Global Arc

Subjects chosen by the student with the approval of the faculty for independent study. A written report, examination, or other evidence of accomplishment will be required.

Subjects chosen by the student with the approval of the faculty for independent study. A written report, examination, or other evidence of accomplishment will be required.

From treatment of infections to prophylactic use following surgery, antibiotics have transformed healthcare since their discovery and distribution. However, poor management of this medical resource has seen resistance whittle down their efficacies, and it is now recognized that antibiotics can disrupt the microbiota that keep us healthy. This course will use lectures, lab demonstrations, guest speakers, and primary literature to introduce how science, engineering, medicine, and policy have shaped the current age of antibiotics, which is characterized by a variety of treatment options, MDR bacteria, and a weak pipeline of new agents.

Broad introduction to polymer science and technology, including polymer chemistry (major synthetic routes to polymers), polymer physics (solution and melt behavior, solid-state morphology and properties), and polymer engineering (overview of reaction engineering and melt processing methods). Two lectures. Prerequisites: CHM 301 or CHM 337, which may be taken concurrently, and MAT 104, or permission of the instructor.

Enzymes are the engines that fuel life, catalyzing a vast array of different chemical reactions. This course will focus first on enzyme kinetics and the structural biology of enzymes. With these tools we will next move to a series of case studies about different enzymes and enzyme families.

Concepts of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis applied to industrial processes associated with fuel refining and manufacturing of commodity chemicals and petrochemicals. Available routes for similar conversions using alternative, more sustainable feedstocks and processes will be discussed in the context of green chemistry and engineering principles. These case studies will serve as platforms to the fundamentals of heterogeneous acid and metal catalysis, including techniques of catalyst synthesis and characterization, as well as understanding of how reactions occur on surfaces. Two lectures. Prerequisite: CHM 301 organic chemistry.

This course offers an introduction to computational chem¬istry and molecular simulation methods. Computational chemistry involves using quantum mechanical models to obtain the electronic structure of atoms and molecules. Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics methods use input from quantum chemistry and empirical potentials to obtain equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties of fluids and materials. As computer power continues its exponential growth, these methods find increasing applications in engineering, chemistry, physics and biology.

A systematic development of the principles and applications of the science of rheology with an emphasis on the development of stress-velocity constitutive equations. Vector and tensor mathematics and Newtonian fluid dynamics are reviewed. Develops the physical and mathematical nature of stress and deformations in materials. Covers the use of theory and application of rheological equations of state.

This course will study aspects of the top 25 environmental disasters that lend themselves to analysis by application of fundamental principles from mass, momentum and heat transfer. Some examples include: dissolution from a pipe wall associated with lead contamination of the municipal water supply in Flint, MI, transport of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination into the sediments of the Hudson River, biodegradation of oil droplets created by the addition of surfactant following the Deepwater Horizon explosion, oxygen depletion in the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, and spread of methylisocyanate gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal.

The milk we drink in the morning (a colloidal dispersion), the gel we put into our hair (a polymer solution), and the plaque that we try to scrub off our teeth (a biofilm) are all familiar examples of soft materials. Such materials also hold great promise in helping to solve engineering challenges like drug delivery, water remediation, oil recovery, and the development of new coatings, displays, formulations, foods, and biomaterials. This class will cover fundamental aspects of the science of soft materials, presented within the context of these challenges. We will also have industrial speakers describe new applications of soft materials.