best environmental chemistry phd programs

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Applying for college or graduate school? Find out which schools have green chemistry and green engineering programs.

United States

University of Alabama; Center for Green Manufacturing Research center focused on ionic liquids, biorenewables, novel separation strategies and more.

Hendrix College; Toad Suck Institute for Green Organic Chemistry Green chemistry incorporated into bachelor's curriculum

University of California, Berkeley; The Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry Innovative courses for chemistry and engineering majors and nonmajors, green labs, and applied research

California Institute of Technology Courses focusing on global environmental issues and solutions and biocatalysis research

Colorado School of Mines Green chemistry incorporated into bachelor's curriculum

Connecticut

Yale University; Center for Green Chemistry & Green Engineering Courses in green engineering and chemistry; research in greener materials, energy, water, systems, and metrics

District of Columbia

George Washington University's Master of Science in Environmental and Green Chemistry   Emphasizes both environmental chemistry and green chemistry, the design of new chemicals and chemical processes with minimal environmental impact

University of Florida - Gainesville Green chemistry in organic labs and research opportunities including biopolymers and catalysts

Georgia Institute of Technology Interdisciplinary approach, courses at undergraduate and graduate level, and research opportunities

Northwestern University Offers a BS in Environmental Engineering and a Certificate in Energy and Sustainability

University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign Offers Environmental Chemistry-focused undergraduate curriculum

Indiana Univeristy - Bloomington Graduate courses in green chemistry, toxicology, risk assessment; Master's in Environmental Chemistry

Indiana University – Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Masters of Science in Product Stewardship

Iowa State University Green chemistry research including biorefinery

Western Kentucky University Research areas in green chemistry and biocatalysis

Washington College Green chemistry courses, curriculum, and senior research for undergraduates 

University of Maryland   Research areas in environmental chemistry. 

Massachusetts

Bridgewater State College Offers green chemistry courses, labs, research, and a BS with Environmental Chemistry concentration

Gordon College Green chemistry incorporated into bachelor's curriculum and lecture series

University of Massachusetts, Boston; Center for Green Chemistry Offers a PhD in Green Chemistry; Research in chemical fate, renewable energy, benign synthesis, and more

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Offers a PhD in Green Chemistry

Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry Offers professional training in green chemistry for scientists and engineers (non-academic)

Grand Valley State University Undergraduate courses in green chemistry; Offers a Certificate in Green Chemistry

Lawrence Technological University BS in Environmental Chemistry; Engineering courses on biofuels and fuel cells

Michigan State University Undergraduate courses in green chemistry and research in greener organic synthesis and green catalytic pathways

University of Michigan - Flint Offers a Bachelor of Science in Green Chemistry degree

St. Olaf College Green chemistry incorporated into bachelor's curriculum

University of Minnesota Green chemistry research across a range of areas.

Center for Sustainable Polymers Environmental focus and research in synthetic polymers, renewable materials, and bio-inspired oxidation catalysts

Washington University Offers an undergraduate Certificate in Renewable Energy and the Environment

Stony Brook University Research areas in bio-inspired catalysis, green nanostructure synthesis, and sustainable materials

North Carolina

North Carolina State University Undergraduate research in green chemistry; Offers a Master's in Biomanufacturing

Ohio State University ;  OBIC Bioproducts Innovation Center Graduate courses in environmental chemistry; Research in biobased polymers

University of Toledo; School of Green Chemistry and Engineering Courses in green chemistry, engineering and biofuels; MS and BS with minor in green chemistry and engineering

Oregon State University   Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry BS in Environmental Chemistry; Research in thin films, water-based chemistry, solar, and scaling

University of Oregon Green chemistry lab, multidisciplinary courses; Research in green nanomaterials, photoactive materials, and more

Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University; Institute for Green Science Classes and research center focused on sustainable chemistry

Chatham Univeristy MS in Green Chemistry; Chemists learn entrepreneurial skills

University of Pittsburg ;  Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation Green chemistry and engineering courses; Offers Sustainable Engineering Certificate

University of Scranton Green chemistry incorporated into curriculum; Offers a BS with concentration in green chemistry

Widener University BS degree in Green Chemistry

Puerto Rico

University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Research includes biocatalysts and environmental analytical chemistry

South Dakota

South Dakota State University Research in supercritical fluids, analytical separations, bioprocessing, and green chemistry education

Texas A&M University

Research includes green chemistry and sustainability, organometallic chemistry, catalysis, organic synthesis, stereochemistry and polymer chemistry.

Virginia Tech ;  Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology Research includes LCA, ecotoxicology, nanobiosensors; Offers a PhD in Sustainable Nanotechnology

University of Washington One year, online professional certificate program in Green Chemistry and Chemical Stewardship 

International

Monash University Green chemistry is part of the bachelor's and master's degrees; Offers a PhD with focus in green chemistry

The University of Queensland; Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Research in inorganic green chemistry, green nano, biopolymers, clean tech, process intensification

University of Sydney Research in biorenewable chemicals, earth abundant materials; Offers PhD in Green Chemistry

Queen's University Courses in green chemistry; Research in green materials, manufacturing, solvents; Offers Environmental Chemistry focus

McGill University: Chemistry Department Green chemistry courses; Research in biocatalysts, alternative solvents, photocatalytic reactions

McGill University: Desautels Faculty of Management, Integrated Management Interdisciplinary communication of sustainability and green chemistry in the business program

Memorial University of Newfoundland Research in chemicals from renewable freedstocks, non-precious metal catalysis, biodegradable polymer synthesis

Lanzhou Institute for Chemical Physics Research in green chemistry and energy chemistry, with particular attention to sustainable development

Center for Green Chemistry and Catalysis (CGCC), LICP, CAS Research in green catalysis, biological catalysts, ionic liquids

University of Copenhagen Offers a MSc in Chemistry with a Green and Sustainable Chemistry focus

European Union

The European Doctoral Programme on Sustainable Industrial Chemistry Multi-institution partnership offering doctoral programs in sustainable industrial chemistry

University of Strasbourg Offers a MSc in Chemistry with a specialization in Green Chemistry

Univeristy of Leuphana Offers a MSc in Sustainable Chemistry

University of Patras Offers a MSc in Green Chemistry and Clean Technologies

University of Hong Kong Research in green oxidation and materials; PhD with research focus in catalysis

Interuniversity Consortium "Chemistry for the Environment" A network of academic research chemists working in green chemistry and environmental protection

University of Venice (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia) Offers a MSc double degree in Environmental and Sustainable Chemical Technologies

University of Padua (Università di Padova ) Sustainable Chemistry and Technologies for Circular Economy Masters program

Netherlands

Delft University of Technology: Biocatalysis and Organic Chemistry Research in the fundamentals of enzymes and their application in industry.

Portugese Science and Technology Foundation Offers a PhD in Sustainable Chemistry hosted at Aveiro, NOVA Lisbon and Porto

National University of Singapore; Environmental Research Institute Offers a Green Chemistry and Sustainable Energy research track

Green Chemistry Network of Spain (REDQS) Interuniversity postgraduate green chemistry programs

Institute of Science and Technology (IUCT) Research institution affiliated with the Green Chemistry Institute of Spain and annual green chemistry conferences

Universidad Complutense de Madrid Research in organic, medicinal, biocatalysis and biotransformations

Universidad Zaragoza Courses in catalysis, toxicology, and solvents; Offers Master's in Green Chemistry

Chalmers University of Technology / University of Gothenburg; Centre for Environment and Sustainability, GMV Research in fuel cells, green electricity, combustion of biomass, and CO 2  capture

Lund University Course in green chemistry and biotechnology; Research in biocatalysts and biorenewable speciality chemicals

Switzerland

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Courses include in chemical processes for renewable energy; Research in catalysis for energy and environment

Chulalongkorn University Offers both a MSc and a PhD in Green Chemistry and Sustainability; both taught in English.

United Kingdom

Durham University; Centre for Sustainable Chemical Processes Courses and seminars include green chemistry catalysts, sustainable materials; Wide variety of research areas

Imperial College London Offers MRes in Green Chemistry: Energy and the Environment

Queen's University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research in ionic liquids and alternative solvents

University of Bath: Centre for Sustainable & Circular Technologies Diverse research areas; Offers MRes in Sustainable Chemical Technologies

University of Leicester: Green Chemistry Research Research in sustainable synthesis and catalysis; MSc in Chemical Research - Green Chemistry

University of Nottingham: The Centre for Sustainable Chemistry Green chemistry research areas; Offers MSc in Green and Sustainable Chemistry

University of Oxford Graduate courses and research in sustainable energy chemistry; Oxford Catalysis Network

University of York; Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence Research in renewable materials, clean synthesis, platform molecules; Offers masters,PhD and professional ed.

ACS GCI's Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference

The 28 th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference will be held June 2-5, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia, with the theme  AI-Generated Green Chemistry .

Contact the ACS Green Chemistry Institute

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Best Environmental Chemistry colleges in the U.S. 2024

Best environmental chemistry colleges in the u.s. for 2024.

University of Wisconsin-Madison offers 2 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 5 Environmental Chemistry students graduated with students earning 3 Doctoral degrees, and 2 Master's degrees.

Washington State University offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a faraway town.

Illinois Institute of Technology offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city.

Beloit College offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a very small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city.

Georgetown University offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city.

Central Washington University offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a faraway town.

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry offers 2 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a small, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 8 Environmental Chemistry students graduated with students earning 6 Master's degrees, and 2 Doctoral degrees.

Rhode Island College offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 1 Environmental Chemistry students graduated with students earning 1 Bachelor's degree.

University of New Haven offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 2 Environmental Chemistry students graduated with students earning 2 Certificates.

Oakland University offers 1 Environmental Chemistry degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 1 Environmental Chemistry students graduated with students earning 1 Doctoral degree.

Find local colleges with Environmental Chemistry majors in the U.S.

List of all environmental chemistry colleges in the u.s..

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• Environmental Chemistry and Technology, PhD

The program has been organized to offer advanced instruction and research training in environmental chemistry and environmental technology leading to the doctor of philosophy (PhD). A doctoral minor in environmental chemistry and technology is also offered. The program trains candidates for careers in teaching, research, resource management, environmental consulting, and private sector/industrial positions. Areas of work include the development of advanced technologies and materials for air and water purification and for the saving and storage of energies; alternative energy technologies; water and air pollution control; soil and sediment remediation; environmental technology; chemical limnology; and groundwater chemistry.

The PhD degree is designed for students who have a strong background in chemistry and who desire graduate training in applying chemistry to environmental systems. Individual programs are tailored to meet the candidate's interests through selection of a specialization and elective courses. Areas of specialization include aquatic chemistry, air pollution chemistry, terrestrial chemistry, and chemical- and bio-technology development.

