CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Kenneth C. McGill, Chair and Professor
Professors: Ronald Fietkau, Michael J. Pangia, Douglas G. Pohl, and Rosalie A. Richards.
Associate Professors: Donovan Domingue, Ralph France III, Catrena Lisse, and Julia Metzker.
Assistant Professors: Hauke Busch, Kimberly Cossey, Agnes Kim and Chavonda Mills.

Department Contact Information:
Georgia College & State University
Campus Box 82
Milledgeville, GA 31061
478-445-5769
Chemistry, Physics, & Astronomy Department Website
Chair, Kenneth McGill, ken.mcgill@gcsu.edu
Senior Secretary, Sharon Johnson, sharon.johnson@gcsu.edu

MISSION

The Department of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy provide comprehensive major programs in Chemistry and Physics, and teaches disciplinary and interdisciplinary courses in the Core Curriculum.

The majors in Chemistry and Physics are designed to provide depth in the respective discipline through sequential study. Emphasis is placed on scientific reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving. Recognizing that there is a profound connection between analytical thinking and the ability to express ideas clearly, the Department provides opportunities in its courses for writing on scientific topics and for oral reports. Courses provide students with the most current objective descriptions of the physical universe in scientific terms and present the theories and models that integrate these observations and make them understandable. Through laboratory work and by theoretical and experimental analysis, students gain experience in making observations and measurements and transforming these into useful characterizations.

The majors in Chemistry and Physics are appropriate preparation for graduate study, for science education, for employment in a laboratory environment, or for studies in several allied areas such as engineering and many health service professions.

STUDENT SUCCESS

Earning a college degree is a significant milestone in one's life and requires dedication to one's studies and tremendous effort to succeed. In order to enable you to achieve this goal, we have dedicated ourselves to developing measures that help ensure student success in our department's programs. This process begins with the First-Year Academic Seminars (CHEM 0001 and PHYS 0001), in which you are introduced to the faculty and students who make up the departmental community. You will join with other first-year students to get an overview of the subject matter covered in the majors, explore career possibilities, and to develop techniques for getting the most out of your college courses and activities. You will also learn about departmental and University expectations, policies, and resources. Because the college experience at GCSU is more intense than at many other schools, we have designed each curriculum to help you each step of the way. In addition, we are committed to offering the courses necessary to ensure that students who follow the program of study will graduate in four years. Toward that end, a typical four-year program of study has been developed, which serves as a guide each term for scheduling courses. Required courses are specified, then sequencing of courses is recommended. Students are advised to enroll in an average of 30 semester hours each year. Because of the relatively small number of majors in Chemistry and Physics, most of the major courses provide ample opportunity for personal interaction with the faculty.

CAREER INFORMATION

A recent employment survey by the American Chemical Society shows a stable job market and improving salaries for new chemistry graduates, reflecting the continuing strength of the U.S. economy in general. Major employers of chemists at all degree levels are the chemical industry, academia, and government. In industry, chemists are employed in production, applied research, basic research, or technical marketing. Advancement to positions in research and development management, plant management, or corporate management is possible.

In addition, the American Institute of Physics indicates that Physics offers challenging, exciting, and productive careers. As a career, physics covers many specialized fields - from acoustics, astronomy, and astrophysics to medical physics, geophysics, and vacuum sciences. Physics offers a variety of work activities - lab supervisor, researcher, technician, teacher, and manager. Physics opens doors to employment opportunities throughout the world in government, industry, schools, and private organizations.

An academic career requires a graduate degree, usually at the doctoral level. Financial assistance in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships is widely available to those wishing to pursue graduate study in chemistry or physics.

DEGREE AND MINORS OFFERED