Chemistry Department

Department Chairperson: James D. Hoefelmeyer, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Director: Chaoyang Jiang, Ph.D.

Department of Chemistry
Churchill-Haines, Room 115
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: 605-658-6730
www.usd.edu/chemistry

FACULTY

Professors:

James D. Hoefelmeyer, Ph.D., Texas A&M University. Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry, Main Group Organometallic Chemistry, Nanomaterials, Catalysis.
Chaoyang Jiang, Ph.D., Nanjing University. Specialization: Analytical Chemistry and Materials Chemistry. Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering, Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, Plasmonic Nanomaterials.
Grigoriy A. Sereda, Ph.D., Moscow State University. Specialization: Organic Chemistry, Synthesis of Biomedically Relevant Compounds, Catalysis, Photocatalysis, Controlled Modification of Fluorescent Nanocrystals with Organic Functionalities.
Haoran Sun, Ph.D., Jilin University. Specialization: Organic Chemistry, Fluorinated materials for energy conversion and drug development.
Andrew G. Sykes, Ph.D., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry, Luminescent Sensors, X-ray Crystallography.
Zhenqiang “Rick” Wang, Ph. D., University of South Florida (Tampa). Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry.

Associate Professors:

David C. Hawkinson, Ph.D., Northern Illinois University. Specialization: Physical Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry.
Pere Miró, Ph.D., Universitat Rovira i Virgili / Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia. Specialization: Computational and Physical Chemistry, Catalysis, Environmental Chemistry, Molecular Metal Oxides, Low Dimensionality Materials.
Joseph E. Vitt, Ph.D., Iowa State University. Specialization: Analytical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical Education.
Bess Vlaisavljevich, Ph.D., University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Specialization: Computational and Physical Chemistry, Complex Electronic Structure, Heavy Element Chemistry, Nanoporous Materials.

Assistant Professor:

Xu “Steven” Wu, Ph.D., University of North Dakota. Specialization: Fluorescent Nanomaterials, 2-D Nanomaterials, Bioanalysis, Fluorescence Bioimaging, Mass Cytometry, Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy, Theranostics of Cancer.

Senior Lecturer:

Kadarkaraisamy “Kadal” Mariappan, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry, Chalcogenide Chemistry, Luminescence Sensors, General Chemistry.

Emeritus Professors:

Mary T. Berry, Ph.D., University of Virginia. Specialization: Physical Chemistry, Lanthanide Spectroscopy, Photochemistry.
Miles D. Koppang, Ph.D., University of North Dakota. Specialization: Analytical Chemistry, Electrochemistry as Applied to Bioanalysis, Electron-Transfer Mechanism at Electrodes, and Chemical Education.
P. Stanley May, Ph.D., University of Virginia. Specialization: Physical Chemistry, Spectroscopy of Transition Metal and Lanthanide Ions in Solid State, Solid-State Energy Transfer Dynamics, and Multiple Photon Excitation.

DEGREE

Master of Science, Plan A only 
Accelerated Master of Science, Plan A only   
Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Chemistry  

Program Description

The Department of Chemistry at the University of South Dakota offers Master of Science and Doctoral degrees. Graduate students are supported through teaching and research assistantships, and complete coursework, teaching, seminar, and intensive research experiences within their degree work. Our award-winning faculty lead projects that span the major subdisciplines of chemistry, and investigate topics within the fields of computational chemistry, nanostructured materials, supramolecular chemistry, organofluorine chemistry, theranostic applications, and more. Students use modern chemical theory, techniques, and instrumentation to produce original, high-impact science. Students network with the global scientific community and develop critical skills to become the next generation of chemists.  Graduate students may begin their program at the start of either the fall or the spring semester. Completion of requirements for the Master of Science in Chemistry generally takes two years for students who enter with the equivalent of an American Chemical Society approved Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. The Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry is designed to allow students to complete both Master of Science and Doctoral requirements within five years.

WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) eligible program. 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Completed Graduate Application form found at: https://www.usd.edu/grad/how-to-apply and a non-refundable application fee of $35.
2. Official transcript(s) verifying receipt of an undergraduate degree and all academic work at the undergraduate and graduate levels (in English or with translation). Transcripts must be complete (e.g., if currently enrolled, work-in-progress coursework must be included, foreign transcripts must include a grading scale, and for countries that issue, copy of degree certificate/diploma i.e., India, Nepal, etc.). The USD Graduate School and/or academic units retain the right to require credential evaluations from organizations, such as Educational Credential Evaluators/World Education Services (ECE/WES), for a student if such an evaluation is deemed necessary.
3. Baccalaureate degree in Chemistry or a closely related field from an institution with institutional accreditation for that degree. Satisfaction of additional requirements may be stipulated to provide a course background equivalent to that of an American Chemical Society (ACS) approved major. A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.7 on conferred degree and/or graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale, on all graduate coursework is required for full admission. Each graduate program may admit students on provisional status per university policy.
4. Applicants with degrees from countries other than the United States who have obtained a high school diploma, undergraduate, or graduate degree from an institutionally accredited American college or university or from an accredited institution in the approved list  of English-speaking countries are not required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score. For all other applicants with degrees from other countries, a minimum score of 79 on the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT), 550 on the Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT), 8.5 on the TOEFL Essentials, 6.0 on the IELTS Academic, 53 on the PTE, or 110 on Duolingo is required for graduate admission.  
5. Applicants are required to submit a statement of purpose or goal statement. Please indicate your research experience in the 1-2 page statement of purpose.

Additional Program Admission Requirements:

6. Three (3) professional letters of recommendation are required.

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis if their academic records indicate their ability to complete the program successfully.

Application Deadline

• Fall start
  • Priority Deadline: February 15
  • Final Deadline: Two weeks before the start of the semester
• Spring start
  • Priority Deadline: October 15
  • Final Deadline: Two weeks before the start of the semester

Student Learning Outcomes for Chemistry (M.S.)

1. Learn to use literature search tools and to critically evaluate the chemical literature. 
2. Learn to teach university undergraduate-level students in a laboratory setting.
3. Learn technical writing skills that include abstracts, summaries, manuscripts, and a thesis.
4. Learn advanced research methodologies, such as the use of instrumentation, laboratory techniques, or computational methods. 
5. Learn to perform research within a group and gain specialization within an area of chemistry.
6. Develop presentation skills, including seminar, poster presentations, and oral presentations at technical conferences. 

Student Learning Outcomes for Materials Chemistry (Ph.D.)

1. Learn to use literature search tools and to critically evaluate the chemical literature.  
2. Learn to teach university undergraduate-level students in a laboratory setting and learn to mentor junior graduate students. 
3. Learn technical writing skills that include abstracts, summaries, manuscripts, and a thesis. 
4. Learn advanced research methodologies, such as the use of instrumentation, laboratory techniques, or computational methods. Gain proficiency and expertise with multiple research tools.
5. Learn to perform research within a group and gain specialization within an area of chemistry.
6. Develop presentation skills, including seminar, poster presentations, and oral presentations at technical conferences. Build a professional network within the scientific community.
7. Be able to define the state of the art within a research topic and propose new directions for the investigation of novel phenomena.
8. Be able to produce a written research proposal and defend the concepts before a critical scientific audience.
9. Be able to conduct investigations independently as a project leader.
10. Produce a record of peer-review publication.

Programs

• Chemistry (M.S.)
• Materials Chemistry (Ph.D.)