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Department of Chemistry (GRAD)

The Department of Chemistry offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of master of arts (non-thesis), master of science (thesis), and doctor of philosophy in the fields of analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical, and polymer and materials chemistry. Reinforcing the broad nature of our graduate program, we have close interactions with various departments, including the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Environmental Science and Engineering, and the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program.

Research Interests

Development of instrumentation for ultra-high pressure capillary liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and combined two-dimensional separations. Applications include proteomics and measurement of peptide hormones in biological tissues. Mass spectrometry of biological, environmental, organic, and polymeric compounds; tandem MS, ion activation, ion molecule reactions; instrument development. Electrochemistry: new methods for study of biological media, neurotransmitters small spaces, redox solids, chemically modified surfaces, nanoparticle chemistry, and quantum size effects including the analytical chemistry of nanoparticles. Chemical microsystems: microfabricated fluidics technologies (i.e., lab-on-a-chip devices) to address biological measurement problems such as protein expression, cell signaling, and clinical diagnostics. Miniaturized mass spectrometers for environmental monitoring. Nanoscale fluidics devices for single molecule DNA sequencing and chemical sensing. Polymeric membranes to improve the analytical performance of in vivo sensors and enable accurate measurement of analytes in challenging milieu.

Structure-function relationships of complex biochemical processes; the molecular basis of disease; chemical biology; biophysics; mechanism of protein biosynthesis; metabolic regulation; gene organization and regulation of gene expression; biomolecular structure; protein folding; protein and RNA chemistry under physiologically relevant conditions, in-cell NMR; thermodynamics of protein-protein interactions; characterization of protein-protein and protein-DNA complexes by atomic force microscopy and single molecule fluorescence; in vitro and in vivo studies of DNA repair; RNA structure in vivo, RNA and viral genomics, transcriptome structure, assembly of biomedically important RNA-protein complexes; chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins; protein engineering through chemical synthesis and directed evolution; unnatural amino acid mutagenesis; molecular modeling of biomolecules; cell surface biophysics; fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy; small molecule and protein microarray development; live cell fluorescence microscopy; genomics-driven natural product discovery; natural product biosynthesis and pathway engineering and design; synthetic biology; antibiotic mechanism of action; bioinformatics; metabolomics; small molecules involved in inter- and intra- species signaling.

Physical inorganic chemistry: electronic structure of transition metal complexes; photochemistry and electrochemistry of metal complexes; use of coordination complexes and inorganic materials for solar energy harvesting and conversion; molecular orbital theory, nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies; X-ray crystallography; infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Chemistry of transition metal complexes: synthesis of transition metal compounds, organometallic chemistry including metal-catalyzed organic reactions; reactions of coordinated ligands; kinetics and mechanisms of inorganic reactions; metal cluster chemistry; chiral supramolecular chemistry. Materials chemistry: molecular precursors to materials; solid state lattice design; metal-ion containing thin films; metal-polymer complexes; functional coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks; chiral porous solids. Bioinorganic and medicinal inorganic chemistry: nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and anticancer drug delivery; reactivity of oxidized metal complexes with nucleic acids, photo-induced DNA cleavage, synthesis and characterization of model complexes for metalloenzymes.

Synthesis and biological reactions of natural products; peptide synthesis; protein engineering; structure-function studies on polypeptides and proteins; mechanistic and synthetic studies in organometallic chemistry; catalysis using organometallic complexes; nuclear magnetic resonance; kinetics; organosulfur and organophosphorus chemistry; surface effects in chemical behavior; chemistry of reactive intermediates including carbocations, carbanions, carbenes radical ions and radical pairs; photochemistry; light-driven organic catalysis; fluorescent sensors; enzyme inhibitors; new synthetic methods including asymmetric catalysis; stereochemistry and conformational analysis; design and synthesis of models for metalloenzymes; epr investigations of electronic couplings in high-spin organic molecules; spectroscopic studies of free radicals; synthesis and characterization of well-defined polymeric materials; synthesis of materials for use in microelectronics; homogeneous and heterogeneous polymerizations in supercritical fluids; synthesis of engineering polymers; molecular recognition.

Physical Chemistry

Ultrafast spectroscopy: femtosecond laser techniques to study photochemistry (e.g., energy transfer, proton coupled electron transfer) in systems including carbon nanotubes, light harvesting proteins, and several materials relevant to the production of solar fuels. Nonlinear Optics: lasers pulses with widely tunable bandwidths and frequencies with new nonlinear optical methods. Molecular interactions and dynamics in cells using optical Kerr effect and phase contrast methods. Spatial and temporal resolution of energy and charge transport within individual metal oxide nanoparticles using pump-probe microscopies. Biophysics: movements and interactions of regulatory proteins in cell nuclei using optical microscopies (e.g., FRET, FCS). Coherent quantum effects in photosynthesis using new laser spectroscopies analogous to multidimensional NMR techniques. Theoretical Chemistry: molecular dynamics simulations to study the structures and dynamics of biological membranes in addition to the properties of aqueous solutions next to such membranes. Laser spectroscopy in cooled molecular beams of transient species, ions and molecular complexes, subdoppler infrared spectroscopy, ion photodissociation studies, development of spectroscopic techniques, double resonance spectroscopy, pulsed field gradient NMR and NMR imaging. Application of optical and mass spectroscopies to study atmospheric chemistry. Quantum chemistry, density functional theory, quantum biology of neurotransmitters and pharmacological agents, energy minimization, protein dynamics, cooperativity, molecular graphics, mutagenesis, statistical mechanics of a liquid phase, structure and dynamics of aqueous solutions, kinetics in condensed phases, mechanical properties of polymers, state-to-state chemistry, reactions and energy transfer at solid surfaces. Polymer properties: preparation of and nonlinear optical effects in polymeric systems, self-organized polymers, and liquid crystalline materials.

Polymer and Materials Chemistry

Synthesis, properties, and utilization of novel functional materials for various applications ranging from medicine and microelectronics to oil recovery and climate change. The many-pronged approach includes synthesis and molecular characterization of multifunctional monomers and polymers, computer modeling and intelligent design of molecular architectures that are able to sense, process, and response to impacts from the surrounding environment, and preparation of new engineering thermoplastics and liquid crystalline materials. Recent efforts funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Advanced Energy Consortium, and Army Research Office are focused on lithographic design of organic nanoparticles for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases (especially cancer), self-healing, shape-memory, mechanocatalysis, organic solar cells, and imaging contrast agents for oil exploration. A broad variety of expertise includes imaging and probing of submicrometer surface structures by scanning probe microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, characterization of polymer dynamics by NMR techniques and light scattering, microfluidics and drug delivery control, measurement of molecular conductivity and energy conversion efficiency, and analytical as well as computational and numerical studies of soft materials, such as polymers, colloids, and liquid crystals.