The Environmental Chemistry and Technology (ECT) Program faculty is composed of an interdepartmental committee. Several committee members who have appointments in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are located in the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory (WSEL). Other members are located in their respective departments.

The environmental chemistry and technology area occupies over 10,000 square feet of office and laboratory space in the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory. Facilities include offices, conference room, classrooms, computer facilities, and over 8,000 square feet devoted to research. The research areas, including trace element and mercury clean laboratories, are designed for research in aquatic chemistry, air pollution chemistry, and environmental technology. Shop facilities (electronics/mechanical) allow fabrication of specialized equipment tailored to the particular field and laboratory research needs. Other specialized facilities include areas for investigations of air pollution chemistry, ceramic membrane technologies, hazardous material remediation, and development of energy storage devices.

In addition to the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory, students have access to numerous facilities on the UW–Madison campus, including laboratories in the Departments of Soil Science; Chemical and Biological Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemistry, Geoscience; Civil and Environmental Engineering; the Center for Limnology; and the State Laboratory of Hygiene.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Application Process and Requirements

All applicants must meet the  Graduate School's admission requirements  to be considered for admission. Departmental admission is by committee review. Applications submitted after the fall deadline through March 15 will be reviewed if complete and will be considered for admission by the program is space is still available. To check if space is available, please email: [email protected].

In addition, applicants must also meet the department's requirements listed below to be considered for admission:

A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. Applicants from an international institution must demonstrate strong academic achievement comparable to a 3.00 for an undergraduate or master’s degree. The Graduate School will use your institution’s grading scale. Do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale.

Applicants seeking admission should have a background in the fundamental areas of general, organic, physical, and analytical chemistry. In addition, applicants should have some background in applied sciences which can be fulfilled with a minimum of 6 credits in natural sciences such as botany, zoology, bacteriology, earth science, material science, biochemistry, or engineering. Applicants who have not met these requirements must do so prior to the completion of the master's degree.

Funded offers for MS (research) and PhD students, in the form of research assistantships, project assistantships, and/or teaching assistantships come directly from individual  faculty members .   Please contact interested faculty before or after you have applied to inquire about assistantship opportunities. Funding is not guaranteed with admission. Admitted applicants will be contacted directly by faculty regarding funding opportunities.

Complete Application

A complete graduate application is required before an application will be reviewed by the faculty. Late applications may not be reviewed for funding opportunities. A complete graduate application contains the following:

Graduate School Application

Applicants must submit an online application to the UW–Madison Graduate School. See  Graduate School Admissions  to apply.

Statement of Purpose

Submit a statement of purpose of 1,000 words or less in the online application. This statement should cover your technical areas of interest, coursework emphasis, research experience, professional goals, faculty members you are interested in working with, and any other items relevant to your qualifications for graduate school.  See the Graduate School for  additional guidelines for the Statement of Purpose  (scroll to bottom of page).

Three Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application. These letters should be from people who can judge the applicant’s academic, research, and/or work performance. See the  Graduate School for FAQs  regarding these letters.

Academic Transcripts

Upload the most recent copies of your transcripts to the online application, from each institution attended. Study abroad transcripts are not required if coursework is reflected on the degree granting university's transcript. Unofficial copies of transcripts are used for departmental review. If the applicant is recommended for admission, then the Graduate School will follow-up with instructions for official transcript submission. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program unless requested.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Upload your most recent resume or curriculum vitae in the online application.

English Proficiency Score

Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. Scores are accepted if they are within two years of the start of the admission term. Self-reported exam information is acceptable during departmental review; however, if you are recommended for admission, official test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate School from the testing body. See  Graduate School Admission Requirements  for more information on the English proficiency requirement. (NOTE: TOEFL scores may be sent electronically via ETS using institution code 1846)

Application Fee

A one-time application fee is required. See the  Graduate School frequently asked questions  for fee information. Fee grants are offered by the Graduate School on a limited basis and under certain conditions, as outlined  here . The department does not offer an application fee waiver due to the large volume of applications received. However, if you are working with a specific faculty member, then they may offer you a fee voucher.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students accepted into the program can expect to be fully funded through through fellowships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships on research projects. Admission decisions are based on the student's qualifications and research interests, the availability of funding, and the focus of funded research projects. Funding includes a waiver of tuition (excluding segregated fees), health benefits (including family coverage), and a yearly stipend.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Mode of Instruction

Mode of Instruction Definitions

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

Students are required to develop a plan of courses with their advisor. Additional courses beyond the core courses may be included with approval of the student’s academic advisor and the approval of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Academic Planning Committee.

Note that  CIV ENGR 500 Water Chemistry , or an equivalent advanced Environmental Chemistry course, is a prerequisite for many of the core Environmental Chemistry and Technology courses. If these requirements have not been met prior to entering the program, this should be considered when planning the coursework.

Students must enroll in CIV ENGR 909 Graduate Seminar - Environmental Chemistry & Technology  or CIV ENGR/​ATM OCN/​BOTANY/​ENVIR ST/​GEOSCI/​ZOOLOGY  911 Limnology and Marine Science Seminar each semester. PhD students should present a seminar once per academic year, either fall or spring semester.

Graduate-Level Chemistry Requirement

Students must take two chemistry courses numbered 500 or above. A partial list of potential courses is included below. Other courses may be substituted for this requirement with approval of the student’s academic advisor and the approval of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Academic Planning Committee.

Course Options

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate credits earned at other institutions.

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

Upon approval from a student’s graduate advisor and the graduate program chair, the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program r efers to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the  Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework  policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

Refer to the  Graduate School: Probation  policy.

Advisor / Committee

Refer to the Graduate School: Advisor and Graduate School: Committees (Doctoral/Master’s/MFA) policies. In addition to meeting with the assigned faculty advisor, students will also meet their Academic Planning Committee.

Credits Per Term Allowed

Time limits.

A candidate for a doctoral degree who fails to take the final oral examination and deposit the dissertation within five years after passing the preliminary examination may be required to take another preliminary examination and to be admitted to candidacy a second time.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS)  (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Environmental Chemistry and Technology Grievance Procedures

If a student feels unfairly treated or aggrieved by faculty, staff, or another student, the University offers several avenues to resolve the grievance. Students’ concerns about unfair treatment are best handled directly with the person responsible for the objectionable action. If the student is uncomfortable making direct contact with the individual(s) involved, they should contact the advisor or the person in charge of the unit where the action occurred (program or department chair, section chair, lab manager, etc.). Many departments and schools/colleges have established specific procedures for handling such situations; check their web pages and published handbooks for information. If such procedures exist at the local level, these should be investigated first. For more information see the Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures .

• The student is encouraged to speak first with the person toward whom the grievance is directed to see if a situation can be resolved at this level.
• If the student prefers to talk with someone outside of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program, contact:
• Joanna Gurstelle , College of Engineering Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs
• The Assistant Dean for Graduate Affairs ( [email protected] ) provides overall leadership for graduate education in the College of Engineering, and is a point of contact for graduate students who have concerns about education, mentoring, research, or other difficulties. 
• The first attempt is to help students informally address the grievance prior to any formal complaint. Students are also encouraged to talk with their faculty advisors regarding concerns or difficulties if necessary. University resources for sexual harassment, discrimination, disability accommodations, and other related concerns can be found on the UW Office of Compliance website .
• If the issue is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction the student can submit the grievance to the Grievance Advisor in writing, within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment.
• On receipt of a written complaint, a faculty committee will be convened by the Grievance Advisor to manage the grievance. The program faculty committee will obtain a written response from the person toward whom the complaint is directed. This response will be shared with the person filing the grievance.
• The faculty committee will determine a decision regarding the grievance. The Grievance Advisor will report on the action taken by the committee in writing to both the student and the party toward whom the complaint was directed within 15 working days from the date the complaint was received.
• At this point, if either party (the student or the person toward whom the grievance is directed) is unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty committee, the party may file a written appeal. Either party has 10 working days to file a written appeal to the College of Engineering.
• Documentation of the grievance will be stored for at least 7 years. Significant grievances that set a precedent will be stored indefinitely.

The Graduate School has procedures for students wishing to appeal a grievance decision made at the school/college level. These policies are described in the Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures .

• Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

• Learning Outcomes
• Articulate research problems, potentials, and limits with respect to theory, knowledge, or practice within the field of environmental chemistry and technology.
• Formulate ideas, concepts, and/or techniques beyond the current boundaries of knowledge in environmental chemistry and technology.
• Create research or scholarship that makes a substantive contribution.
• Demonstrate breadth within their learning experiences.
• Advance contributions to the field of environmental chemistry.
• Communicate complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner.
• Fosters ethical and professional conduct.

Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Professors Harrington (chair), Ahn, Hanna, Hurley, Li, Likos, Loheide, McMahon, Noguera, Noyce, Park, Parra-Montesinos, Ran, Remucal, Russell, Schauer, Wu; Associate Professors Block, Fratta, Ginder-Vogel, Hicks, Pincheira, Prabhakar, Sone, Tinjum, Wright; Assistant Professors Blum, Chen, Hampton, Pujara, Qin, Wang, Wei, Zhu; M.Eng Program Director Carlson. See also CEE faculty .

Geological Engineering

Professors Tinjum (Director) (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Feigl (Geoscience), Goodwin (Geoscience), Hard (Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey), Likos (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Loheide (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Tikoff (Geoscience), Wu (Civil and Environmental Engineering); Associate Professors Cardiff (Geoscience), Ferrier (Geoscience), Fratta (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Ginder-Vogel (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Hicks (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sone (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Zoet (Geoscience); Assistant Professors  Hampton (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Golos (Geoscience), Zahasky (Geoscience). See also GLE faculty .

Environmental Chemistry and Technology

Professors Hurley (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Bertram (Chemistry), Bleam (Soil Science), Harrington (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Karthikeyan (Biological Systems Engineering), McMahon (Civil and Environmental Engineering/Bacteriology), Roden (Geoscience), Root (Chemical and Biological Engineering), Schauer (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Thompson (Biological Systems Engineering); Associate Professors Ginder-Vogel (director; Civil and Environmental Engineering), Remucal (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Whitman (Soil Science); Assistant Professors Anantharaman (Bacteriology), Majumder (Bacteriology), Qin (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Wei (Civil and Environmental Engineering). See also  ECT Faculty .

• Requirements

Contact Information

Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program College of Engineering ECT research

Admissions [email protected] 3180 Mechanical Engineering Building 1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Matt Ginder-Vogel, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 2205 Engineering Hall 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706

More Information ECT Graduate Program Handbook

Graduate School grad.wisc.edu

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• University of Wisconsin-Madison

DEGREE Environmental Chemistry and Technology, PhD

Doctoral degree in environmental chemistry and technology

As a PhD student in environmental chemistry and technology, you’ll deepen your expertise in applying chemistry to environmental systems. And, by selecting a specialization and choosing elective courses, you also can tailor your graduate program to your own interests. Among the areas you can focus on are aquatic chemistry, air pollution chemistry, terrestrial chemistry, and chemical- and bio-technology development.

