What’s the first thing you picture when you think of the word chemistry?  Is it a scientist in a white lab coat, looking at some liquid in a test tube?  Certainly Lewis & Clark chemistry students do wear white coats sometimes, and our labs have thousands of test tubes, but the discipline of chemistry touches almost every substance in our modern lives— from asphalt to ice cream to smoke.

The study of chemistry at Lewis & Clark is divided into analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, and biochemistry. Students become familiar with each area, ensuring a thorough grasp of the field.

We emphasize research as a teaching tool, so ideas explored in the classroom come to life when tested in the lab. Students are involved in research at all levels, initially assisting professors and ultimately performing studies of their own.

We also offer interdisciplinary programs in Pre-Med, Biochemistry, and Environmental Studies, which guarantee an incredible array of potential research opportunities. Since 1995, three chemistry majors have received the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and graduates have gone on to earn National Science Foundation (NSF), Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Hertz Foundation fellowships, which are some of the nation's highest science/engineering awards.

With accomplished faculty and award winning students, more than 20,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory, and study space, and recent funding from the NIH, the NSF, Research Corporation, the Merck Institute for Science Education, the HHMI, and the Fairchild Foundation, our department is well-equipped for the study of chemistry in the 21st century.