The fundamental nature of Chemistry makes some knowledge of its principles essential to anyone who will be physically or intellectually manipulating and studying matter. The broad impact of chemistry on society can be found in the discipline’s contributions toward improving health and conquering disease, monitoring and protecting the environment, providing renewable substitutes for scarce materials, tapping new sources of energy, improving the competitiveness of our nation’s industries, etc. The centrality and importance of Chemistry among the sciences and related disciplines is amply demonstrated by our extensive teaching service on the campus, our placement of graduates in industry, academe, and government laboratories, and the diversity and prominence of our externally funded research.

The Department of Chemistry has a responsibility to contribute to the overall University missions of teaching, scholarship, and public service. In this context our principal purposes are:

• to teach the fundamentals of chemistry, providing a broad range of University undergraduate students the chemistry foundation necessary for their chosen careers and to act as active responsible citizens. Further, to provide specialized instruction in chemistry to undergraduate chemistry majors and graduate and post-graduate (postdoctoral) students preparing them for careers as chemistry professionals.
• to foster scholarship by promoting quality, nationally-recognized, research programs in the sub disciplines of chemistry and in cross-discipline areas, maintaining modern research facilities, and advancing the pedagogy of chemistry and related areas of scientific inquiry.
• to provide service through participation in university governance, professional public outreach enterprises, support of regional industry, and contributions to the discipline.

In achieving these general goals we must strive to identify important new problem areas for which chemistry can provide solutions, establish further relationships with Faculty and students in other disciplines on campus and in government and industry, maintain our professional outreach activities, and work diligently to strengthen our pursuit of quality education and research.