At a glance

Civil and environmental engineering department, learn more about what information you need to apply., how to apply.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

Application Process and Requirements

All applicants must meet the  Graduate School’s admission requirements  to be considered for admission. Departmental admission is by committee review. Applications submitted after the fall deadline through March 15 will be reviewed if complete and will be considered for admission by the program is space is still available. To check if space is available, please email: [email protected].

In addition, applicants must also meet the department’s requirements listed below to be considered for admission:

A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. Applicants from an international institution must demonstrate strong academic achievement comparable to a 3.00 for an undergraduate or master’s degree. The Graduate School will use your institution’s grading scale. Do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale.

Applicants seeking admission should have a background in the fundamental areas of general, organic, physical, and analytical chemistry. In addition, applicants should have some background in applied sciences which can be fulfilled with a minimum of 6 credits in natural sciences such as botany, zoology, bacteriology, earth science, material science, biochemistry, or engineering. Applicants who have not met these requirements must do so prior to the completion of the master’s degree.

Funded offers for MS (research) and PhD students, in the form of research assistantships, project assistantships, and/or teaching assistantships come directly from individual  faculty members .   Please contact interested faculty before or after you have applied to inquire about assistantship opportunities. Funding is not guaranteed with admission. Admitted applicants will be contacted directly by faculty regarding funding opportunities.

Complete Application

A complete graduate application is required before an application will be reviewed by the faculty. Late applications may not be reviewed for funding opportunities. A complete graduate application contains the following:

Graduate School Application

Applicants must submit an online application to the UW–Madison Graduate School. See  Graduate School Admissions  to apply.

Statement of Purpose

Submit a statement of purpose of 1,000 words or less in the online application. This statement should cover your technical areas of interest, coursework emphasis, research experience, professional goals, faculty members you are interested in working with, and any other items relevant to your qualifications for graduate school.  See the Graduate School for  additional guidelines for the Statement of Purpose  (scroll to bottom of page).

Three Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application. These letters should be from people who can judge the applicant’s academic, research, and/or work performance. See the  Graduate School for FAQs  regarding these letters.

Academic Transcripts

Upload the most recent copies of your transcripts to the online application, from each institution attended. Study abroad transcripts are not required if coursework is reflected on the degree granting university’s transcript. Unofficial copies of transcripts are used for departmental review. If the applicant is recommended for admission, then the Graduate School will follow-up with instructions for official transcript submission. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program unless requested.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Upload your most recent resume or curriculum vitae in the online application.

English Proficiency Score

Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. Scores are accepted if they are within two years of the start of the admission term. Self-reported exam information is acceptable during departmental review; however, if you are recommended for admission, official test scores must be sent directly to the Graduate School from the testing body. See  Graduate School Admission Requirements  for more information on the English proficiency requirement. (NOTE: TOEFL scores may be sent electronically via ETS using institution code 1846)

Application Fee

A one-time application fee is required. See the  Graduate School frequently asked questions  for fee information. Fee grants are offered by the Graduate School on a limited basis and under certain conditions, as outlined  here . The department does not offer an application fee waiver due to the large volume of applications received. However, if you are working with a specific faculty member, then they may offer you a fee voucher.

Tuition and funding

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students accepted into the program can expect to be fully funded through through fellowships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships on research projects. Admission decisions are based on the student’s qualifications and research interests, the availability of funding, and the focus of funded research projects. Funding includes a waiver of tuition (excluding segregated fees), health benefits (including family coverage), and a yearly stipend.

Civil and environmental engineers are changing the world. Aging infrastructure. Climate change. Clean water and air. Natural hazards. Energy. These are just a few of the grand challenges facing civil and environmental engineers, and our research is leading the way toward sustainable solutions.

View our research

Curricular Requirements

Minimum graduate school requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum  academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Required Courses

Students are required to develop a plan of courses with their advisor. Additional courses beyond the core courses may be included with approval of the student’s academic advisor and the approval of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Academic Planning Committee.

Note that  CIV ENGR 500 Water Chemistry , or an equivalent advanced Environmental Chemistry course, is a prerequisite for many of the core Environmental Chemistry and Technology courses. If these requirements have not been met prior to entering the program, this should be considered when planning the coursework.

Students must enroll in CIV ENGR 909 Graduate Seminar – Environmental Chemistry & Technology  or CIV ENGR/​ATM OCN/​BOTANY/​ENVIR ST/​GEOSCI/​ZOOLOGY  911 Limnology and Marine Science Seminar each semester. PhD students should present a seminar once per academic year, either fall or spring semester.

Graduate-Level Chemistry Requirement

Students must take two chemistry courses numbered 500 or above. A partial list of potential courses is included below. Other courses may be substituted for this requirement with approval of the student’s academic advisor and the approval of the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Academic Planning Committee.

Course Options

Admissions [email protected] 3182 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Matt Ginder-Vogel, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 2205 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive Madison, WI 53706

Civil and environmental engineering news

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DISCOVER THE INNOVATIVE WORK WE ARE DOING ON:

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Ph.D. in Environment and Sustainability

Our Environment and Sustainability Ph.D. equips students with diverse perspectives to develop profound new ideas, knowledge and approaches to the most important concerns facing people and the planet. The program provides training to develop deep understandings of the structures of current environment and sustainability issues today and to develop analytical research to address them. This requires learning in multiple disciplines and how they, together, can better provide greater knowledge to bear to the social, environmental, political, scientific and economic factors creating the situation we face today. Our goal is to prepare students for a range of careers in academia, as well as public and private sectors.

Climate Strategies

Talking solutions with Marilyn Raphael, director of UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability

Dangerous combination of extreme heat and smoke affected 16.5 million Californians

“as a passionate environmentalist and social justice organizer, students with diverse views helped me value mainstream and economically-framed solutions”.

​​Cassie Gardener-Manjikian

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Graduate Degree Programs M.S. or Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry

By entering our Ph.D. or M.S. program specializing in Environmental Chemistry, you will study with one of the largest groups of chemistry faculty in the world focusing on the environment.

We offer a program with its core in the chemical sciences, so students learn fundamentals they can apply to current issues, as well as to discover and develop solutions to emerging problems.

Research in environmental chemistry spans a wide range, from field work to laboratory work to computer modeling. Areas of research include global climate change, coral reef ecosystems, biogeochemistry, persistent organic pollutants, and the environmental transformations of natural and anthropogenic trace compounds. Students also have access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation available through ESF’s Analytical & Technical Services , such as our 800-MHz NMR and two triple-quad mass spectrometers.

Program of Study

Incoming graduate students take three broad-based courses in Environmental Chemistry to prepare them for research and more advanced chemistry-based courses such as Oceanography, Advances in Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, Air Quality, and Chemical Kinetics. Students can also take additional courses in chemistry, environmental science, and related fields both at ESF and Syracuse University.

Faculty and their Specialties

Follow the links immediately below for detailed descriptions of research of any professor.

• Neal M. Abrams ;   [email protected] Inorganic chemistry, material science, renewable energy
• Jiajue Chai ; [email protected]   Atmospheric chemistry, reactive nitrogen, air quality, climate change, human and ecosystem health
• Theodore S. Dibble ;   [email protected] Environmental chemistry, atmospheric chemistry. Kinetics and mechanism of air pollution, atmospheric mercury, and aquatic chemistry
• Mark S. Driscoll ;   [email protected] Environmental chemistry and radiation for environmentally friendly industrial processes
• Jennifer Goff; [email protected]   environmental biochemistry and environmental chemistry; environmental microbiology; ecophysiology; genomics and evolution; heavy metals; bioremediation; environmental health 
• Gyu Leem ;   [email protected] Environmental and polymer chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, materials science, surface chemistry, light harvesting polymers, photocatalytic and/or magnetic composite materials, solar energy conversion, water remediation
• Huiting Mao ;   [email protected] Environmental chemistry, atmospheric chemistry, air quality, regional to global budgets of trace gases, long range transport, continental export, climate change
• Julia Maresca ; [email protected] Environmental microbiology, photosynthesis/phototrophy, circadian rhythms, freshwater biochemistry, (meta)genomics, built environment, concrete microbiome, bioremediation
• Jaime Mirowsky ;   [email protected] Environmental health, exposure assessment, air pollution, cardiopulmonary health, in vitro models, environmental noise, epidemiology, public health
• Lee Newman ; [email protected] Phytoremediation, molecular and cellular biology, horticultural therapy, food and health
• Aaron Ninokawa (starting Fall 2023); [email protected]   Environmental chemistry, ocean acidification, drivers of water chemistry variations, influence of aquatic organisms on water chemistry, formation and dissolution of calcium carbonate materials
• Nicholas C. Pflug , [email protected]   Environmental Chemistry, aquatic chemistry, organic chemistry, photochemistry, natural products, reaction mechanisms, structure elucidation
• Leanne C. Powers , [email protected]   Environmental photochemistry, marine chemistry, reactive oxygen species, aquatic biogeochemistry, ocean optics

Emeritus Faculty

• Gregory L. Boyer ;   [email protected] Biochemistry and environmental chemistry, plant and algal biochemistry, chemical ecology and toxins produced by algae, environmental monitoring, including buoy and ship-based monitoring systems for water quality
• John P. Hassett ;   [email protected] Aquatic and atmospheric chemistry, autonomous sampling systems, disinfection by-products, trace organic contaminants, nutrients
• David J. Kieber ;   [email protected] Environmental chemistry, aquatic organic chemistry, aquatic photochemistry, chemical oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, marine microbial ecology, polar research

Financial Support

Students are typically supported on research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships.

Information on Graduate Admissions to Chemistry

Guidance for prospective applicants and links to the online application can be found at Chemistry Graduate Admission Information .

Current Research Interests

• atmospheric mercury chemistry and cycling ( Dibble , Mao )
• fate of persistent organic pollutants like PFAS, PCBs, etc. ( Newman , Pflug )
• genetic engineering of freshwater Actinobacteria, light-sensing mechanisms, bacterial-algal interactions ( Maresca )
• heavy metal contamination ( Goff )
• human health effects of environmental stressors ( Mirowsky )
• interactions between aquatic / marine organisms and water chemistry ( Ninokawa ) 
• kinetics and mechanisms of environmental reactions ( Chai , Dibble , Pflug , Powers )
• harmful algal bloom toxin analysis and monitoring ( Pflug )
• new techniques for field and laboratory analysis of molecules, radicals, and particles in water, air, and soil ( Chai , Goff , Mirowsky ) 
• ocean acidification ( Ninokawa , Powers )
• phytoremediation ( Newman , Pflug )
• photochemistry in lakes, streams, and marine waters ( Pflug , Powers ) 
• solar cells for energy and conversion of woody biomass ( Abrams , Leem )
• toxicity of indoor and outdoor air pollutants ( Mirowsky )
• urban air pollution: sources and impacts ( Chai , Dibble , Mao , Mirowsky )
• soil and water remediation ( Goff , Leem , Newman , Powers , Pflug )

2024 Best Environmental Chemistry Schools

Choosing a great environmental chemistry school, pick your environmental chemistry degree level, best schools for environmental chemistry in the united states, top schools in environmental chemistry.