Facilities and Equipment

Research is carried out in the William Rand Kenan Jr. Laboratories, the W. Lowry and Susan S. Caudill Laboratories, Venable Hall, Murray Hall, Chapman Hall, and the Genome Sciences Building. The undergraduate laboratories are housed in the John Motley Morehead Laboratories. The department is home to several core laboratories managed by Ph.D.-level staff scientists: Electronics Core Laboratory, NMR Core Laboratory, Mass Spectrometry Core Laboratory, X-Ray Core Laboratory, and the Scientific Glass Shop. Hardware and software resources managed by ITS are tailored to meet the needs of a broad range of chemists working on applications in quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, NMR spectroscopy, X-Ray crystallography, structural biology, and bioinformatics.

Financial Aid and Admission

The department awards a number of industrial fellowships and predoctoral research and teaching appointments. All outstanding prospective graduate students who apply for admission/support are automatically considered for fellowships.

There are more than 200 graduate students in the department. All are supported either as teaching assistants (27 percent), research assistants (65 percent), or as fellows (8 percent) supported by The Graduate School, industry, or the United States government. The duties of the teaching assistants include the preparation for and supervision of laboratory classes in undergraduate courses and the grading of laboratory reports.

Applications for assistantships and fellowships should be made before the end of December, although applicants for assistantships are considered after that date. All international students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination in addition to the Graduate Record Examination. However, international students who hold a degree from a university in the United States may be exempt. 

Application forms for admission can be completed online at the Graduate School's website . Financial support as well as information about the department can be obtained from the Chemistry Department's graduate website . Questions about our program may be directed to the e-mail address  [email protected] .

Doctor of Philosophy

The Ph.D. degree in chemistry is a research degree, and students normally begin research during the first year in graduate school. The Ph.D. degree consists of completion of a suitable program of study, a preliminary doctoral oral examination, a written comprehensive examination (satisfied by a research summary and dissertation prospectus), an original research proposal, an original research project culminating in a dissertation, and a final oral examination.

Master of Arts (Non-Thesis)

The master of arts (non-thesis) degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours. A typical path to degree completion is 18 hours of advanced chemistry courses and 12 hours in seminar courses and thesis registration. (Only six hours of CHEM 992 can count towards the 30-hour requirement.) Students must accrue a total of at least two semesters of “full time” status based on UNC–Chapel Hill course registration (9 hours in one semester is full-time, 6–8 hours is half-time, 3–5 hours is quarter-time).  Students must be registered for 3 hours of CHEM 992 in the semester in which the MA Written Report is completed and the degree will be conferred . The M.A. written examination is a written report on the current state of research in an area that is relevant to a departmental research topic, submitted to and approved/signed by the research advisor. As a substitute for a thesis, the candidate must earn a minimum of three hours of  CHEM 992  (master's non-thesis option) in the semester of planned graduation and submit a written research report to the research director. 

Master of Science

The master of arts degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit. A typical course load involves 18 hours of advanced chemistry courses and 12 hours in seminar courses and thesis registration. (Only six hours of CHEM 993 can count towards the 30 hour requirement). Students must accrue a total of at least two semesters of “full time” status based on UNC–Chapel Hill course registration (9 hours in one semester is full-time, 6–8 hours is half-time, 3–5 hours is quarter-time).  Students must be registered for three hours of CHEM 993 in the semester in which the M.S. thesis is defended.  Third-, fourth-, and fifth-year students must register for CHEM 993 for three hours until they graduate. The written comprehensive examination is a research summary approved by the dissertation committee. The oral examination comprises the Doctoral Qualifying Examination as approved by the dissertation committee. A master's thesis and final oral examination are also required. 

Following the faculty member's name is a section number that students should use when registering for independent studies, reading, research, and thesis and dissertation courses with that particular professor.

Erik J. Alexanian (077), Organic Chemistry Jeffrey Aubé (082), Organic Chemistry Todd L. Austell (070), Chemistry Education, Academic Advising, Lab Curriculum Development James F. Cahoon (080),  Polymer and Materials Chemistry Jillian L. Dempsey (003),  Inorganic Chemistry Andrey Dobrynin (023), Polymer and Materials Chemistry Dorothy A. Erie (011), Physical and Biological Chemistry Michel R. Gagné (022), Inorganic, Organic and Polymer Chemistry Gary L. Glish (040), Analytical Chemistry Brian P. Hogan (072), Chemistry Education, Academic Advising, Lab Curriculum Development Jeffrey S. Johnson (058), Organic Chemistry Yosuke Kanai (081),  Physical Chemistry David S. Lawrence (076), Organic Chemistry Gerald J. Meyer (054), Inorganic Chemistry Alexander J. Miller (004),  Inorganic Chemistry Andrew M. Moran (006),  Physical Chemistry David A. Nicewicz (078), Organic Chemistry Gary J. Pielak (046), Biological Chemistry J. Michael Ramsey (062), Analytical Chemistry Matthew R. Redinbo (055), Biological Chemistry Mark H. Schoenfisch (057), Analytical and Materials Chemistry Sergei S. Sheiko (059), Polymer and Materials Chemistry Jason D. Surratt (074), Analytical Chemistry Joseph L. Templeton (031), Inorganic Chemistry Domenic Tiani (071),  Chemistry Education, Academic Advising, Lab Curriculum Development Marcey Waters (056), Organic Chemistry Kevin M. Weeks (053), Biological Chemistry Richard V. Wolfenden (065), Biological Chemistry Wei You (042), Polymer and Materials Chemistry

Associate Professors

Erin Baker (012), Analytical Chemistry Nita Eskew (091), Chemistry Education, Academic Advising, Lab Curriculum Development Thomas C. Freeman (087), Chemistry Education, Academic Advising Leslie M. Hicks (035), Analytical Chemistry Frank A. Leibfarth (010),  Organic, Polymer and Materials Chemistry Bo Li (085), Biological Chemistry Matthew R. Lockett (037), Analytical Chemistry Simon J. Meek (079), Organic Chemistry Scott C. Warren (063), Polymer and Materials Chemistry

