Welcome to USU

                 Word from Department Head,

Professor Alvan Hengge:


Thank you for taking a look at our graduate programs in chemistry and biochemistry. The relatively small size of our department translates into a close community between faculty and graduate students, who not only all get to know one another, but also support and mentor one another. Our faculty members are extremely productive researchers and are highly respected for frequent publications in major journals and the high citation rates of those articles, and by awards of research grants and invitations to speak about their work to other Universities and at national and international scientific meetings.

Our department is building research emphasis areas in the following fields:

  • Bioorganic & Inorganic/Medicinal/Synthetic

  • Macromolecular Structure and Function

  • Energy and the Environment

  • Catalysis and Reaction Mechanism

  • Theoretical/Computational

  • Eukaryotic Biochemistry

If you have interests in any of these areas, take a serious look at our graduate programs. Many of these research emphasis groups have collaborations with researchers in other departments around campus, offering our graduate students a rich interdisciplinary experience.

One of the things a student remembers after they graduate is the physical surroundings during their graduate training. We are therefore proud of the new Departmental building that opened in early 2000. Widtsoe Hall is undoubtedly one of the finest chemistry and biochemistry facilities in the country. The labs were designed in part by members of our Department, and so are not only beautiful but highly functional, and a pleasure to work in.

In short, I enthusiastically urge you to examine this website thoroughly and consider doing your graduate work in this Department. And please consider this an invitation to contact any of our faculty or myself if you have any questions or matters in which we might assist you.


Alvan Hengge
Professor and Department Head