There were roughly 5 environmental chemistry students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 1 environmental chemistry students who graduated with this degree at La Roche in the most recent year we have data available.

There were approximately 1 environmental chemistry students who graduated with this degree at RIC in the most recent data year.

Environmental Chemistry by Region

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Bachelor's degrees in environmental chemistry, doctor's degrees in environmental chemistry, master's degrees in environmental chemistry, environmental chemistry related rankings by major, most popular majors related to environmental chemistry.

Notes and References

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We have 72 Environmental Chemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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Environmental Chemistry PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

A PhD in Environmental Chemistry offers an exciting opportunity to delve into the world of chemistry and its impact on the environment. If you have a passion for both chemistry and environmental sustainability, this could be the perfect field for you to pursue your doctoral studies.

What's it like to study a PhD in Environmental Chemistry?

Studying a PhD in Environmental Chemistry allows you to explore the intricate relationship between chemical processes and the environment. You will have the chance to conduct cutting-edge research on topics such as air and water pollution, climate change, and the development of sustainable technologies.

During your PhD journey, you will work closely with experienced researchers and faculty members who will guide and support you in your research endeavors. You will have access to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, enabling you to conduct experiments and analyze data to gain a deeper understanding of environmental chemistry.

In addition to your research, you will also have the opportunity to attend conferences, present your findings, and collaborate with other scientists in the field. This will not only enhance your knowledge but also expand your professional network.

Entry requirements for a PhD in Environmental Chemistry

To pursue a PhD in Environmental Chemistry, you will typically need a strong academic background in chemistry or a related field. Most universities require a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree, although some may also consider applicants with a Master's degree.

In addition to academic qualifications, research experience and a strong motivation to contribute to the field of environmental chemistry are highly valued. It is also beneficial to have a solid foundation in analytical techniques and laboratory skills.

PhD in Environmental Chemistry funding options

Funding for PhDs in Environmental Chemistry may be available from various sources, including governments, universities and charities, business or industry. See our full guides to PhD funding for more information.

PhD in Environmental Chemistry careers

A PhD in Environmental Chemistry opens up a wide range of career opportunities. You could work in academia as a research scientist or lecturer, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Alternatively, you may choose to work in industry, focusing on developing sustainable technologies, environmental monitoring, or pollution control.

Government agencies and environmental consulting firms also offer career prospects for environmental chemists. Here, you can contribute to policy-making, environmental impact assessments, and the development of strategies to mitigate pollution and promote sustainability.

With the increasing global focus on environmental issues, the demand for environmental chemists is growing. By pursuing a PhD in Environmental Chemistry, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful contribution to the field and play a vital role in addressing environmental challenges.

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Tackle real world challenges, make a difference, and elevate your career with postgraduate research in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at Manchester. From biochemistry to neuroscience, cancer sciences to medicine, audiology to mental health and everything in between, we offer a wide range of postgraduate research projects, programmes and funding which will allow you to immerse yourself in an area of research you’re passionate about.

Design and engineering of peptides and proteins to create artificial metalloenzymes

Phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Fully-funded PhD Studentship in the Radiological Characterisation of Contaminated Land

Funded phd project (uk students only).

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

PhD in Chemistry - NANAQUA - Rapid Contaminant Detection with Advanced Nanosensor Platforms in Water Treatment Monitoring

Competition funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Data-driven modelling of inverter-based resources towards efficient converter-driven stability investigations

Funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Evaluating the role of hydrogen fuel at airports as part of their transition to net zero.

Mass and heat transfer in energetic ocean surface waves, nanocatalyst for electrochemical ammonia synthesis, space-based constraints on uk ammonia emissions and air quality impacts, phd opportunities at the dust doctoral network (dust-dn), funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

International PhD Programme

International PhD programs are often designed for international students. Your PhD will usually be delivered in English, though some opportunities to gain and use additional language skills might also be available. Students may propose their own PhD topics or apply for advertised projects.

The impact of mineral dust on Aircraft Engines in the Middle East

Atmospheric sedimentation of non-spherical dust particles: developing knowledge for improvement of models, phd studentship in solar chemical technologies, phd studentship in chemistry for catalytic co2 utilisation, fully funded epsrc cdt in engineering hydrogen net-zero, epsrc centre for doctoral training.

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training conduct research and training in priority areas funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Potential PhD topics are usually defined in advance. Students may receive additional training and development opportunities as part of their programme.

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MS in Environmental & Green Chemistry

Green Chemistry Forges Path Forward Hear what Professor Voutchkova, co-director of the MS in Environmental and Green Chemistry, plans for the program.

Employers across the public and private sectors are increasingly seeking scientists who specialize in creative ideas with minimal environmental impact. In our unique green chemistry program, students learn the science underlying today’s environmental challenges and develop innovative, greener solutions to address them.

The curriculum builds proficiency in both environmental chemistry and green chemistry, positioning graduates to find employment in this burgeoning field or to continue their education in chemistry and sustainability. Coursework combines intensive study of chemical toxicology, green industrial chemistry and rational design of safer chemicals with related courses in public health, policy and business. Students round off the program with a final capstone project with areal-world client.

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BS/MS in Green Chemistry

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Join the graduate programs open house: october 21–november 1.

Registration is now open for GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) Graduate Programs Open House! The event features program-specific information sessions and opportunities to interact with current graduate students, faculty and our admissions team.

The Chemistry Department will host a virtual information session for prospective graduate students on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:00 p.m. EDT. Attendees will receive an application fee waiver.

Registration and Details

Chemistry Info Session: November 21

Join us online for an information session discussing the field of chemistry and the GW Master of Science in Chemistry, Master of Science in Environmental & Green Chemistry and PhD in Chemistry programs.

Register to Attend  

“There’s an emphasis on real-world applicability rather than a sole focus on academic exercises. That’s what is most rewarding to me. You can see where your work could be used to benefit health and safety.”

Savannah Sierco MS '19

Capstone Research Projects with External Partners

Why pursue this degree.

Interested in the environment, medical or veterinary professions, product invention or sustainable business practices? There is a growing employer demand for professionals with a passion for sustainability and a sound fundamental scientific background in environmental and green chemistry, toxicology and engineering. Because of the department's green chemistry capstone internship program, our graduates are strong candidates for positions in the private sector, government agencies and NGOs as environmental and sustainability consultants, health professionals, product developers, engineers and patent lawyers. Visit the GW Environmental and Green Chemistry LinkedIn page for current professional opportunities.

"As a GW alumna, being a mentor for the program was a very rewarding experience. The capstone program provides students with a unique real-world research opportunity, allowing them to extend their networks, gain further insights into work environments and help advance efforts that are relevant and important to organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

Sandra D. Gaona MEM '06  United States Environmental Protection Agency

What You'll Study

Our unique program melds the scientific foundations of environmental and green chemistry with public health, science policy and business perspectives. The core courses set our curriculum apart from any existing program in the United States and provide students with the scientific breadth and depth to evaluate environmental problems and develop sustainable solutions. Students can customize their studies with electives that take advantage of world-renowned GW programs in public health, management, public administration and media and public affairs. 

The degree concludes with a capstone project: a real-world group exercise that students carry out with an external partner/client such as a government agency, nonprofit group or faculty member. Students work in small teams with guidance from an external mentor and the program director. At the end of the capstone, students submit a written report and a formal presentation of results to both the external client and faculty.

" My time at GW in the Environmental and Green Chemistry program is one of the most influential experiences throughout my academic journey. From professors who are experts in their respective fields to capstone projects that support the Environmental Protection Agency, I developed a strong foundation in environmental sciences that will directly help me as an environmental lawyer. The knowledge and skills I acquired at GW makes me appreciate this program more and more every day. "

Trip Johnson GW MS EGC '22

Praise From Industry Leaders

"Patrick Raya [MS ’18, Environmental and Green Chemistry] worked in our Bethesda office for four plus months. ... He developed a scoring system that quantitated the frequency and prevalence of tissue level effect incidence data for 8000 plus chemicals. … In the relatively short period of time Patrick spent at Verisk 3E, he made a valuable contribution that can be built upon in our future design activities."

Hans Plugge Manager, Safer Chemical Analytics Capstone Mentor for Green Chemistry Program

Course Requirements

 Note: ACS placement examinations are administered at the start of the program of study to ensure competency in key areas of chemistry.

*Alternate elective courses may be selected subject to the program director's approval.

**Approved topics only. Consult the Schedule of Classes for current semester offerings. Permission of the advisor must be received prior to enrollment.

Course work is required in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Agriculture, and Sociology. This interdisciplinary approach insures that students become aware of a wide range of environmental concerns and that their research includes a breadth of environmental understanding beyond the boundaries of a particular discipline. The goal of the program is to prepare students for careers in research, management, government service, teaching, and other areas where they can make productive contributions to the solution of environmental problems. Numerous research training opportunities exist, including several aspects of Environmental Chemistry: water quality and management, proteomic effects of pharmaceuticals or personal care productions in the environment, radiochemistry and radioactive waste remediation, alternative energy and fuel chemistry, soil chemistry, lanthanide and actinide chemistry, and pollutant migration and environmental fate.

Graduate Advisor Contact Information:

Dr. Hong Zhang E-mail: [email protected] Office Location: Foster Hall, Room 333  Phone: (931) 372-6325

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USF College of Marine Science

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An “invasive” marine organism has become an economic resource in the eastern Mediterranean

Team led by USF alum discovers seamount, new species along Nazca Ridge

Device built from scratch helps scientists tackle a fish-spawning mystery

Estuaries in South Florida are warming faster than the Gulf of Mexico and global ocean

Students from across the country spent their summer at USF conducting ocean and weather research

The Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation

The Flood Hub is a first in Florida. Established by the state and based at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, it bridges the gap between scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and the public to help communities mitigate and adapt to flooding risks. The Flood Hub’s goal is to improve flood forecasting and inform science-based policy, planning, and management decisions.

Learn more about the Flood Hub 

BLOGS & PERSPECTIVES

Research shines at the Fall 2024 CMS Faculty Seminar Series

Monday, September 9, 2024

An annual tradition, the faculty seminar kicks off the Fall semester and is a chance for faculty members to present their latest research to the College.

