College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - Department of Chemistry

A comprehensive knowledge of chemistry is essential for the person who wishes to help solve the problems of today — problems of illness and disease, problems of wise use of our resources — and for the person who wants to do basic research in chemistry or work in the chemical industry. We offer courses tailored for students desiring only an introduction to the field on a regular basis. A wide variety of other courses in the program are designed to offer fundamental training for students majoring in chemistry or other science areas, such as biology or health sciences. Interdisciplinary research is an integral part of our program at Portland State. Our research has applications across a diverse array of areas including medicine, air and water pollution, solar energy conversion, and art conservation. Access to state-of-the-art instrumentation, research facilities, and support facilities is an important aspect of conducting research. A chemical stockroom and instrumentation suites help meet this goal. Faculty, students, and staff in the department are always searching for knowledge and ways to help our communities. Researchers and graduate students regularly publish scholarly articles, people are recognized at both local and international events, and innovations are changing lives.