From the Dean

Welcome to the College of Chemical and Life Sciences

Since its founding in 1993, the College of Chemical & Life Sciences has built top-ranked undergraduate programs and strong graduate programs. The Plant Sciences Building, Chemistry Teaching Wing, and Bioscience Research Building provide state of the art research and teaching facilities, and our proximity to the unique public and private scientific resources in Maryland and the greater D.C. area provides tremendous opportunities for both faculty and students. The College’s undergraduate programs are known for their rigor, emphasis on experiential learning, and diversity. Their excellence has been recognized by prestigious awards from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Beckman Scholars program. Eleven Ph.D. programs, a M.S. program in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology, and a web-based Masters of Life Sciences provide excellent preparation for successful careers in academia, the corporate sector, state and federal agencies, and other venues.

Advancing Strategic Research Initiatives

The explosion of new knowledge across the chemical and life sciences has created opportunities to address questions that were totally inaccessible a decade ago.  The College’s research programs are focused in five major areas: ecological sustainability, genomics, host-pathogen interactions, nanoscience and biomaterials, and sensory neuroscience. These programs, which are supported by $26 million per year in external funding, not only lead to new discoveries, but also inform our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Three research areas have given rise to Centers or Institutes that house special programs and facilities. The Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, a University- and state-wide enterprise, fosters research in pathogen detection, prevention, and treatment. The NIH-funded The Center for the Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing provides training and research opportunities in neuroscience. The Center for Biomolecular Structure and Function focuses on the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids. Core facilities house high field NMR spectrometers, mass spectrometers, nucleic acid sequencers and genetic analyzers, high-resolution microscopes, fluorescence activated cell sorters, and both small molecule and macromolecular X-ray diffraction systems. College faculty members are also active participants in the Maryland Nanocenter and the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center.

Partnering with the Community and Beyond

The College has many linkages to the community, the state, the nation, and the world. JumpStart (grades 11-12) and Bug Camp (middle school) are popular summer programs. Close to 300 in-service high school teachers from 40 states and seven countries are enrolled in the College’s web-based Masters of Life Sciences program. Science in the Evening, a post-baccalaureate program aimed primarily at students preparing to apply for medical/dental school, enrolls approximately 200 students. The Department of Entomology is an active participant in the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. Within the state of Maryland, joint research and training programs with the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Smithsonian Institution, the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center and the University of Maryland Medical School provide an array of opportunities for both faculty and students. Approximately 60 faculty members are involved in international programs or collaborations around the world.

Transferring Knowledge to the Marketplace

Entrepreneurial activities and technology transfer are high priorities. Four companies have spun out from faculty research (LeukoSight, Inc., Precision Polyolefins, SD Nanosciences, Inc., and Zymetis), with more in the pipeline. Faculty members compete regularly for funding from MIPS and TEDCO, and students partcipate in the Hinman CEOs program and Technology Start-up Boot Camp.  Bioscience Day, a University-wide event that showcases campus research in the biosciences, attracts hundreds of participants from academic, corporate, and governmental sectors.

Looking to the Future

The University’s ambitious new 10-year strategic plan Transforming Maryland: Higher Expectations calls for creating a University that is an international center and a magnet for the very best. As we implement this plan, we will be focused on attracting exceptional faculty and students, enhancing the excellence of our graduate programs, developing and sustaining high impact research programs, increasing our public and private fund-raising capabilities, and bringing an international perspective to all our programs. Our scientific focus and location creates great opportunities, and we are grateful for the support of our friends and alumni through the Great Expectations Capital Campaign. While the College has accomplished a great deal to date, the best is yet to come!

Dr. Norma Allewell
Dean, College of Chemical and Life Sciences