Founded by CMS students, new ESA section promotes marine and coastal ecology

Friday, August 30, 2024

CMS doctoral candidates Natalia López Figueroa and Michael Schram founded the ESA coastal and marine ecology section to foster a space for marine scientists to present their research.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

CMS in the News

USF researchers studying impact of 'forever chemicals' on fish in Tampa Bay

Friday, September 13, 2024

Researchers at USF are doing a deep dive into so-called "forever chemicals" in the Tampa Bay and how they could be harming fish.

Study looks at how many 'forever chemicals' are found in fish and sediment in Tampa Bay

Scientists are researching toxins, including what are known as "forever chemicals," in the bay and they could create warnings based on what they find.

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In a recent article, members of the Optical Oceanography Lab used satellite observations to track changes to coastal water quality in Qatar, where a fast-growing economy comes with environmental challenges. Click on the image to read more.

Environmental Toxicology Degree

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• Why Environmental Toxicology?
• Bachelor's Degrees in Environmental Toxicology
• Master's Environmental Toxicology Degrees
• Doctoral Level Environmental Toxicology Programs
• Job in Environmental Toxicology
• Search For Schools

Why an Environmental Toxicology Degree?

Environmental toxicology is the study of how toxic chemicals affect organisms and the environment. It can include how the chemicals move through ecosystems, how they are absorbed and metabolized by plants and animals, the mechanisms by which they cause disease, result in congenital defects, or poison organisms, and how those effects may be treated, minimized, or reversed.

Environmental toxicologists may collect and test samples to determine the presence and amount of contaminants, and study how they got there. For example, they may test tissue samples, water, air, or food. By doing so, they help keep us safe. Some also make policy recommendations to federal regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Food and Drug Administration.

Learn more about a career as an Environmental Toxicologist .

Environmental toxicology undergraduate programs.

Environmental toxicology is an advanced specialized field. Most professionals enter graduate school with bachelor's degrees in more basic related areas such as environmental biology , environmental chemistry , or ecology. For this reason, there are few undergraduate programs focusing on this area. Still, consulting firms do hire graduates without Master's degrees.

There are a handful of undergraduate programs for toxicology in general, which can prepare you for graduate studies in environmental toxicology. Pursuing a bachelor's in environmental science with a focus on toxicology is another option. Some schools offer undergraduate degrees in environmental health science , which also include courses on environmental toxicology and biochemistry. As with other scientific fields, gaining practical experience through internships with government agencies and nonprofits is recommended.

School Spotlight

The University of California, Davis offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Toxicology. Students start out with fundamental course work in calculus, chemistry, biology, statistics, and computer analysis. Later in the program, they proceed to more advanced topics such as biochemistry and environmental toxicology. Students learn about pollutant fate and transport, how they're metabolized by organisms, and how they affect organisms. St. John's University in New York City offers a 127-credit Bachelor of Science in Toxicology. First-year students focus on core courses in math, biology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and English. Subsequent courses include anatomy and physiology, pathology, and other subjects. The fourth year of the program focuses heavily on toxicology, including analytical and quantitative toxicology, regulatory toxicology, risk analysis, and lab work.

Master's Degrees in Environmental Toxicology

The vast majority of environmental toxicologists have advanced degrees. Graduate programs build on foundational undergraduate work. They may include more in-depth courses on chemical fate and transport, risk assessment, toxics in food and water, and policy. They generally involve a significant amount of lab work. Depending on the program, they may also include courses at the interface of toxicology, other life sciences, and the physical sciences, such as soil science, hydrology, and botany.

Cornell University offers graduate studies in environmental toxicology, and is home to the Institute for Comparative and Environmental Toxicology (ICET), a research center. Its “Graduate Field of Environmental Toxicology” spans several departments. Students must take a basic concepts course, a biochemical/molecular mechanisms course, an exposure/risk assessment course, a seminar, a journal club course, and twelve electives. A thesis is also required. Students can choose a concentration in Students may concentrate in Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry , Food and Nutritional Toxicology, or Risk Assessment, Management, and Public Policy (minor). The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an accredited school of public health offering an online Master's of Public Health in Environmental Health . UAB's comprehensive program covers all aspects of the discipline, from the biological basis of environmental toxicology to the development of public policy. Coursework options include statistics, epidemiology, environmental management , occupational health and safety, and more.

Doctoral Programs in Environmental Toxicology

Many environmental toxicologists have doctoral degrees, including half of all professionals working for the federal government. Doctoral programs in environmental toxicology focus on independent research. It's important to find an advisor who shares your research interests, or at least is familiar with the specialization. Your advisor will help you shape your plan of study, and will also provide direction for your research.

Clemson University's Environmental Toxicology graduate and Ph.D. programs were rated 17th in the most recent National Research Council Assessment of Doctoral Programs. Its programs are administered with an interdisciplinary approach. The faculty's areas of research include chemical fate, biochemical toxicology, and ecological and aquatic toxicology. 18 hours of dissertation research are required. Oregon State University's Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology (EMT) offers doctoral degrees in toxicology. EMT programs and faculty combine the studies of environmental chemistry and molecular toxicology to research disease and protect public health. Applicants with master's degrees in related areas such as chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and other fields are encouraged to apply.

Jobs in Environmental Toxicology

The employment outlook for environmental toxicologists is excellent. Jobs in this field are expected to grow 8% over the next decade, which is about average for all occupations. Many professionals are employed by federal and state government, where they test environmental samples or help develop related policies. Many also help develop and test the environmental and health safety of new chemical and pharmaceutical products for private companies. Some advise on chemical issues for environmental consulting companies.

2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures and job growth projections for Environmental Scientists and Specialists reflect national data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2021.

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Department of Environmental Studies at NYU Arts & Science Announces New PhD Program

The Department of Environmental Studies at NYU Arts & Science is launching a new Environmental Studies PhD , with classes to begin for a highly selective cohort of five students in fall 2025. Three research tracks based around food and land use systems, ecological systems, and governance systems will equip students with the skills and knowledge to tackle environmental and societal problems ranging from climate change to biodiversity loss from a variety of angles. The interdisciplinary program is intended for applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and a common commitment to environmental engagement.

Environmental Studies PhD candidates will be required to take seven core courses and at least five specialized electives supporting their independent research, culminating in the defense of a unique dissertation. Through the Inter-University Doctoral Consortium, students will also be eligible to take select courses at other universities. Environmental Studies PhD candidates will receive full tuition funding and a stipend.

The Department of Environmental Studies has grown in size and scope in recent years, offering the new PhD candidates—and all students—enhanced opportunities for research avenues and mentorship with distinguished faculty whose expertise draw from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The department offers a bachelor’s degree and undergraduate minor in Environmental Studies; a BA-MA, master’s degree, and undergraduate minor in Animal Studies; and an undergraduate minor in Environmental Humanities.

In 2025, the department will move into a spacious new home on Washington Square East, at the heart of NYU’s campus. Nearly 18k square feet on two floors of Goddard Hall will house dedicated office and classroom spaces, and bring all the department’s programs together for the first time.

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies David Kanter will direct the new PhD program. “We are very excited to launch this path breaking PhD program which will prepare the next generation of environmental experts to take on the world’s biggest problems with rigor, passion and a transdisciplinary toolkit. We can’t wait to welcome the first cohort of students in fall 2025.”

Applications for the fall 2025 PhD cohort will be accepted September 18 through December 15, 2024. For questions about the program, contact [email protected] .

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14 PhD Programs in Environmental Studies Environmental Management 2024

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PhD Programs in Environmental Studies Environmental Management

A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is a graduate degree that students pursue when they want to focus on research. Available in a variety of study fields, this program typically requires a final dissertation or thesis before completion. What is a PhD in Environmental Management? In this program, students learn how to evaluate and utilize the environment in relation to the needs of the ecosystem and community. Study topics may include air quality, environmental chemistry, water management, budget planning, statistics, accounting, and hazardous waste management. Students may choose to focus their research in the areas of urban ecology, ecological toxicology, river and stream ecology, atmospheric physics, watershed hydrology, or ecology of bioinvasions. Students gain a number of benefits by pursuing a PhD in Environmental Management. They develop advanced analytical skills as well as problem-solving capabilities. They also gain effective communication and interpersonal skills in order to manage a team. The cost of an education is often a deterrent for students. However, because this degree can be obtained at a variety of schools, it helps to research all options, including online programs. Some schools also offer financial aid, such as scholarships, student loans, and grants. Graduates who hold a doctorate in environmental management may choose a career in a variety of areas, depending on their focus of study. Employers typically include federal, state, and local agencies as well as those from the private sector. Common professional titles may be laboratory technologist, field analyst, sustainability specialist, environmental research analyst, ecosystem restoration advisor, sustainable architecture specialist, and environmental management coordinator. Jobs related to research are also popular with graduates. Use our online database to check out local universities, international schools, and online options to earn your PhD. Start right now and search for your program below and contact directly the admission office of the school of your choice by filling in the lead form.

17 Best universities for Environmental Science in Saint Petersburg

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Saint Petersburg ranked based on their research performance in Environmental Science. A graph of 440K citations received by 58.8K academic papers made by 17 universities in Saint Petersburg was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. St. Petersburg State University

For Environmental Science

2. Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University

3. ITMO University

4. Saint-Petersburg Mining University

5. Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University

6. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology

7. Russian State Hydrometeorological University

8. St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

9. Leningrad State University

10. Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University

11. St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation

12. St. Petersburg State University of Economics

13. European University at St. Petersburg

14. Bonch-Bruevich St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications

15. Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical Academy

16. Baltic State Technical University "Voenmeh"

17. St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation

Universities for Environmental Science near Saint Petersburg

Environmental Science subfields in Saint Petersburg

Chemical Physics

The PhD in Chemical Physics is for mathematically inclined chemistry graduate students or the atomic-molecularly focused physics graduate students. The curriculum melds Chemistry and Physics, with more emphasis on chemical synthesis than the core program in Physics and more electricity and magnetism than the core program in Chemistry. This combined program will prepare you for careers in this recognized interdisciplinary area.

Program Outcomes

In addition to valuable professional skills training and experience in teaching, all graduates of the Chemical Physics PhD program have led one or more independent research projects while being mentored by faculty at the top of their fields. You will learn how to find, understand, and critically evaluate primary literature, and you will learn how to write, display, and communicate chemical science information for both nonscientific and expert audiences. You'll also learn about other important aspects of research including matters of safety, ethics, integrity, diversity, and inclusion. 

Graduates of the Chemical Physics PhD program are well-trained for research careers in a wide range of fields spanning theoretical and experimental chemistry, physics, spectroscopy, and materials. Our alumni have gone on to a wide range of academic, governmental or private sector research jobs in energy, materials, surface science, and catalysis.