Assistant Professors

Joanna M. Atkin (086),  Physical Chemistry Joshua E. Beaver (089),  Chemistry Education, Academic Advising Carribeth L. Bliem (083),  Chemistry Education, Academic Advising Elizabeth C. Brunk (050),  Biological Chemistry Anna C. Curtis (073),  Chemistry Education, Academic Advising, Lab Curriculum Development Jade Fostvedt (039), Chemistry Education, Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Megan Jackson (104), Inorganic, Physical and Materials Chemistry Abigail Knight (014),  Organic and Biological Chemistry Huong Kratochvil (101), Biological Chemistry Zhiyue Lu (009),  Physical Chemistry Sidney M. Wilkerson-Hill (013),  Organic Chemistry Alex Zhukhovitskiy (008),  Organic, Polymer and Materials Chemistry Danielle Zurcher (090),  Chemistry Education, Academic Advising

Professors Emeriti

Nancy L. Allbritton Tomas Baer Max L. Berkowitz James L. Coke Michael T. Crimmins Joseph Desimone Richard G. Hiskey Eugene A. Irene Richard C. Jarnagin Donald C. Jicha Charles S. Johnson Jr. James W. Jorgenson Thomas J. Meyer John Papanikolas Robert G. Parr Lee G. Pedersen Royce W. Murray Michael Rubinstein Cynthia Schauer Nancy Thompson R. Mark Wightman

Chemistry (CHEM)

Advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

Permission of the instructor. This course explores secondary school chemical education through current chemical education theory and classroom teaching. Students will develop a comprehensive approach to teaching chemistry content through student-centered activities.

Chemical structure and nomenclature of macromolecules, synthesis of polymers, characteristic polymer properties.

Synthesis and reactions of polymers; various polymerization techniques.

Polymerization and characterization of macromolecules in solution.

Polymer dynamics, networks and gels.

Solid-state properties of polymers; polymer melts, glasses and crystals.

The study of cellular processes including catalysts, metabolism, bioenergetics, and biochemical genetics. The structure and function of biological macromolecules involved in these processes is emphasized. Honors version available.

Structure of DNA and methods in biotechnology; DNA replication and repair; RNA structure, synthesis, localization and transcriptional reputation; protein structure/function, biosynthesis, modification, localization, and degradation.

Biological membranes, membrane protein structure, transport phenomena; metabolic pathways, reaction themes, regulatory networks; metabolic transformations with carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides; regulatory networks, signal transduction.

Spectroscopy, electroanalytical chemistry, chromatography, thermal methods of analysis, signal processing.

Experiments in spectroscopy, electroanalytical chemistry, chromatography, thermal methods of analysis, and signal processing. One four-hour laboratory a week and one one-hour lecture.

This class will focus on analytical techniques capable of probing the physical and chemical properties of surfaces and interfaces. These analyses are extremely challenging, as the sample sizes are small (e.g., 1E14 molecules/cm2 of a material). The course will focus on complementary techniques to assess surface structure and topography, atomic and molecular composition, organization or disorder, and reactivity.

Theory and applications of equilibrium and nonequilibrium separation techniques. Extraction, countercurrent distribution, gas chromatography, column and plane chromatographic techniques, electrophoresis, ultra-centrifugation, and other separation methods.

Basic principles of electrochemical reactions, electroanalytical voltammetry as applied to analysis, the chemistry of heterogeneous electron transfers, and electrochemical instrumentation.

Optical spectroscopic techniques for chemical analysis including conventional and laser-based methods. Absorption, fluorescence, scattering and nonlinear spectroscopies, instrumentation and signal processing.

Principles and applications of biospecific binding as a tool for performing selective chemical analysis.

Fundamental theory of gaseous ion chemistry, instrumentation, combination with separation techniques, spectral interpretation for organic compounds, applications to biological and environmental chemistry.

Introduction to micro and nanofabrication techniques, fluid and molecular transport at the micrometer to nanometer length scales, applications of microtechnology to chemical and biochemical measurements.

Introduction to symmetry and group theory; bonding, electronic spectra, and reaction mechanisms of coordination complexes; organometallic complexes, reactions, and catalysis; bioinorganic chemistry. Honors version available.

Chemical applications of symmetry and group theory, crystal field theory, molecular orbital theory. The first third of the course, corresponding to one credit hour, covers point symmetry, group theoretical foundations and character tables.

A detailed discussion of ligand field theory and the techniques that rely on the theoretical development of ligand field theory, including electronic spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and magnetism.

Exploring the synthesis, bonding, and reactivity of of organotransition metal complexes. Topics typically include organometallic ligand classification, the elementary steps of organometallic reactions, and applications in catalysis.

Modern topics in organic chemistry. Honors version available.

Bioorganic chemistry integrates topics from synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics to study biomacromolecules and develop tools and materials that utilize them.

Kinetics and thermodynamics, free energy relationships, isotope effects, acidity and basicity, kinetics and mechanisms of substitution reactions, one- and two-electron transfer processes, principles and applications of photochemistry, organometallic reaction mechanisms.

A survey of fundamental organic reactions including substitutions, additions, elimination, and rearrangements; static and dynamic stereochemistry; conformational analysis; molecular orbital concepts and orbital symmetry.

Spectroscopic methods of analysis with emphasis on elucidation of the structure of organic molecules: 1H and 13C NMR, infrared, ultraviolet, ORD-CD, mass, and photoelectron spectroscopy.

Modern synthetic methods and their application to the synthesis of complicated molecules.

Structure and reactivity of organometallic complexes and their role in modern catalytic reactions

Crystal geometry, diffusion in solids, mechanical properties of solids, electrical conduction in solids, thermal properties of materials, phase equilibria.

Permission of the instructor. A survey of materials processing and characterization used in fabricating microelectronic devices. Crystal growth, thin film deposition and etching, and microlithography.

The structural and energetic nature of surface states and sites, experimental surface measurements, reactions on surfaces including bonding to surfaces and adsorption, interfaces.

Does not carry credit toward graduate work in chemistry or credit toward any track of the B.S. degree with a major in chemistry. Application of thermodynamics to biochemical processes, enzyme kinetics, properties of biopolymers in solution.

Thermodynamics, kinetic theory, chemical kinetics.

Experiments in physical chemistry. One four-hour laboratory each week.

Introduction to quantum mechanics, atomic and molecular structure, spectroscopy, statistical mechanics.

Experiments in physical chemistry. Solving thermodynamic and quantum mechanical problems using computer simulations. One three-hour laboratory and a single one-hour lecture each week.

Thermodynamics, followed by an introduction to the classical statistical mechanics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

Experimental and theoretical aspects of atomic and molecular reaction dynamics.

Introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics. Approximation methods, angular momentum, simple atoms and molecules.

