Because the discovery of new scientific knowledge is vital, all chemistry majors at Stetson perform research. You may work on campus under the guidance of a chemistry professor, or participate in research programs at graduate institutions, medical schools, national laboratories, or research institutes around the country. Some students receive cash stipends for their laboratory work.

Current research programs at Stetson include studies on natural product synthesis, kinetics of inorganic reactions, environmental chemistry, and FTIR studies of intermolecular hydrogen-bonded interactions. Stetson students often join professors in reporting research results at state and national chemistry meetings.

Gamma Sigma Epsilon members and the Student Affiliates of the American Chemistry Society team up to stage Chemistry Magic Shows for elementary school students from the local area.

Below are just some of the achievements our students have attained.

STUDENT RESEARCH, PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS:

At the Spring 2007 ACS Meeting in Chicago, IL, Dr. W. Tandy Grubbs, Professor, Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Stetson University, presented Alfonnso Ramirez's research poster entitled "Copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate: Controlling the water content of hydrogels.

At the Spring 2005 ACS Meeting in San Diego, CA, Amy R. Luce presented her research poster entitled "Hydrogel based upon random copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-dydroxyethyl methacrylate". Amy's research was supervised by Dr. W. Tandy Grubbs, Professor, Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Stetson University.

Also, at the Spring 2005 ACS Meeting in San Diego, CA, Sarah Caudill presented her research poster entitled "Interferometric Measurement of Refractive Index Dispersion in Polymers over the Visible and Near-Infrared Spectral Range". Sarah's work was supervised by Dr. W. Tandy Grubbs, Professor, Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Stetson University.

Krystal Bedard presented her work on Determining Mutagenicity Caused by the Venom of Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes Using the Kado Microsuspension Version of the Ames Salmonella/Microsome Assy, and was awarded a Maris prize as the best oral presentation in Session 1 of the Undergraduate Scholarship Day on April 5, 2006.

Organizational Activities:

Stetson's chapter of the Student Affiliates of the A.C.S (SAACS) inducted new members and and presented several chemical magic shows for local fifth-grade students.  In addition, the group sponsored a Saturday event where over one hundred local Boy Scouts, Webelos, and Cub Scouts came on campus to earn chemistry, and health-related merit badges.  The activities of the SAACS, led by Dr. Ramee Indralingam, continues to be a major source of pride for the Chemistry Department.