Application Requirements

• Application fee
• Please describe your long-term goals and how a graduate degree in chemistry will help you achieve them.
• If you have participated in a research project (including course-based research), describe how your personal, intellectual, and creative contributions altered the course of the project.
• What research are you interested in pursuing in graduate school? How do the research programs of specific faculty in our program align with your interests?
• Please share any circumstances that affected your academic performance.
• How have you built on your strengths and worked to improve areas of weakness? How have you responded to challenges and critical feedback you have received?
• Please describe how you built, contributed to, and enriched the communities to which you belong.
• Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test scores, if applicable .
• Transcripts
• Three letters of recommendation

Note: Applicants do not need the support of a current faculty member to apply to this program.

Tuition and Financial Aid

See Tuition and Financial Aid information for GSAS Programs.

Graduate Research at Tufts

Chemistry graduate students at Tufts form a thriving community of researchers that engages in cutting-edge science. Chemistry research at Tufts is highly interdisciplinary, addressing basic questions about how the universe works and how we can use molecular science to improve society. The department's areas of focus include chemical biology, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, surface science, extraplanetary science, catalysis, green energy, inorganic chemistry, organic synthesis, education research, quantum computing, material science, and therapeutics development.

Explore Research Labs

Joshua Kritzer

Research/Areas of Interest: Bioorganic, Biophysical, & Chemical Biology. Peptides and their mimetics can target protein surfaces in ways small molecules rarely do, making peptide libraries attractive for screening for nontraditional modes of action. The Kritzer research group takes advantage of peptide and peptidomimetic libraries to bypass many of the disadvantages of small molecule screening. They also explore how modifications such as substitution of peptide bonds with isosteres, amide N-methylation, and head-to-tail cyclization affect the activities, specificities, and bioavailabilities of functional peptides. By combining powerful techniques from organic synthesis, biophysical chemistry, molecular biology and genetics, they are developing new molecules and new strategies to attack cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases.

Pierre-Hugues Beauchemin

Research/Areas of Interest: Experimental High Energy Physics My research focuses on the discovery of new fundamental particles of nature, as well as on the understanding of the behavior of the known particles. To do this, I participate in the ATLAS experiment, one of the two general-purpose detectors at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. My work currently consists in analyzing data in order to: Perform precision measurements leading to a better understanding of the strong interaction within the QCD theoretical framework; Search for new physics in events involving large amount of missing energy, typical signature of new particles that interact very weakly with normal matter such as dark matter candidate; Develop and estimate the performance of the ATLAS trigger system. This last aspect of my work also involves software development and a participation in the detector operation. I'm focusing my efforts on the Missing Energy trigger. The Standard Model of particle physics, despite being very successful, cannot be the end of the story. It contains a certain number of theoretical dissatisfactions. Of all the possibilities, I believe that dark matter is one of our best guess. Its existence is based on experimental facts, and the mass scale of dark matter particles, in the case where it is the right explanation, should be accessible at the LHC. Its existence would be inferred by the observation of missing energy in subset of all collected events. Looking for excesses of events involving large amount of missing energy over expectations is a promising way to look for dark matter at the LHC. My approach is to carry such search by performing precision measurements of Standard Model quantities, to optimize the sensitivity of the analysis to such new particles. Predictions using quantum chromodynamics (QCD) implies many approximations, assumptions or simplifications at various levels. These could lead to large systematic uncertainties on various Standard Model predictions, possibly leading to significant limits in our sensitivity to new phenomena. My research try to determine which of the simplifications and approximations are acceptable at the level of precision needed for a new physics discovery. To this end, I investigate events that contain a vector boson and jets, as they are sensitive to such physics and yet provide a clean enough environment to allow for high precision measurements. These are also the most important background to a wide range of new physics signature. As a side, I am also interested in the philosophy of physics, focusing on epistemological aspects of experiments and simulations as used in High Energy Physics.

Timothy Atherton

Research/Areas of Interest: Condensed Matter Physics, Soft materials, Colloids, Liquid Crystals, Computational Physics, Physics Education Soft matter physics is the study of matter that is all around us in everyday life: soaps, oil, foods, sand, foams, and biological matter. All of these are readily deformable at room temperature and combine properties of both fluids and solids. Despite their ubiquity, these materials are extremely complicated. Unlike simple fluids like water, they have rich internal structure; unlike crystalline solids they are typically not periodically ordered. Moreover, they exist in long-lived metastable states far from equilibrium and respond to stimuli such as applied electric and magnetic fields, temperature and pressure. My work seeks to understand how these materials respond to shape: how they self-organize on curved surfaces or in complex geometries and how this knowledge can be used both to sculpt desirable shapes at the microscopic scale and create shape changing systems like soft robots. We use high performance computing to simulate and predict these behaviors and work closely with experimentalists at Tufts and beyond.

Clay Bennett

Research/Areas of Interest: Organic Synthesis, Carbohydrate Chemistry, Synthetic Methodology, Bioorganic Chemistry. Complex carbohydrates play critical roles in a number of biological processes including, protein folding, cellular adhesion and signaling. Despite their importance, very little is understood about the molecular basis of their activity. This is largely due to the fact that the only source of pure oligosaccharides is tedious multi-step synthesis, which can take months or even years to compete. Our research is focused on developing methodologies, based on asymmetric catalysis, to streamline complex oligosaccharide synthesis. Ultimately such methods will aid in the rapid and routine preparation of oligosaccharides for biophysical studies and drug discovery.

Bruce Boghosian

Research/Areas of Interest: Applied dynamical systems, applied probability theory, kinetic theory, agent-based modeling, mathematical models of the economy, theoretical and computational fluid dynamics, complex systems science, quantum computation Current research emphasis is on mathematical models of economics in general, and agent-based models of wealth distributions in particular. The group's work has shed new light on the tendency of wealth to concentrate, and has discovered new results for upward mobility, wealth autocorrelation, and the flux of agents and wealth. The group's mathematical description of the phenomenon of oligarchy has also shed new light on functional analysis in general and distribution theory in particular. Secondary projects include new directions in lattice Boltzmann and lattice-gas models of fluid dynamics, kinetic theory, and quantum computation.

Research/Areas of Interest: Condensed Matter Physics

Research/Areas of Interest: I am interested in synthesis and characterization in inorganic and materials chemistry. I am especially interested in fundamental chemistry that has important societal implications. My research laboratory currently works in several areas: Earth-abundant molecular light absorbers and emitters. Molecular light absorbers and emitters are used in photoredox catalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells, and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). We are exploring high-spin complexes of iron and manganese to prepare new molecules that absorb and emit light. Volatile molecules carrying metal-atom equivalents for superconducting wires. Cryogenic superconducting wires enable quantum bits based on Josephson junctions. We are developing new molecules and methods to deposit the electropositive metals that make up these wires from chemical vapors. Thin-film photovoltaics with earth-abundant, sulfide-based absorber layers. Thin-film photovoltaics (solar cells) provide electricity from sunlight with just a few hundred nm of light-absorbing material. We are exploring binary and ternary sulfides as new sources of earth-abundant photovoltaics. I am developing new research programs in several areas: Zero-emissions ironmaking. The synthesis of iron metal from iron ore contributes ca. 4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. I am interested in alternative thermochemical methods of making iron from iron oxides. New superconducting materials. Near-room-temperature superconductors have recently been realized in compressed hydrides. I am interested in new hydride compounds that are stable at ambient pressure and might serve as ambient-pressure, ambient-temperature superconductors.

Lawrence Ford

Research/Areas of Interest: Theoretical cosmology, quantum field theory, models for quantum gravity effects My current research involves several related topics in quantum fluctuation phenomena, with applications to gravitation and cosmology. One topic is the study of energy density fluctuations for quantum fields such as the electromagnetic field. My collaborators and I have shown that large vacuum energy density fluctuations are more probable than previously expected. These large fluctuations can drive quantum fluctuations of gravity and provide insight into effects in quantum gravity, an area which is not well understood. Energy density fluctuations may also produce observable effects in atomic or condensed matter systems, and may play a role in the evolution of the early universe. I am also working on analog models for quantum gravity, in which quantum fluctuations in a nonlinear optical material might produce fluctuations in the speed of light, analogous to an effect expected in quantum gravity.

Hugh Gallagher

Research/Areas of Interest: Experimental particle physics, neutrino oscillations, neutrino interaction physics, neutrino astrophysics, computer simulations of neutrino-nucleus interactions. The main thrust of my research is the study of the neutrino. Through neutrino oscillation experiments, we are gaining insights into neutrino masses and mixing parameters. Precise measurements of these quantities may allow us to uncover the reason behind the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe, or point the way to a theory beyond the standard model. Precise measurements of oscillation parameters require good models of neutrino-nucleus interactions. I work on experiments that are studying neutrino oscillations (NOvA and DUNE), on experiments that are providing new data on neutrino-nucleus interactions (MINERvA), and on a widely-used software package (GENIE) that is used to simulate neutrino-nucleus interactions.

Gary Goldstein

Research/Areas of Interest: Theoretical high energy and nuclear physics, Science and society, Science education Theories of fundamental constituents of matter, Quantum Chromodynamics, tests of the Standard Model and beyond, the role of spin and angular momentum in particle interactions at medium and high energies. The role of science in public policy; non-proliferation of nuclear arms; education for peace.

David Hammer

Research/Areas of Interest: Research on learning and instruction. My research is on learning and teaching in STEM fields (mostly physics) across ages from young children through adults. Much of my focus has been on intuitive "epistemologies," how instructors interpret and respond to student thinking, and resource-based models of knowledge and reasoning.

Mark Hertzberg

Research/Areas of Interest: Theoretical Physics: Cosmology, Particle Physics, Astrophysics. My primary research is in physics at the interface between theoretical cosmology and particle physics, including astrophysics and aspects of quantum field theory. By studying the extreme conditions of the very early universe, as well as the properties of the late universe's dark constituents, and analyzing the results of various ground based experiments, we can gain insights into the fundamental laws of nature. This acts as the driving force behind much of my research, although I sometimes investigate other interesting subjects. A central focus has been on trying to understand the nature of dark matter, which forms the majority of matter in the universe. There are various interesting candidates for the dark matter, including so-called axions, which may organize into new interesting types of structures. Furthermore, I have worked on the understanding the large scale structure of the universe, which gives insights into the initial conditions of the early universe. Another focus has been on understanding cosmological inflation, which is the leading idea for the earliest moments of our universe, involving an early phase of rapid expansion. I have worked on connecting inflation to the matter anti-matter asymmetry of the universe and worked on the post-inflationary era where the universe needs to transition to a hot soup of particles. A recent interest is in pursuing a fundamental understanding of gravitation. I am interested in understanding the full set of theoretical and observational constraints that determine the structure of gravitation, including constraints from quantum mechanics. Furthermore, I sometimes investigate interesting quantum phenomena, including entanglement entropy and the Casimir effect.