Interaction of radiation with matter; selection rules; rotational, vibrational, and electronic spectra of molecules; laser based spectroscopy and nonlinear optical effects.

Applications of quantum mechanics to chemistry. Molecular structure, time-dependent perturbation theory, interaction of radiation with matter.

Applications of statistical mechanics to chemistry. Ensemble formalism, condensed phases, nonequilibrium processes.

This course is offered to first-year graduate and upper-class undergraduate students in different chemistry disciplines who are interested in gaining skills in molecular modeling using modern methodologies from computational chemistry. No prior experience is required. An overview of quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular dynamics (MD) methodologies will be provided. It will also provide extensive experiences to perform different types of computations with abundant hands-on exercises using Gaussian package for QM and LAMMPS for MD simulations.

Various polymerization techniques and characterization methods. One four-hour laboratory each week.

An introduction to chemical techniques and research procedures of use in the fields of protein and nucleic acid chemistry. Two four-hour laboratories and one one-hour lecture a week.

A laboratory devoted to modern instrumental methods and analytical techniques. One four-hour laboratory and one one-hour lecture each week.

A laboratory devoted to synthesis and characterization of inorganic complexes and materials. A four-hour synthesis laboratory, a characterization laboratory outside of the regular laboratory period, and a one-hour recitation each week.

This is an honors laboratory course designed to lead you from challenging introductory experiments to five weeks of laboratory work on an independent research project. In addition to exposing you to advanced synthetic techniques, this course will allow you to use multiple modern techniques to characterize the inorganic and organometallic complexes you prepare. Students may not receive credit in both CHEM 551L and CHEM 550L .

CHEM 395 must have been in the same laboratory as 692H. Senior majors only. Required of all candidates for honors or highest honors.

Graduate-level Courses

Permission of the instructor for undergraduates. This introductory course in laboratory chemical safety is required for all entering chemistry graduate students. Topics include laboratory emergencies, chemical hazards, laboratory inspections and compliance, working with chemicals, waste handling, case studies of university accidents, laboratory equipment, biosafety, radiation, animals, and microfabrication and nanomaterials.

Graduate standing required.

Application of chemical principles and tools to study and manipulate biological systems; in-depth exploration of examples from the contemporary literature. Topics include new designs for the genetic code, drug design, chemical arrays, single molecule experiments, laboratory-based evolution, chemical sensors, and synthetic biology.

Graduate standing required. Literature survey dealing with topics in protein chemistry and nucleic acid chemistry.

In-depth analysis of the structure-function relationships governing protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. Topics include replication, DNA repair, transcription, translation, RNA processing, protein complex assembly, and enzyme regulation. Course includes both the current and classic literature that highlight the techniques used to study these processes.

Modern topics in biological chemistry.

Graduate standing required. Colloquium of modern analytical chemistry topics presented by graduate students and select invited speakers.

Introduction to chemical instrumentation including digital and analog electronics, computers, interfacing, and chemometric techniques. Two one-hour lectures a week.

Experiments in digital and analog instrumentation, computers, interfacing and chemometrics, with applications to chemical instrumentation.

Modern topics in analytical chemistry, including advanced electroanalytical chemistry, advanced mass spectrometry, chemical instrumentation, and other subjects of recent significance. Two lecture hours a week.

Students will participate in 12 workshop sessions co-presented by the instructor and TA covering the basics of technical writing. Each workshop is designed to help students prepare successful proposals for external graduate fellowships, but skills practiced are readily extended to the 2nd-year prospectus, manuscript preparation, the thesis, and beyond.

Permission of the instructor. Research-level survey of topics in inorganic chemistry and related areas.

Students will participate in 11 workshop sessions co-presented by the instructor and TA covering the basics of technical writing. They are designed to help students prepare successful proposals for external graduate fellowships, but skills practiced are readily extended to the 2nd-year prospectus, 3rd-year proposal, manuscript preparation, the thesis, and beyond.

The course "Introduction to Chemical Crystallography" is intended for graduate students who wish to acquire a basic understanding of crystallography, the mathematical foundations of diffraction principles, the hands-on experience in the operation of X-ray diffractometers, computer software for crystal structure determination and visualization, as well as crystallographic databases. The goal of the course is to prepare students to independently operate diffractometers and carry out X-ray structure determinations for their Ph.D. or M.S. theses.

Graduate standing required. One afternoon meeting a week and individual consultation with the instructor.

Two lecture hours a week.

This course is intended for 2nd year and higher graduate students who have the appropriate prerequisites or permission from the instructor(s). The topics covered in this course pertain to modern radical chemistry in organic synthesis and the goal is to prepare students for the implementation of radical chemistry in advanced applications.

This course covers the physical fundamentals of material science with an in-depth discussion of structure formation in soft and hard materials and how structure determines material mechanical, electrical, thermal, and optical properties. Topics include amorphous and crystal structures, defects, dislocation theory, thermodynamics and phase diagrams, diffusion, interfaces and microstructures, solidification, and theory of phase transformation. Special emphasis will be on the structure-property relationships of (bio)polymers, (nano)composites, and their structure property relationships.

Graduate standing required. Two hours a week.

Permission of the instructor. Modern topics in physical chemistry, chemical physics, or biophysical chemistry. One to three lecture hours a week.

Selected research-level, cross-disciplinary topics in modern chemistry.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of polymer/materials chemistry. This course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of biological chemistry. This course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of analytical chemistry. The course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of inorganic chemistry. The course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of organic chemistry. The course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Seminar and directed study on research methods of physical chemistry. The course provides a foundation for master's thesis or doctoral dissertation research.

Department of Chemistry

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Director of Graduate Studies

Alex Miller

[email protected]

Chemistry Student Services Coordinator

Jill Fallin

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**There are two application paths available for certain doctoral programs. Depending on your objectives, you may apply directly to the Chemistry program or you may apply via the Biological and Biomedical Sciences application umbrella. Please visit program websites to determine the best fit for your objectives.

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PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry

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The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers a Ph.D. degree program in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Students in the program take coursework and participate in mentored research to develop a fundamental understanding of the chemical and biochemical principles that direct the discovery, design and development of new approaches to address fundamental challenges related to health, education, environment, and energy. Several areas of research emphasis are open to students in the program, including Bioanalytical, Biophysical, Inorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Natural Products, Integrative Medicine and Chemical Education Research. In addition, opportunities to take part in Internships with local companies are available as part of the training.  For more information about the Chemistry and Biochemistry program, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page , or contact individual faculty members about research opportunities.

