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Academics

Contact Information

P: 864-656-3065
E: chemistry@clemson.edu

Campus Location

235 Hunter Chemistry Laboratory

Hours

Monday - Friday:
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Graduates: After Clemson

Graduates from the Clemson graduate chemistry program seek and find employment in a very broad range of areas where chemistry is important, including private industry, national laboratories and education. How can a Clemson Department of Chemistry graduate degree prepare you for the next step in your life? See what some of our former students say.

 

What Our Graduates Say

“My graduate studies at Clemson fashioned my expertise to become a confident researcher in my respective field. The department fostered an intimate environment that promoted strong mentorship from my adviser, facilitated collaboration across a broad field of disciplines, and an opportunity to work in state-of-the-art facilities. My committee members were always accessible in order to seek their wisdom and guidance. I was also involved in the department’s strong-standing undergraduate program that afforded me the unique opportunity to engage as mentor. My time spent here was not so much a formality, but truly a remarkable experience!”

Scott T. Iacono, B.S., chemistry ’00, Louisiana State University; M.S., chemistry ’02, The Univeristy of Texas at Austin; Clemson Univeristy, chemistry ’08; scientist, U.S. Air Force


“I came to Clemson to pursue graduate studies following three years of employment with E. I. DuPont. Although I was happy with my job in the imaging systems division, I felt unchallenged by my routine duties. I was accepted at all of the universities to which I applied, but after visiting Clemson, the other schools seemed far too impersonal. I received an excellent education and research foundation that I feel will benefit my career far into the future.”

Paula Cable, B.S., chemistry ’88, Western Carolina University; Ph.D., Clemson ’95, analytical chemistry; senior scientist, environmental technology, Westinghouse – Savannah River Site, Aiken


“Graduate school at Clemson provided me the perfect opportunity to develop myself through both teaching and research. Each problem encountered served to sharpen my critical thinking, organization and communication skills. Attending conferences and meetings exposed me to new people, new ideas and the chance to interact with them. I am deeply grateful to my adviser and the Clemson faculty for such a complete education package.”

John D. Anderson, B.S., chemistry ’87, Bob Jones University; Ph.D., Clemson, ’94, inorganic chemistry; research and development chemist, Milliken Chemical


“Graduate study at Clemson involved a very strong adviser-student interaction. The research skills and techniques that I learned prepared me to undertake most synthetic tasks and to critically approach chemistry problems. Group meetings reinforced many fundamental concepts in organic chemistry and helped me to build confidence and think on my feet. I feel the preparation was excellent for a career in teaching and research.”

Christopher W. Alexander, B.S., chemistry ’88, Wofford College; Ph.D., Clemson ’93, organic chemistry; associate director in discovery research, Reddy US Therapeutics Inc., Norcross, Georgia


“I think that the most important aspect of my education at Clemson was to learn how to plan, design and execute experiments that would give an answer to the question that I was interested in and how to do that in a timely and efficient manner. It also taught me about tenacity and work ethic that is required in the ‘real world.’ The interactions that I had with professors and other graduate and undergraduate students helped an international student such as myself to learn about different people and their culture. The presentations at the group meetings, departmental seminars and the lectures that I had to give to the undergraduate students helped me to get comfortable to face the audience and answer any unexpected questions. Some excellent course work, group meetings, seminars from the guest speakers and cumulative exams made me to keep up with the current literature, a habit that has served me very well in my career.”

Bharat Lagu, B.S., chemistry ’84, University of Bombay; Ph.D., Clemson ’92, organic chemistry; senior scientist, Synaptic Pharamaceutical Corp., Paramus, New Jersey


“I worked on a very interesting project involving the development of new synthetic methodology — one which also required me to develop hands-on knowledge of computer molecular modeling, two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and a wide variety of separation techniques. I received excellent guidance from my advisory committee and help from other faculty members. The staff support and the modern equipment both in our lab and in the department as a whole were excellent. The atmosphere in the department was friendly and encouraged interaction with other graduate students. I enjoyed my stay there very much.”

Quing Shi, B.S., chemistry ’82, China Textile University; Ph.D., Clemson ’93, organic chemistry; senior research scientist, Zeneca Corp. Agriculture Products Division, Mobile, Alabama; Eli Lilly Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana


“The teaching and training I received at Clemson afforded me the opportunity to become a diversified, knowledgeable chemist. The experience gained in using equipment and techniques, ranging from basic analytical characterization to specialized instrumentation has been a tremendous asset to my career. Also of critical importance was the wisdom and insight gained from the interaction between myself and my adviser, other professors and fellow graduate students. This exchange, in the form of classes, seminars and group meetings, gave me the interpersonal skills and confidence needed to compete in today's interactive, team-oriented workplace.”

Russell Holliday, B.S., chemistry ’90, Clemson; Ph.D., Clemson ’95, inorganic chemistry; research chemist, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA, Peoria, Illinois

Where Graduates Find Employment

Graduates of the Clemson University Department of Chemistry have found jobs at many different companies across many different industries. These organizations include:

  • Advanced Photonic Crystals, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Irix Pharmaceuticals, Florence, South Carolina
  • Milliken Chemical Co., Spartanburg, South Carolina
  • Savannah River Lab (U.S. Department of Energy) Aiken,South Carolina
  • Michelin, Greenville,South Carolina
  • DuPont Chemical Co., Richmond, VA
  • Merck Chemical, Rahway, New Jersey
  • Clariant Corp., Aiken,South Carolina
  • Micromass Inc., Beverly, Massachusetts
  • Chiron Corp., San Francisco, California
  • Toyota Co., Japan
  • U.S. Army Research Lab, Adelphi, Maryland
  • NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia
  • Transtech Pharma, North Carolina
  • Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab (U.S. Department of Energy), Idaho
  • Beckman Coulter, Allendale, New Jersey
  • Cree Semiconductors, North Carolina
  • National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
  • University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
  • University of California at Los Angeles, California
  • Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
  • Shire Laboratories, Maryland

Contact Information

P: 864-656-3065
E: chemistry@clemson.edu

Campus Location

235 Hunter Chemistry Laboratory

Hours

Monday - Friday:
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.