Samuel Kounaves

Research/Areas of Interest: Planetary Chemical Analysis & Astrobiology - In the search for life in our solar system over the past several decades, it has become increasingly clear that there may be multiple worlds besides Earth that either once had or may still have environments capable of supporting microbial life as we know it. Our current research is focused on two aspects of this search: (1) In the search for life on Mars, one key question is; how are biologically-produced molecules (biomarkers) altered when exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation in the presence of oxychlorines and their intermediate formation products? To help answer this question we are investigating the "fragmentation" patterns of such altered biogenic compounds which could then be used to identify the original biomarker and thus provide evidence for life on Mars. (2) We are developing in-situ analytical instrumentation that is designed to unambiguously detect microbial life and determine the habitability of planetary environments that may be present at the surface or subsurface of Mars, and the oceans of icy-worlds such as Saturn's moon Enceladus or Jupiter's moon Europa.

Krishna Kumar

Research/Areas of Interest: Bioorganic Chemistry and Chemical Biology The research interests of the Kumar laboratory are centered on the (1) use of chemistry to design molecules to interrogate and illuminate fundamental mechanisms in biology, or be used as therapeutics; and (2) use of biology to "evolve" and "select" molecules that can perform chemistry in non-biological and medicinal settings. These are some questions we are trying to answer: (i) Is it possible to design and mimic natural proteins and other biological macromolecules by use of building blocks that nature does not use – and whether such constructs can be endowed with properties that are not found in biology?; (ii) How did the first enzymes arise in the imagined Darwin's pond – is there a way to recreate this scenario and in the process develop a fundamentally new method to create enzymes?; (iii) Biology uses phase separation, that is, clustering of different compounds in confined locations – a process that is key in orchestrating the daily activities of a cell – can we find methods that can predictably dictate where molecules are located in a given environment and thereby direct the phenotype that is generated?; (iv) Can we rationally design small molecules and peptides that can function against antibiotic resistant bacteria that are threatening the most basic tenet of modern medicine?

Yu-Shan Lin

Research/Areas of Interest: Theoretical and Computational Biophysical Chemistry. The YSL Group aims to elucidate the structures and functions of biomolecules by integrating the power of advanced computations with the elegance of chemical theory. Our focus is to develop and apply computational methodology to significant biological problems that are difficult to address experimentally. Two major research projects in the YSL Group are (1) to understand and design cyclic peptides with desired conformations to modulate protein–protein interactions and (2) to elucidate the structural and functional roles of post-translational modifications and non-natural amino acids on protein folding.

Research/Areas of Interest: Quantum Information, Quantum Simulation, Adiabatic Quantum Computation, Computational Physics Quantum information faces three basic questions. Firstly, what are quantum computers good for? Secondly, how do we build one? Thirdly, what will quantum information contribute if technological obstacles to constructing a large scale quantum computer prove insuperable? The first question is the search for problems which quantum computers can solve more easily than classical computers. The second is an investigation of which physical systems one could use to build a quantum computer. The third leads to the search for spinoffs in classical computation, and the question of where the classical/quantum boundary lies. I am interested in all three questions.

Charlie Mace

Research/Areas of Interest: Bioanalytical and Materials Chemistry. To solve outstanding problems in global health, the Mace Lab applies a multidisciplinary approach combining aspects of analytical chemistry, materials science, and engineering. The primary goal of the Mace lab is to develop low cost, patient-centric technologies that can improve access to healthcare. To achieve this, the Mace Lab designs devices that improve the self-collection of blood and enable the diagnosis of diseases in resource-limited settings, and they are exploring ways the methods that are developed in the lab can used by others. Their main techniques leverage the properties of paper and other porous materials to integrate function into simple, affordable devices. Unique to laboratories in Chemistry departments, his group specializes in handling human blood and saliva. Technologies developed in the Mace lab have made the leap to clinical sites in Africa, South America, and the US, owing to their network of clinical, academic, and industry collaborators. The Mace Lab has broad expertise in assay development and device prototyping, which they apply to evaluating the efficacy of candidate therapeutics, performing separations that lead to new measurements, and making field-deployable kits for point-of-care testing. They have additional expertise in instrument development, phase separation in systems of polymers, and microfluidics.

W. Anthony Mann

Research/Areas of Interest: Experimental high energy physics, elementary particle interactions, neutrino oscillations, neutrino-nucleus interactions, baryon instability searches. Design and execution of experimental measurements that reveal or constrain the existence of new elementary particles, that delineate the properties of known elementary particles, and that quantify the interactions and symmetries that govern fundamental energy systems of the subatomic realm.

Danilo Marchesini

Research/Areas of Interest: Astronomy; galaxy formation and evolution; extra-galactic surveys; active galactic nuclei; near-infrared astronomy Understanding how galaxies form and evolve means understanding how the tiny differences in the distribution of matter inferred from the cosmic microwave background radiation grew and evolved into the galaxies we see today. The working hypothesis is that galaxies form under the influence of gravity, and galaxy formation can be seen as a two-step process. First, the gravity of dark matter causes the tiny seeds in the matter distribution to grow bigger with time. As they grow more massive, the gravitational attraction becomes stronger, making it easier for these structures to attract additional matter. As the dark matter structures grow, they pull in also the gas, made of hydrogen and helium, which is the primary ingredient for the formation of stars, and hence for the formation of the stellar content of galaxies. The formation of the stellar content inside these dark matter structures involves many physical processes that are much more complicated and quite poorly understood from a theoretical perspective. These physical processes include, for example, how gas cools and collapses to form stars, the process of star formation itself, merging of galaxies, feedback from star formation and from active super-massive black holes. My research activity in the past decade has focused on understanding how galaxies formed after the Big Bang, and how their properties (e.g., the stellar mass, the level of star formation activity, the morphology and structural parameters, the level of activity of the hosted super-massive black hole, etc.) have changed as a function of cosmic time. Since we cannot follow the same galaxy evolving in time, we need to connect the galaxies we observe at a certain redshift (i.e. a certain snapshot in time) to those we observe at a smaller redshift (i.e., at a later time in cosmic history) in order to infer how the properties of galaxies have actually changed and what physical mechanisms are responsible for these changes. The better we understand the galaxy properties at a certain time and the more finely in time we can probe the cosmic history, the easier it becomes to connect galaxies' populations seen at different snapshots in time, linking progenitors and descendants across cosmic time. Ultimately, my research aims at understanding what galaxy population seen at one epoch will evolve into at a later epoch, and what physical processes are responsible for the inferred changes in the galaxies' properties. In order to do this, I have adopted two different but complementary approaches. The first approach consists of statistical studies of the galaxy populations at different cosmic times; the second approach consists of detailed studies of individual galaxies to robustly derive their properties.

Austin Napier

Research/Areas of Interest: Experimental Particle Physics, Electromagnetic Theory, Computational Physics. High Energy Physics: studies of heavy quarks, new particle searches, tests of the Standard Model. Computational Physics: data analysis, simulation, electromagnetism.

Research/Areas of Interest: Gravitational waves, cosmic strings, energy conditions in general relativity, anthropic reasoning in cosmology.

Fiorenzo Omenetto

Research/Areas of Interest: ultrafast nonlinear optics, nanophotonics, biopolymer multifunctional materials, material science, photonic crystals, photonic crystal fibers

Anna Sajina

Research/Areas of Interest: Extragalactic astrophysics How did galaxies and their central black holes co-evolve from the Big Bang to the present? Despite much progress through large scale galaxy surveys as well as ever more sophisticated numerical simulations, we are still hampered by the fact that much of the star-formation activity and black hole growth are buried in thick cocoons of dust and gas. Observations suggest that much of this activity took place in the past, before the Universe was half its present age, and likely involved mergers of nearly equal sized galaxies. As the merger progresses, gas and dust are more and more concentrated, triggering prodigious star-formation and gradually increasing accretion onto the central black hole (Active Galactic Nuclei or AGN). The process is short lived as supernovae- or AGN-driven winds lead to a 'blow-out' event which disperses the intervening gas and dust halting further star-formation and black hole growth. Indications that starbursts and AGN may regulate each other as above can be seen in the local correlation between the mass of a central black hole and the stellar mass of its host galaxy. The same galaxy observed at different stages of this process can appear very different. Therefore observations of different types of galaxies at different epochs and in different wavelength regimes are crucial to build a more complete understanding of the whole process.

Rebecca Scheck

Research/Areas of Interest: Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Chemistry. The post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins is an essential cellular vocabulary that allows critical information to be communicated within and between cells. The Scheck lab pioneers new chemical biology tools that enable the decoding of PTM networks. We use these methods to unlock previously unattainable information about how PTMs are integrated into signaling networks in living cells. Our focus is on PTMs with unusual mechanisms that make them particularly complicated to study using traditional tools, which typically inhibit or profile specific enzyme activities. We use an integrated mass spectrometry and chemical biology approach to develop new, selective chemistries and chemical methods that can predictably modulate, track, or capture specific PTMs, like glycation, ubiquitination, or phosphate B-elimination. Learning how these signals are interpreted or degraded will provide access to new therapeutic targets for preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases, bacterial infection, autoimmune disease, cancer, diabetes, and age-related diseases.

Mary Shultz

Research/Areas of Interest: Physical Chemistry and Surface Science. The Shultz group applies physics and chemistry to understand the inner workings of hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding plays key roles in environmental, biological, and atmospheric chemistry. Our program has research thrusts in all three directions. We specialize both in devising environments that clearly reveal key interactions and in developing new instrumentation. The most recent focus is on icy surfaces and on clathrate formation. Probing the ice surface begins with a well-prepared single-crystal surface. We have unique capabilities for growing single-crystal ice from the melt and for and preparing any desired ice face. Our clean water efforts are aimed at developing new materials to fill the significant need for safe drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, over one billion people lack safe drinking water. Our program is based on using photo catalysts to capture readily available sunlight to turn pollutants into benign CO2 and water. We developed methods to grow ultra-nano (~2 nm) particles that have well-controlled surface structures and chemistry.

