Saint Louis University

College of Arts & Sciences

Annual Report Template

FY2013 (July 2012-June 2013)

Department Information
Department / Chemistry
Academic Programs / Chemistry, Biochemistry
Degrees / BA, BS, MS, PhD
Contact Person
Name / Steven Buckner
Title / Professor and Chair
e-mail address /
Phone / x-2850
Department Mission Statement and Goals
Mission Statement: Members of the Department of Chemistry at SLU teach and research in extremely important areas of science and technology. Their work and study covers many areas, including biological and biomedical systems, energy and environmental problems, development of new materials, and fundamental studies on theories and models of chemical and physical systems. Our work in chemistry addresses cutting edge problems facing humanity. Students are working on and being trained to tackle many of the crucial problems facing humanity.
Current Goals and Objectives: (list separately for department and for each program if multiple programs exist in department)
1.  Provide a modern, complete, and student-centered curriculum in Chemistry and Biochemistry
2.  Maintain active, productive research groups.
3.  Provide quality service courses to support other departments needing chemical science courses
4.  Contribute service support to the College, University, profession, and region
Please specify progress made towards meeting these goals in the last year:
1.  We delivered our curriculum successfully this year. In department meetings we discussed modifications to update and improve the curriculum.
2.  Faculty obtain new grant funds this year to support their research programs (see below). The research PIs and their groups produce many quality publications, presentations, and patents this year.
3.  We provided all the necessary and requested service courses in chemistry this year. We provided meetings and support to departments in engineering and in allied health programs this past year.
4.  Our faculty and students provided service across all areas
Future Goals and Objectives: (describe goals for the coming year)
Build our research programs. This will require that the university provide a long-term, stable solution to our research space problem. We simply require appropriate space for a modern chemistry program. We currently do not have the necessary space.
Student Learning Outcomes
Please list your learning outcomes: (list separately for department and for each program if multiple programs exist in department)
Students will understand the principles of modern chemistry and demonstrate their application to a range of common systems.
Students will demonstrate an ability to apply chemical principles and techniques in a laboratory setting – including experimental, theoretical, and computational methods.
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1: / Students will understand the principles of modern chemistry and demonstrate their application to a range of common systems.
Assessment Method (s) / We administer standardized exams at various points in the curriculum. These examinations are provided by the American Chemical Society and are updated every three to six years. We compare student performance on these exams with national norms to assess our student teaching and learning outcomes.
Data Source / Students in Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physical Chemistry are tested at the end of the course to determine if we are properly covering material and students are learning all the critical chemical principles, calculations, and models.
Assessment Results / For the Fall ACS analytical chemistry exam the average exam score was 35 out of 50 possible. The ACS national average is 27.5. The high was a 49. We also had a 47, 2 at 45, and a one at 44. So, there were 5 students at the 99th percentile and 2 at the 100th percentile. In the spring the class average was 35.4 out of 50 which is the 85th percentile.
In the Biochemistry course the class average on the ACS standardized exam was at the 88th percentile of the national distribution.
For Organic Chemistry, in the large lecture section the average score was at the 72nd percentile (47.3 out of 70) and the small lecture course was at the 77th percentile
Actions / Out of the 60 questions on the Biochemistry exam, the students performed worse than the national norm on three questions. Two questions were just below the norm and were both about LDL. One was about familial hypercholesterolemia, which we didn't specifically talk about. Faculty in Biochemistry decided they will spend more time on LDL during the second semester. The question they did worst on was about different blotting techniques. Our book doesn't go over these very well. Faculty will talk more about them during first semester
Outcome 2: / Students will demonstrate an ability to apply chemical principles and techniques in a laboratory setting – including experimental, theoretical, and computational methods.
Assessment Method (s) / Students carry out undergraduate research projects and submit their work for presentation at regional and national meetings and for publication (as co-authors) to scientific journals. In both of these avenues the students undergo rigorous peer review of their work by national and international external reviewers
Data Source / Individual research groups provide records of undergraduate student research participation and activities.
Assessment Results / Approximately a dozen students presented work at regional, national, and international conferences.
Actions / None taken
Outcome 3: / Students will understand the principles of modern chemistry and demonstrate their application to a range of common systems.
Assessment Method (s) / We conduct individual exit interviews with our graduating Chemistry and Biochemistry seniors in order to get their perceptions on the course and laboratory content of our curriculum. They provide insight into the student perceptions of our curriculum connections and the level of course preparation between each level of the curriculum.
Data Source / Students are interviewed during the second semester of their senior year. All students enrolled in Chemistry 495 are interviewed (as it is possible to catch them)
Assessment Results / Students were generally satisfied with the flow and preparation in the curriculum, and they were satisfied with their preparation for employment or education after graduation. There is a recurring theme of problems with the advising system. There are also questions about the biology content for the biochemistry degree.
Actions / We will discuss the results at the first fall faculty meeting. We often discuss the results at the summer department retreat but we are not having one this year.
Department Accomplishments
Awards or Distinctions: (list major awards or distinctive achievements earned by the department in the past year)
The Chemistry Department currently has $3,629,900.00 in active external grants.
The Chemistry Department submitted external grant proposals requesting$5,524,981.00in FY13.
The Chemistry Department was awarded $1,097,073.00 of new external grant funds in FY13.
Students and faculty members in the Chemistry Department published over 30 articles and gave over 50 presentations at conferences in FY13.
The ACS Student Affiliates at SLU (the Chemistry Club) received a “Commendable Section” award for their many service activities. The Chemistry Club officers received the award at the Spring 2013 ACS National Conference in New Orleans in March
Faculty honors: (list separately distinctive honors or special recognition awarded to individual faculty)
Scott Martin was asked to become a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the journal Analytical Methods
Student honors: (list separately distinctive honors or special recognition awarded to students)
Kelsey Schlund – 1st place poster prize at Sigma Xi/IFSA Research Symposium and Spring Meeting; She also received an ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Travel Award for Fall 2012 ACS meeting
Ismaila Emahi – 2nd place poster prize at SLU Graduate Research Symposium; He also received an ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Travel Award for Fall 2012 ACS meeting
Community engagement: (describe department involvement in the community)
The Chemistry Department hosted “Expanding Your Horizons” at SLU in the spring. Christy Bagwill led this effort. Expanding Your Horizons is a program to inspire girls to recognize their potential and pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Faculty in the Department of Chemistry hosted students from Clyde Miller Career Academy in their laboratories this year to provide research experiences as part of their career placement program.
Faculty in the Department of Chemistry hosted several STARS students this summer.
A Chemistry Department faculty member was the focus of a front page story in the Post-Dispatch on flipped classrooms.

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College of Arts & Sciences

Annual Reporting Template ver. 5.13