For general questions about the Chemistry and Biochemistry Ph.D. program, please contact:

Dr. Nicholas Oberlies Director of Graduate Studies [email protected] 336-334-5474

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Patricia A. Sullivan Science Building PO Box 26170 | Greensboro, NC 27402-6170 Phone: 336.334.5714 | Fax: 336.334.5402 Copyright © 2022. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. All rights reserved

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Nanoscale Science Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science at UNC Charlotte is an interdisciplinary program that addresses the development, manipulation, and use of materials and devices on the scale of roughly 1-100 nanometers in length, and the study of phenomena that occur on this size scale. The program prepares students to become scholarly, practicing scientists who possess the critical thinking, methodological, and communication skills required to advance and disseminate knowledge of fundamental and applied nanoscale science.

The many challenges and opportunities that nanoscale science presents to society require collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to research. Students enrolled in UNC Charlotte’s Ph.D. program in Nanoscale Science learn about the exciting field of nanoscale science from the perspectives of faculty members of a variety of disciplines and develop an advanced knowledge base of a selected science or engineering discipline. NANO courses are team taught and/or co-developed by teams of faculty members from multiple disciplines. This approach provides students trained in a specific science or engineering field at the undergraduate or master’s level with the tools needed to work effectively with scientists and engineers from other disciplines on cutting-edge research projects.

Students in the program acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete effectively for positions in academic, industrial, or government settings by completing interdisciplinary nanoscale science courses and elective courses, participating in program colloquia and seminars, working as a member of a team on projects and research proposals, and making research contributions independently and as part of a team.

For more information on the Ph.D. Program please visit the Nanoscale Science website .

PhD Program: Chemistry

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Biochemistry & Biophysics

Program website :  http://www.med.unc.edu/biochem/program.

Director of Graduate Studies : Wolfgang Bergmeier, PhD Director of Biophysics Program : Brian Kuhlman, PhD Student Services Specialist: Holly Shephard

Program overview.

Welcome to the Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The primary mission of any academic department is education. Here PhD students and post-doctoral fellows train in more than 40 different laboratories engaged in cutting-edge biomedical research. Training in research comes at a time of tremendous change, as new tools are uncovering the molecular causes of human disease, revealing new drug targets, and fostering the development of innovative new therapies. With a PhD degree in Biochemistry & Biophysics, the next generation of scientists will be well equipped to solve some the most vexing and complex health problems of the day.

The curriculum is designed to emphasize basic skills and principles, and yet be sufficiently flexible to allow students to focus on different research areas. Students in the Biochemistry track currently take BIOC 701 – Research Topics in Biochemistry, a course that is linked to the Department’s extramural Seminar series. Likewise, students in the Biophysics track participate in BIOC 704 -Seminars in Biophysics, where they attend the Biophysics Seminars as part of the course. Through presentation and discussion of the upcoming speakers’ publications in both seminar courses, students are not only better prepared for talks given by outside speakers, but are also better equipped to give their own departmental research presentations. Another required course, Biochemistry 712, is designed to help students with the art of grant writing, and specifically preparation of the grant-style qualifying examinations.

Our Department believes that teaching is an invaluable part of graduate education, as well as a benefit to the University. Hence, Ph.D. students are asked to serve as assistants in one semester of a course. These are typically courses for professional students in the Schools of Dentistry, Nursing, or Medicine. Most students satisfy their teaching requirements during their first year of study.

The comprehensive written exam is an open-book exam to test your knowledge, comprehension, and analytical ability. Passing is required to remain in the program. It is suggested that students take the written comprehensive exam in their second year. Several weeks prior to the exam, relevant reading materials are provided to students by the faculty exam committee. The combination of these readings plus the core course requirements is sufficient to prepare students to succeed in the exam requirements for their chosen track (Biochemistry or Biophysics). Students typically have one week to complete the exam.

The oral component of the exam should be taken before the end of the second academic year. Students are expected to submit a 6 page written proposal in the form of a NIH fellowship application to their thesis committee describing their dissertation research project, and defend this proposal after an oral presentation. Additional details on this process can be found here .

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Graduate Degree Programs

Below we have listed information about our graduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill, including degrees offered, contact information, and specific admissions application requirements.

Important information about admissions application deadlines

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Admissions information - by department/school.

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**There are two application paths available for certain doctoral programs. Depending on your objectives, you may apply directly to the specific program or you may apply via the Biological and Biomedical Sciences application umbrella. Please visit program websites to determine the best fit for your objectives.

View degrees offered by other schools

2023-24 University Catalog

Chemistry and biochemistry, ph.d..

The Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry requires 56 credit hours in advanced chemical and biochemical course work and a dissertation culminating from extensive laboratory research experience carried out under the direction of a faculty advisor. The student gains experience in professional speaking by giving public oral scientific presentations through the departmental seminar program. The successful candidate will be well prepared for industrial or academic research careers in chemistry or biochemistry.

For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/ .

In addition to the application materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit a one-page personal statement by the appropriate deadline to be considered for Fall or Spring admission.

A minimum of a B.S. in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field is required.

Degree Program Requirements

Required:  56 credit hours minimum

Students must select additional credits from Research Techniques and/or Electives sufficient to complete the 56 total credit hours required for the program.

A minimum of 12 credits in CHE 799 is required.

In approved (by the Department Graduate Studies Committee and student’s research advisor) elective graduate courses in chemistry, biology, mathematics or physics. Students who plan to pursue employment in industry are encouraged to enroll in CHE 790 Chemistry and Biochemistry Internship .

Required Milestones*

• Residency (Immersion)
• Plan of Study
• Research Competency
• Comprehensive Exam (Written & Oral)
• Dissertation Proposal
• Admission to Candidacy
• Dissertation Defense
• Filing the Final Approved Dissertation

General information about milestones for doctoral programs is available in Section III of the Graduate Policies page in the University Catalog. For information about how milestones are accomplished for a specific program, please refer to the doctoral program's handbook.

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Chemistry (MS)

Program director.

Materials science researcher plans for success

Required courses focused on careers are helping doctoral student Allen Wood choose a professional path.

When Allen Wood was a boy growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, he had preoccupations suited to someone much older. At the age of 8, he absorbed the contents of a book by Richard Feynman on quantum theory given to him by his grandfather.

At 11, Wood took the family computer apart, spreading its components throughout the living room floor, resulting in a gentle rebuke from his father that the computer had better work when he put it back together.

At 15, during a neighborhood bicycle ride, he wondered how he could stay upright on two spinning wheels. The thought prompted a fascination with a fundamental concept in physics called angular momentum, which describes the rotational motion of an object around an axis and explains the stability of a bicycle in motion.

