Chemistry Research Courses (CHEM551/552) Homepage Spring 2021

Course Specifics:

Instructor: Dr. Jason C. Hurlbert

Office: Sims 301B

Office hours: T 5:00-6:00PM, R 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, F 11:00-12:00PM and by appointment

Phone: 323-4928

E-mail: hurlbertj@winthrop.edu

Meeting Times:

CHEM551 Friday, 8:00 – 8:50AM, via Zoom

CHEM552 Friday, 9:00 - 9:50AM, via Zoom

3 credit hours

Textbook: ACS Style Guide, 3rd Edition, Anne Coghill and Lorrin Garson, editors

Course Outline and Objectives:

CHEM 551 and CHEM552 are a two-semester sequence that provides a faculty-mentored research experience that exposes undergraduates to hypothesis-based investigations in chemistry. The goals of these courses align with University Level Competency (ULC) #1 – “Winthrop graduates think critically and solve problems,” and ULC #4 “Winthrop graduates communicate effectively.”

• To develop and utilize the critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills needed to design scientific experiments, and analyze and interpret the resulting data
• To effectively communicate their findings through written research papers and oral presentations

During the Research sequence (CHEM 551 – 552), the student will learn to:

• Use scientific databases such as SciFinder and PubMed to access primary literature
• Read and appreciate the significance of relevant journal articles
• Design and carry out experiments using relevant instrumentation and techniques
• Analyze and interpret scientific data with respect to their research goal
• Write, review, and revise a formal report of their research in the form of a scholarly article
• Make presentations of their work to faculty who specialize in various chemistry disciplines

For specific course information (grading, assignment details, etc.) about either CHEM551 or CHEM552, please refer to the syllabus links above