Message from the Chair

Thank you for exploring the Department of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo (UB). I extend a special welcome to those who are considering us as a home for your undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate educational experience!

Chemistry has been central to UB's mission since its inception as a medical college in 1846. We have been training chemists for over 100 years, helping UB grow into a flagship campus of the State University of New York system. Today, we are a proud department and a close-knit community of 32 ladder and teaching faculty, 13 professional staff, close to 150 graduate students, approximately 25 postdoctoral scholars, and more than 200 undergraduate majors, with a strong commitment to excellence in research, service, and teaching. The annual undergraduate enrollment in chemistry averages approximately 7000, and we typically rank among the top 25 institutions in the U.S. in granting bachelor’s degrees in chemistry. Our graduate and undergraduate programs have grown dramatically over the past decade, which has enabled us to enhance our research profile and the breadth and depth of our instructional offerings. At the same time, we pride ourselves on maintaining collegiality and a close working relationship between faculty and students, particularly at the graduate level. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming working environment that encourages mutual respect at every level.

Research interests within the Department span the traditional disciplines of chemistry – analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical – as well as the ever-expanding interfaces of chemistry with biology, materials science, engineering, medicine, and physics. Recently, we have broken down the traditional divisional structure of our department and reorganized our faculty and research along the cross-disciplinary themes of Biological and Medicinal Chemistry, Energy and Sustainability, Materials and Nanochemistry, Spectroscopy and Measurements, and Synthesis, to create a forward-looking structure that can help us tackle societal, technological, and environmental challenges of today and tomorrow. We also benefit greatly from collaborative affiliations with researchers within the College of Arts and Sciences; the Schools of Engineering, Dental Medicine, Medicine, and Pharmacy; the Roswell Park Cancer Institute; the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute; the Centers of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Materials Informatics; the RENEW Institute; and the Center for Computational Research. The emergence of these research centers and institutes has led to a tremendous growth of interdisciplinary research and collaboration among members of our Department.

The Department maintains a collegial and friendly environment for students and faculty alike. Our graduate students are very active and coordinate many of our events. The Graduate Students’ Symposium, which have been organized by our students for 40 years, has attracted international attendance and widespread acclaim. The active engagement of our graduate students in social and scientific activities strengthens our Departmental community and greatly enhances the graduate experience.

On behalf of my colleagues, I encourage you to make UB Chemistry a part of your journey. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information or perspective on our department.

Professor Javid Rzayev, Chair