“When I observe something and it seems counterintuitive, my immediate go-to is ‘What physics is at play here?’” Wood said.

Wood graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in physics from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021. The next year, he entered the materials science doctoral program in the College of Arts and Sciences’ applied physical sciences department.

Now in the third year of his five-year program, Wood is working in the lab of  Jinsong Huang , the Louis D. Rubin Jr. Distinguished Professor in the applied physical sciences department and adjunct professor in the chemistry department.

Wood’s research involves improving the performance of radiation detectors using perovskite, a special chemical compound that increases the efficiency and reliability of solar cells. Last year, he received the Best Oral Presentation Award for his work from the Consortium for Enabling Technologies and Innovation.

The career paths for such a talented student are seemingly limitless — an academic appointment, research in a national lab, industry research. In considering the options before him, Wood received guidance through two required applied physical sciences courses.

MTSC 710: Resources for Success in Your Ph.D. Program exposes students to research and key resources and skills outside of course work that they will need to be successful in the doctoral program and beyond. MTSC 711: Developing Your Plan for Success helps students create an individual development plan that entails a critical self-assessment, revealing which careers make sense for them.

The individual development plan isn’t a static document, said René Lopez, a professor and director of graduate studies in the applied physical sciences department. Students articulate their values and aspirations through a series of prompts and are encouraged to revisit the plan annually with their research adviser.

“We know that successful careers usually don’t happen without some planning and conscious effort,” he said. “Taking ownership of their path and tailoring the plan to their interests is the single most important element that makes a graduate student successful.”

When drawing up his own individual development plan, Wood discovered that he likes conducting basic research, working in a collaborative environment and teaching graduate students the concepts he has learned. But he doesn’t like grading, which deemphasizes subjectivity in favor of a rubric.

“The MTSC 710 and 711 courses were invaluable because they made me think about what motivates me,” said Wood. “I’m clear now on the things I like to do day to day, but I’m still undecided on my career path, which I like to view as being given a lot of unopened Christmas presents. It’s exciting to think about what might lie ahead.”

For excellence in teaching undergraduate students, each teaching assistant receives a $5,000 stipend.

2024 Tanner Awards honor excellence in undergraduate teaching

These winners engage with their students through trips, performances, podcasts and breathing exercises.

Carolina wins free expression award

Heterodox Academy recognized UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC Charlotte for serving as role models for other institutions.

Dates set for Chancellor Search Committee Listening Sessions

Undergraduates, graduate students and staff will have the opportunity to share what characteristics they would like to see in the next chancellor.

Faculty honored with 2024 Chapman Family, Johnston awards

Winners for excellence in undergraduate teaching reflect on their best teachers and classroom creativity.

Four faculty members honored for post-baccalaureate teaching

The 2024 Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction include a $5,000 stipend.

VR pilot program for nursing students yields real benefits

In virtual reality simulations, they learn how to interact with patients in realistic scenarios.

Students use spring break to serve, explore careers

Tar Heels volunteered and learned about violence prevention on an APPLES service-learning trip to Charlotte.

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Joint Seminars in Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Chemistry, Vinayak Agarwal, PhD (Georgia Tech) – Looking Back and Building Forward: Natural Product Biosynthesis

January 19, 2022 @ 12:20 pm - 1:30 pm.

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Graduate Program Introduction

Chemistry graduate programs.

The Department of Chemistry offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of master of arts, master of science, non-thesis, and doctor of philosophy in the research areas of analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical, and polymer and materials chemistry. Reinforcing the broad nature of our graduate program, we have close interactions with various departments, including the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Environmental Science and Engineering, and the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program.

Professor Leslie Hicks and her research group

Doctoral Program

The goals of the program are to provide students with a broad base in advanced topics in chemistry and substantial depth in one or more areas of expertise through an in-depth research experience. Students earning a Ph.D. in chemistry are intellectually functional as independent scientists and sufficiently technically skilled to perform advanced scientific research.

They are able to instruct others in their discipline. They have highly developed communications skills to allow the efficient dissemination of scientific information in both a written and verbal format.

Master’s Program

The master’s program in chemistry provides students with additional exposure to advanced topics in chemistry relative to an undergraduate degree. Significant, independent research experience is a substantial portion of the program so that the successful student can function as a research scientist in a corporate laboratory. Students earning a Master’s degree in chemistry are technically skilled to perform advanced scientific research in the laboratory. They also have strong oral and written communications skills.

The Chemistry Graduate Student Handbook has additional details and information on many aspects of the graduate student experience.

Women in IT spotlight: Yifei Lou

By Louise Flinn

March is Women’s History Month and ITS is celebrating by highlighting Carolina women in technology. All month long, ITS News will share profiles and Q&As to share the breadth and diversity of the Tar Heel women-in-IT experience. For the full list of profiles and to read some ways to get involved, visit Celebrating Women’s History Month with Carolina women in IT .

What does your role as a leader mean to you?

I think the leadership role can help me help more women in academic fields.

Has your gender been a factor in your career trajectory, path or choices? How so?

When I was school-age, I was in a gifted and talented program. We had 50 students in my class, but only five girls. I grew up with all these boys, and I didn’t see a difference between males and females, as I felt like girls could do similar things as boys. However, I did hear teachers and parents say, “Girls are not as smart as boys.” I didn’t care too much, as I was good at math. Gender is generally not a problem to me, but I do see some bias against females in STEM fields.

Mathematics is a male-dominated field, so if gender was the consideration, I would never have chosen my job. Recently a student asked me, “Hey professor, why did you choose mathematician as your career? Did you just choose to be that?” I said no, because in my childhood, I was good at math so why not? And on the other hand, I’m not a very handy person. I cannot do labs, I cannot do chemistry experiments. I’m good at math and I think that may be my only choice.

Have you had a mentor in your career or someone else who made a difference for you? Have you mentored others?

I’m very fortunate that I had a very successful female Ph.D. adviser. She’s intelligent, she’s hardworking, she set a good example for me. And because of her, I’m confident I can be a good female mathematician. Now that I’m relatively senior myself, I try to be a leader so I can influence more female students or younger junior faculty.

I first joined UTD (University of Texas at Dallas) as my first tenure track position, I also had a female mentor who was very helpful to me. She gave me advice on how to survive in the academic world. She also helped me to run students-oriented activities. After I became tenured, I tried to mimic what they did for me with the young next generation.

For mentoring, it’s not just about research collaborations. I also feel like I need to tell them how to interact with colleagues, including some male colleagues who may be more aggressive. Females may tend to be shy, we don’t speak up and we are afraid if we speak up there will be some bad consequences. I talked to some junior female faculty who said sometimes you need to fight for yourself, but meanwhile you need to protect yourself.

