CHEM 398: Professional Practices and PerspectivesF 3-4:15 PM

Dr. S. Ruder sruder@vcu.eduAssignments: submit electronically on blackboard, include name. Due dates will be posted on Blackboard and are not necessarily in the order written below.1. Write a cover letter and resume based on your career interests. 20 points (Jan 31) 2. Write a personal statement and revise it. 20 points. (Feb 7) 3. Write ten questions for the visitor from the Career Center. 5 points. 4. Attend poster session, and complete a summary sheet for three posters. 15 points.5. Write ten questions for the career panelists invited to class. The panelists may come from medical

school, pharmacy school, local industry, and/or VCU. All have backgrounds in chemistry. 5 points. 6. Read an assigned scientific article, and answer posted questions (in class). 10 points.7. Complete an interview with the career center. 20 points. 8. Complete a literature search on the assigned research topic. Use at least three searching tools

(including at least two on-line searching tools) to complete a literature search on your approved topic. Locate at least 10 appropriate references including at least three different types of sources (journal, book, thesis, etc.). The references or sources must be listed using American Chemical Society guidelines. A one-two sentence summary of the reference and its relation to the topic of the search is included. Estimate the importance of the reference to their research topic (3 = very important to 1= slightly important). 20 points.

9. Give a presentation on your assigned research topic. Limit your talk to FIVE (5) minutes and no more than 6 slides. 20 points.

10. Attend and participate in class. You will not get participation credit if you are texting, listening to music, playing games, looking at facebook, studying for another class or otherwise doing work not related to this class. 60 points (5 points per class; 1 drop).

Speakers will include:career centergraduate admissionslibrary specialistcareer panel

Introductions:Form groups of 3-4, preferably with people you do

not know.Introduce yourselves:1. name2. career interest3. fun fact

Discover Chemistry Research at VCU

Drug Design

Drug Delivery

Forensic Analysis

Disaster Analysis

Homeland Security

Wastewater Treatment

Environmental Monitoring

Energy Resources

Quality Control

Educate

Drug Testing

Material Fabrication

Patent Law

Scientific Writing

Medical Doctors

Universities

Government Labs

Private Companies

Drug Companies

Patent Law Offices

Environmental Labs

Crime LabsFBI Biotechnology Labs

Hospitals

Team work

Laboratory Techniques

CreativityProblem Solving Skills

Critical Thinking

Scientific Writing

Opportunities for Undergraduate Research

Travel to Regional & National Meetings

Student Affiliate of the American Chemical Society Activities (President: Kyle Pfieffer)

-meet the professors, Jan 31, 3-5, Temple 3309

Blackboard Chemistry Majors

CHEMISTRY AT VCU

Instrumentation for Research & for Undergraduate Laboratories

Nationally & Internationally Known Faculty

Professor John Fenn,2003 Nobel Laureate

CHEMISTRY AT VCU

CHEMISTRY IS INTERDISCIPLINARY

Chemical Biology:Medicinal Chemistry,

Pharmacology, Proteomics, Structural

Biology

Materials & Nanoscience

Nanotechnology: New Materials, Nanomedicine,

Computational & Molecular Modeling

Chemical Education: Undergraduate

Research, Student Engagement, Curriculum

Development, Learner-Center

Teaching

Interactions: H&S, Center for Teaching

Excellence, College of Engineering, Honors

College, Biochemistry, Cancer Center, MCV

Chemistry

Chemistry Research for Undergraduates

Who:•All chemistry majors - any concentration and career interest.When:•Any time during college career, depending on area and advisor.•The earlier the better, but better late than never.Where:•Chemistry or a related field (biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical engineering....)•Industry (Honeywell, Ethyl, BI....)

Chemistry Research for Undergraduates

Research as part of the chemistry curriculum:•Directed study, CHEM 392•Independent study, CHEM492•Internship, CHEM493•CHEM498 Honors Thesis•Professional Chemist with Honors Concentration•Lab courses: CHEZ304L, 409L, 406L

Finding a Research Advisor

•Review the Department of Chemistry web page, http://www.has.vcu.edu/che/research/faculty.html

•Request a meeting with a faculty member (phone, email, visit office)

•Talk to your chemistry instructor and teaching assistants

•Talk to other chemistry majors or to Student Affiliate members•Research can also be done in affiliated departments

Research Experience for Undergraduates (applications due ~Feb/March)

• At VCU :http://www.has.vcu.edu/che/research/nsf.html

•Nationally: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=5048

Summer Research for Undergraduates

VCU Programs •Honors Program SURPhttp://www.honors.vcu.edu/research/ugradprogram/index.html

•VCU UROPhttp://www.research.vcu.edu/vpr/ugresources/forstudents.htm

Poster session April 24