major units. The first unit will focus on communicating scientific information and research results. This will include searching, reading and interpreting peer-reviewed scientific literature, preparation of formal reports suitable for publication, and presenting research orally. Students may be asked to attend public events related to science outside the normal meeting hours for the course. The second unit will focus on developing career skills needed to become a successful professional in the field. This will include examining various career paths related to chemistry, professional networking, resume and job seeking skills, and instruction on effective interview strategies. Outside speakers will be invited to help reinforce particular topics. Additionally, scientific integrity will be discussed. The third unit will focus on an introduction to chemical hygiene in order to promote advanced safety practices above what students have learned in previous laboratory courses. This will include complying with safety regulations, understanding when and how to use proper personal protective equipment, understanding the categories of hazards associated with chemicals and how to read chemical labels, and interpreting Safety Data Sheets (SDS).