About Yifei Lou

Yifei Lou holds a joint position in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Data Science and Society. She served as a faculty member in the mathematical sciences department at the University of Texas at Dallas from 2014 to 2023, first as an assistant professor and then as an associate professor. She received her Ph.D. in applied math from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2010. After graduation, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, followed by another postdoctoral training at the Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine from 2012 to 2014. Lou received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2019. Her research lies in the intersection of computational mathematics and data sciences.

What excites you about the future of your field?

I get the opportunity to redesign, reshape the future of careers for our next generation. That is what I’m excited about. Ten years ago, our field of mathematics was just academic and we became a teacher or professor. Now mathematics actually plays a very important role in data science and in other disciplines. I’m happy to see more and more mathematicians come out of the ivory tower to do some real problems and help solve real applications. Right now, I’m teaching calculus, but students don’t have a concrete application in mind. They ask “Why am I doing this?” I say that you’ll see later in other disciplines. I hope that calculus can be integrated into data applications so that students know how to do this and why we are doing this. I think the most exciting part is that I got the opportunity to choose what the students should learn.

What career advice do you have for other women in IT?

Make peace with yourself, don’t put too much pressure. You cannot expect that you’ll be good at academia, be good at children’s education and be good at other things. It’s impossible, we only have a certain amount of time. I think every woman in academia or in the IT field — they’re amazing. We can do multitasking. I think sometimes it might be about being confident in yourself. I think girls have this bias that they don’t believe in themselves. I think we should tell the female researchers to be confident.

What would make it possible for more women to work and succeed in IT?

I think we need to hire more women so that there will be more understanding and there will be more role models for students and the younger generation.

We spend more time on the family and we already squeeze our time to do the jobs. Maybe give a more flexible working schedule to female workers and create a supportive environment. I know 10 years ago, there wasn’t any breastfeeding room in the building. I remember I had to lock myself in the bathroom for pumping. Oh man, I hope it’s changing.

What resources do you recommend for women who are looking to start or advance their IT careers?

In my experience, the best starting point is a very excellent female adviser. I would suggest they find a senior role model who can understand, but they don’t necessarily have to be female. But finding a senior role model who you are comfortable talking with and whom you can ask for advice.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m hoping to start a local chapter of Women in the Science of Data and Mathematics ( WiSDM ). I had been involved in events at Brown and at UCLA. We had about 40 women, ranging from students, postdoc, junior, senior, all kinds of levels and we gather together for a week. We worked extensively on a research problem, and then we spread out and do remote collaboration. And during that week, not only do we talk about research, we also share our experience regarding the academic life and the personal. I plan to host a WiSDM week in the summer of 2025 here at UNC. Stay tuned!

Synthesis of Erythropoietin

Since approval by the FDA in 1989, erythropoietin (EPO) has been used extensively for the treatment of anemia – especially in those with chronic kidney disease, undergoing chemotherapy, or have acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 1 EPO is a highly glycosylated glycoprotein containing three N-linked and one O-linked glycosylation sites. These glycans constitute 40% of the weight of the glycoprotein and are important for activity. 2 It has been found that the glycans play pivotal roles in the solubility, stability, and activity of EPO. 3 Therapeutic EPO is obtained by recombinant expression in mammalian cell lines such as Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) or Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. Although this approach can produce large quantities of glycoprotein, it leads to heterogeneous mixtures of glycoforms (same protein with different glycan attachments). Glycosylation occurs in a non-template mediated driven manner during post-translational modification in the ER and Golgi. Due to the mixture of glycoforms present, it has been challenging to perform structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to establish the optimal glycan structures for biological activity. This has led to a desire to develop homogenous EPO glycoforms and two methods have been pursued based on chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis. 

The chemical synthesis of EPO, initially developed by Danishesky and coworkers, leverages the power of solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), native chemical ligation, and attachment of the N-/O-glycans in a highly regioselective format. 4 Through this approach, it was possible to obtain a homogenous glycoform of EPO with similar bioactivity to commercial EPO. Chemoenzymatic synthesis of EPO, developed by Wang and coworkers, utilizes template mediated driven of protein synthesis in cells to produce the polypeptide backbone followed by using endoglycosidases to cleave off and reattach homogenous glycans of their choosing. 5 The strategies, while powerful, have neither yet to surpass the therapeutic efficacy of recombinant EPO produced in mammalian cell lines. However, as the field is rapidly evolving, we may soon see a homogenously produced EPO with greater in vivo  efficacy than commercial recombinant EPO.

1. D. Goldsmith,  Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.  2010,  5 , 929–935.

2. M. Takeuchi, S. Takasaki, H. Miyazaki, T. Kato, S. Hoshi, N. Kochibe, A. Kobata,  J. Biol.  Chem.  1988,  263 , 3657–3663.

3. M. S. Dordal, F. F. Wang, E. Goldwasser,  Endocrinology  1985,  116 , 2293–2299.

4. Wang, P.; Dong, S.; Shieh, J.-H. .; Peguero, E.; Hendrickson, R.; Moore, M. A. S.; Danishefsky, S. J. Erythropoietin Derived by Chemical Synthesis.  Science   2013 ,  342  (6164), 1357–1360. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1245095.

5. Yang, Q.; An, Y.; Zhu, S.; Zhang, R.; Loke, C. M.; Cipollo, J. F.; Wang, L.-X. Glycan Remodeling of Human Erythropoietin (EPO) through Combined Mammalian Cell Engineering and Chemoenzymatic Transglycosylation.  ACS Chemical Biology   2017 ,  12  (6), 1665–1673. https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.7b00282.

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Alabama’s secret weapon: Sign-stealing, note-passing graduate assistants

LOS ANGELES — Nate Oats has built Alabama into a men’s basketball power with a clear philosophy: be the “most prepared coach” who leads the “most prepared team.”

Moments after the Crimson Tide upset North Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, Oats promised his team would enjoy a “short-lived celebration” — 30 minutes, tops — before turning its attention to Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown against Clemson. The 49-year-old coach, who played at Division III Maranatha Baptist and coached at the high school level in Michigan for more than a decade, said he would have a full game plan “together by breakfast time.” Sure enough, he arrived at Friday’s media availability looking a bit haggard, admitting it had been a “long night” with “not much sleep.” Such is life with Alabama one win away from its first Final Four.

There is perhaps no better example of Oats’s obsessive attention to detail and preparation than his heavy reliance upon an unheralded staff of graduate assistants, a handful of basketball devotees whose names don’t even appear on the team’s website.

