About The Department

About The Department

The Chemistry Department at Alma College is housed within the Ronald O. Kapp Science Laboratory Center. The Department was constructed in 1990 and contains well-equipped laboratories arranged in suites with adjacent instrumentation labs. Click here for a photographic tour of the department.

The Alma College Chemistry Department consists of 6 faculty members, 2 support staff, and 150 - 200 undergraduate students (on average), many of whom are involved in research projects with our faculty members.

Our students benefit from an education within the Chemistry Department by developing a fundamental understanding of chemistry, with the emphasis on new structural, analytical, synthetic and theoretical techniques applicable in both academic and industrial settings.

Research and Training Environment

The Department has a wide range of instrumentation, including high performance liquid chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, atomic absorbance spectrometry and multinuclear superconducting nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. More than 40 computers are used to acquire and analyze data for lab work and research.

Research students become well versed in project-specific skills, general scientific awareness, and transferable skills such as written and oral communication as well as computer-related skills.

 

Alma College students have experiential learning opportunities in Washington, D.C. and around the world through the College’s partnership with the Osgood Center for International Studies. The Osgood Center offers annual leadership, business and foreign policy conferences for college students on contemporary international issues.

 

Leadership Profile

Mariah Nawrot

Mariah Nawrot
Graduation: 2014
Major: Biology and Chemistry

Because she is the Alma College swim team captain and a resident assistant, those who work with Mariah Nawrot might be surprised to find out that the seemingly natural leader is actually very shy.

“Alma has made me step out of my comfort zone and become a leader,” she says. “Despite my shyness, I’ve learned that people are really willing to listen to your guidance if you’re respectful and also listen to where they’re coming from.”