On Friday, October 30, 2015 the Department of Chemistry celebrated Halloween with a department-wide potluck. Faculty, staff and graduate students were invited to bring in a dish and put on their spookiest costume. There were a host of wizards, superheroes, villains and even the elusive Waldo made an appearance to enjoy some treats. Some of the graduate students showed up in costumes that will certainly be remembered for years to come. As always, the cuisine highlighted the immense diversity within the Department, and was enjoyed by all. The Department hopes to continue to build community and relationships through fun events where people can enjoy being together. Our next planned event is the annual holiday party, and will take place on Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

The Department of Chemistry hosted a Faculty Poster Presentation on Friday, September 4, 2015.  This annual event is an opportunity for new graduate students to meet Chemistry faculty members and learn about their current research projects.Each of the 30 new graduate students needs to choose a research group by December, and the poster Presentation is designed them find a project that aligns with their interests.  This choice is critical, because the research group a student chooses this semester will determine the course of his or her academic career. The faculty member who leads the research group will become the student’s advisor and mentor.
While the event is mainly for the benefit of the new students, the Faculty Poster Presentation also gives faculty members a chance to look at their colleagues’ research and gives current students a venue for spending time with their peers outside the lab.  Events like the poster presentation are vital to the advancement of community within the department, and helps to foster strong relationships between our students and faculty members – now, and beyond their time in the Department.