Krzysztof Sliwa

Research/Areas of Interest: Physics of elementary particles The Standard Model, gauge theories; also topology, differential geometry and other branches of modern mathematics to better understand quantum gauge theories, the origin of mass and the structure of space-time, matter and all interactions, including gravity. I am a member of the ATLAS collaboration at the LHC. Studies of Higgs boson and top quarks. The main objective is to find out whether the new particle discovered in 2012 is a minimal Standard Model Higgs, or some other kind. Studies of top quarks are very interesting on their own. Because of very large mass of the top quark, its lifetime is very short, ~ 5x10^{-25} seconds, much shorter that the characteristic time of the strong interactions. As a consequence, top quark decays before any strong interaction effects may take place. This allows a direct access to the information about the quark spin, which is very difficult, if not impossible, for any other quark. Studies of top quarks are very important for other searches, as top quarks will constitute the most important background for almost any final states due to "new physics" and have to be understood very well. We are using very advanced multidimensional analysis techniques, developed by our group (Ben Whitehouse and I). Topology and geometry of the Universe In the Standard Cosmological Model (SCM), the starting point is an interpretation of the observed redshift of spectral lines from distant galaxies as a Doppler shift in the frequency of light waves as they travel through an expanding Universe. Acceptance of this hypothesis led to the ideas of the Big Bang and the LambdaCDM, the Standard Model of cosmology. Remarkably, there exist another explanation of the cosmological redshift. As shown by Irving Ezra Segal, a mathematician and a mathematical physicist, the same axioms of global isotropy and homogeneity of space and time, and its causality properties, are satisfied not only by the Minkowski spacetime R x R^3, but also by a Universe whose geometry is R X S^3. In Segal's model, the geometry of the spatial part of the Universe is that of a three-dimensional hypersurface of a four-dimensional sphere. Locally, it is indistinguishable from the flat Minkowski spacetime. It is the geometry of the Einstein static Universe, which he abandoned when the interpretation of the increase of redshift with distance was universally accepted as evidence for expanding Universe. If the universe is R1 x S3 but observations are made in flat Minkowski frame, then such an observer measures the "projections" from R1 x S3 into flat R1 x R3. The redshift in Segal's model arises in a geometric way analogously to distortions which appear when making maps using stereographic projection from S^2, a two-dimensional curved surface of a sphere in three dimensions, onto a flat surface of a map, R^2. Segal's theory makes a verifiable prediction for the redshift as a function of distance. The comparison, although in principle very simple, is non-trivial. For more distant objects, one can only estimate the distance using various proxies, for example the magnitude, if one assumes that the chosen sources have the same absolute luminosity. Surprisingly, Segal's model cannot be falsified with the currently available data. The magnitude-redshift data for supernovae agree very well with SCM, but it also agrees with Segal's model. There exist another independent observable, the number of observed galaxies as a function of redshift z, N(< z). Assuming that galaxies are uniformly distributed in the Universe, their number is proportional to the volume enclosed in a given fixed angular field of view, and the dependence of this volume on the manifold distance is sensitive to the geometry of the Universe. Two Tufts undergraduate students, Maxwell Kaye and Nathan Burwig, joined me in this analysis. We examined the data from several Hubble Deep Fields, and found that the number of observed galaxies as a function of redshift is also in very good agreement with Segal's model. We are continuing with a study of these fundamental questions about the topology and geometry of our Universe. Interestingly, I have also shown recently that one can explain the observed value of the CMB temperature, following Segal's original idea that the CMB appears unavoidably as a result of light traveling many times around a closed spatial part of the R X S^3 Universe. Magnetic monopoles I am also a member of MoEDAL, a small collaboration looking for magnetic monopoles at the LHC.

Igor Sokolov

Research/Areas of Interest: Engineering for Health -> Physics of cancer and aging -> Mechanics of biomaterials at the nanoscale, Synthesis and study of functionals nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and drug delivery, Advanced imaging for medical diagnostics, Novel processes and materials for dentistry: nano-polishing and self-healing materials

Cristian Staii

Research/Areas of Interest: Biological Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Quantum Mechanics My research interests cover a broad array of topics in biological physics, condensed matter physics and quantum mechanics. In biological physics our group is performing both experimental and theoretical work to uncover fundamental physical principles that underlie the formation of functional neuronal networks among neurons in the brain. One of the primary challenges in science today is to figure out how as many as 100 billion neurons are produced, grow, and organize themselves into the truly wonderful information-processing machine which is the brain. We combine high-resolution imaging techniques such as atomic force, traction force and fluorescence microscopy to measure mechanical properties of neurons and to correlate these properties with internal components of the cell. Our group is also using mathematical modeling based on stochastic differential equations and the theory of dynamical systems to predict axonal growth and the formation of neuronal networks. The aim of this work is twofold. On the one hand we are using tools and concepts from experimental and theoretical physics to understand biological processes. On the other hand, active biological processes in neuronal cells exhibit a wealth of fascinating phenomena such as feedback control, pattern formation, collective behavior, and non equilibrium dynamics, and thus the insights learned from studying these biological systems broaden the intellectual range of physics. I am also interested in the foundations of quantum mechanics, particularly in decoherence phenomena and in applying the theory of stochastic processes to open quantum systems. My interests in condensed matter physics include quantum transport in nanoscale systems (carbon nanotubes, graphene, polymer composites, hybrid nanostructures), as well as scanning probe microscopy investigations of novel biomaterials.

E. Charles Sykes

Research/Areas of Interest: Physical Chemistry, Surface Science, and Nanoscience. The Sykes group utilizes state of the art scanning probes and surface science instrumentation to study technologically important systems. For example, scanning tunneling microscopy enables visualization of geometric and electronic properties of catalytically relevant metal alloy surfaces at the nanoscale. Using temperature programmed reaction studies of well defined model catalyst surfaces structure-property-activity relationships are drawn. Of particular interest is the addition of individual atoms of a reactive metal to a relatively inert host. In this way reactivity can be tuned, and provided the energetic landscapes are understood, novel bifunctional catalytic systems can be designed with unique properties that include low temperature activation and highly selective chemistry. Newly developed curved single crystal surface are also being used to open up previously inaccessible areas of structure sensitive surface chemistry and chiral surface geometries. In a different thrust, the group has developed various molecular motor systems that are enabling us to study many important fundamental aspects of molecular rotation and translation with unprecedented resolution.

Samuel Thomas

Research/Areas of Interest: Organic Materials Chemistry Our group applies the philosophy of physical organic chemistry to organic materials, in the forms of polymers, crystals and surfaces. Specifically, we investigate new materials that show macroscopic changes in properties upon exposure to external stimuli. Our main focus has been new materials that respond to light, which has a unique combination of characteristics: i) easy control over where light goes and when it goes there (spatiotemporal control), ii) easy control over intensity and energy, and iii) the ability to pass through many solid materials that traditional chemical reagents cannot. Our research has focused in three separate areas. 1. Photochemical control of charge. As interactions between charges dictate much of molecular behavior, controlling charge can yield control over matter. We have developed a series of materials in which light switches the charge-based interactions between polymer chains from attractive. By combining this top-down fabrication approach of with the bottom-up fabrication method of layer-by-layer assembly, we have developed thin films in which photochemical lability is confined to individual nanoscale compartments, yielding photo-delaminated free-standing films and multi-height photolithography. 2. Using functional side chains to control conjugated materials. Conjugated materials hold great promise for applications including solar cells and displays. We have focused on expanding the role of the side-chains of these materials, which occupy up to half of their mass but are typically reserved only for solubility. Early work in our group focused on integrating photolabile side chains for negative conjugated photoresists. This has evolved to using the non-covalent interactions of aromatic side-chains for controlling interactions between molecules, and therefore their material properties, including the use of mechanical force to control luminescence—mechanofluorochromism. 3. Singlet-oxygen responsive materials. Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a critical reactive oxygen species in photodynamic therapy for cancer as well as in damage to plants upon overexposure to light. Its photochemical production is also chemically amplified through a photochemical reaction, which is the lynchpin of several commercial bioanalytical technologies. Through a combination of fundamental physical organic chemistry and materials chemistry, we have luminescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles as probes for 1O2 in water that shows improved limit of detection over the commercially available luminescent probe for 1O2.

Roger Tobin

Research/Areas of Interest: Experimental condensed matter physics; physics education For most of my career, my primary physics research area has been experimental surface science. In my lab at 574 Boston Ave., my students and I have studied what happens when foreign atoms and molecules form chemical bonds with metal surfaces. Our research has had implications for a range of potential applications including catalysis, chemical sensing, and the growth of thin films and nanoparticles on surfaces. In recent years my focus has shifted towards physics education, at both the college and, especially, at the elementary school level. Together with collaborators at a local nonprofit organization and at other universities, I have helped to develop and study curriculum materials and professional development strategies for the study of matter and energy in grades 3-5. In my own classes at Tufts, I have implemented and studied a range of instructional approaches aimed at more effective and equitable learning.

Research/Areas of Interest: Physical and Surface Chemistry. The Utz group studies how molecules react on surfaces. Reactions at the gas-surface interface are highly dynamical events. Large-scale atomic and vibrational motions transform reactants into products on sub-ps and Å scales. The experiments probe ultrafast nuclear motion and energy flow dynamics that underlie heterogeneous catalysis and chemical vapor deposition. The goal is to to better model existing processes and direct the rational design of new catalytic materials and deposition techniques. The experiments use vibrational- and rotational-state selective laser excitation of molecules in a supersonic molecular beam to provide precise control over the energetics and orientation of the gas-phase reagent as it approaches the surface. Reaction probability and product identity is then quantified as a function of the reagent's energetic configuration. These experiments have shown that the vibrational state of the incident molecule can have a profound effect on reaction probability, and suggest that energy redisribution within the reaction complex is not complete prior to reaction and that the competing kinetics of energy redistribution and reaction might be manipulated to control the outcome of a reaction. This has been subsequently confirmed by exerting bond-elective control over a heterogeneously catalyzed reaction.

Thomas Vandervelde

Research/Areas of Interest: Interaction of light with matter, physics of nanostructures and interfaces, metamaterials, material science, plasmonics, and surfactants, semiconductor photonics and electronics, epitaxial crystal growth, materials and devices for energy and infrared applications.

Alexander Vilenkin

Research/Areas of Interest: Theoretical cosmology I do research on cosmic inflation, dark energy, cosmic strings and monopoles, quantum cosmology, and the multiverse.

Taritree Wongjirad

Research/Areas of Interest: My current focus is on measuring the properties of the neutrino, one of the fundamental particles of the Standard Model. We know a few things about the neutrino: it has a very small mass, has no electric charge, comes in three types — or flavors — and interacts only via the weak force and gravity. However, there are many things we do not know. What is the exact mass of the neutrino? And how does it get its mass? Are the three we know about the only kinds that exist? Answers to these questions impact not only our understanding of the fundamental laws of matter but also have consequences for our understanding of how the universe evolved. These and many other questions make the neutrino a fascinating particle. However, as mentioned above, neutrinos interact only via the weak force. They interact so rarely that, at the energies, we typically work with, neutrinos can pass through light-years long block of lead without striking it. This makes neutrino experiments challenging as we need to build massive, building-sized detectors which are instrumented with relatively, low-cost sensors. However, the challenge is often fun, as we are often forced to apply the newest technologies in both hardware and software to design and complete our experiments.

Related Programs

Physics and physics: astrophysics.