Indeed, their work crunching tape, studying opponents and creating game plans is a thankless, anonymous grind. Because of the seating configuration at Crypto.com Arena during the Sweet 16 game against North Carolina, there wasn’t any room for several of Alabama’s graduate assistants to sit in the bench area, so they had to be relocated to the front row of a designated fan section directly across the court. The graduate assistants sat in a ticketed section, in front of ordinary fans, and were barred from joining Oats’s full-time staffers on the court during the game. Thankfully, they were at least granted temporary access credentials so they could enter the locker room at halftime and join Alabama’s celebration on the court after the buzzer.

Though they were physically separated from Oats and his full-time assistant coaches, the graduate assistants, dressed in matching black polo team shirts, kept up a loud chatter — read: they never shut up — throughout Alabama’s 89-87 victory. With curious media members seated courtside peeking back to see what all the fuss was about, Alabama’s graduate assistants hyped up their team, worked the referees, reinforced Oats’s points of emphasis and repeatedly stole North Carolina’s play-calls throughout the nailbiter.

Oats sang the group’s praises Friday, noting they helped his full-time assistants prepare scouting reports and video breakdowns of upcoming opponents.

“We rely on our GAs a lot,” Oats said. “And they’re good. They’re working ahead because I’m not going to look at the next team until we are done playing the current team. But they are. They’re working ahead all the time. They’ve got everything ready to hand to the assistant in charge of it when they need to. [Their work covers] everything, trying to listen to the video with the sound up, trying to get play-calls off the sound. And looking at hand signals to get play-calls. They’ve got it all in their head. They try to teach it to everybody, but they know it pretty well.”

Sign stealing by players, coaches and staff members is common practice during college basketball and NBA games, though Alabama was afforded an unusual advantage Thursday. The Los Angeles venue hosted a doubleheader — Clemson beat Arizona before Alabama upset North Carolina — and the arena’s lower bowl was divided into four fan sections, one for each school. The higher-seeded teams, No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 2 seed Arizona, had their fan sections directly behind their team benches. The lower-seeded teams, No. 4 Alabama and No. 6 Clemson, were pushed across the court to the opposite side.

As such, the Alabama graduate assistants, forced into the overflow section, enjoyed an unobstructed view of North Carolina’s bench from across the court. Once Tar Heels Coach Hubert Davis signaled to his team, the Crimson Tide ’s graduate assistants set about deciphering the call. When that was complete, often within a second or two, they loudly shouted out the play in unison — “Floppy,” “Rebel,” or “Double” — to notify Alabama’s defense.

Meanwhile, the graduate assistants also painstakingly charted the game action. During timeouts, their notes were shuttled from their location in the fan section to Oats by player development coordinator Christian Pino. Though the unusual sight of paper flowing from the stands to the huddle raised eyebrows among media members and prompted some confusion for event staffers, NCAA rules only prohibit electronic communications to the bench during games.

Searching for possible in-game adjustments, Oats said his staff charts, by hand, everything from paint touches to hustle stats.

“In the course of the game, we chart a lot of things, offensive and defensive efficiency. They’re charting that,” Oats said. “I get an offensive sheet, a defensive sheet, a blue-collar sheet and the general stats. I’ve got four sheets of paper in my hand every timeout, and the [graduate assistants are] responsible for three of those four.”

Alabama’s victory over North Carolina wasn’t secured until the final seconds, and it was the type of tense March Madness classic that can swing on the slightest of margins. The graduate assistants left no stones unturned, encouraging shooters stationed in the right corner to be ready to let it fly and howling their disapproval when calls went against the Crimson Tide.

In some cases, their prep work was extraordinary. When official John Gaffney overturned a call in Alabama’s favor, the graduate assistants clapped loudly. Then, one of them shouted some positive reinforcement with a personal touch: “John, you’re a handsome man.”

To reach the Final Four, Alabama must get revenge against Clemson, which scored an 85-77 victory in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 28. Fresh off a review of the previous meeting, Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson said Friday his team had “fronted the post a little too much” against Tigers big men PJ Hall and Ian Schieffelin and “let their shooters get hot.”

Taking down Clemson will probably require Nelson to deliver another star-like performance like he had in posting 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks against North Carolina, and it wouldn’t hurt if guard Mark Sears topped 20 points for the ninth time in his past 10 games. But Oats’s Crimson Tide will also be counting on its row of enthusiastic, hyper-focused polo shirts to find weaknesses to expose and matchups to exploit.

“It’s cool that everybody’s super invested in wins and losses from your head coach down to your managers, to everybody in the program,” said Oats, who smiled when told about the ruckus his graduate assistants made Thursday and credited their efforts as “part of the reason” for Alabama’s success during his five-year tenure. “It’s nice you were able to sit by some of them that aren’t even on the bench, and they’re super invested in winning and losing.”

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A&T, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Partner to Establish Early Assurance Program

By Labrina Van Cliff / 03/26/2024 Academic Affairs

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EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 26, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announces a groundbreaking partnership with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to introduce an innovative Early Assurance Program (EAP). This collaboration offers current N.C. A&T students with a keen interest in pursuing a doctoral degree in pharmacy the opportunity for assured admission to the school.

“Our collaboration with UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to establish this early assurance program is a testament to our dedication to empowering our students in their pursuit of pharmacy careers, ensuring they receive top-tier education and support,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor of Academic Affairs. “This partnership underscores our commitment to nurturing academic excellence and equipping our students for prosperous futures in the healthcare sector.”

Candidates for the EAP will undergo a meticulous selection process based on both academic achievements and personal strengths, mirroring the criteria set forth in the A&T admissions process and their first year of collegiate study. The A&T Pre-Professional Scholars Program Office (PPSP) will nominate eligible students who express an interest in pharmacy for the EAP, then the recruitment and admissions committee of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy will conduct interviews and select candidates for admission to the program.

“We are thrilled to welcome our first cohort of highly qualified future pharmacists,” said C. Dinitra White, Ph.D., PPSP director. “This important collaboration is representative of our ongoing efforts to ensure that our students have access to top-tier programs who are committed to a strong and caring healthcare workforce for all communities.”  

To commemorate this partnership, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy will host a kick-off event at A&T’s Barnes Hall Atrium on Wednesday, April 24, from 12:45 to 2 p.m. This event will provide A&T students with an opportunity to gain insights into the EAP and its benefits.

“The Early Assurance Program allows us to admit exceptionally talented students who will become the next generation of pharmacy leaders and innovators,” said Angela Kashuba, Pharm.D., UNC Eshleman School of Pharmacy dean. “This new partnership will open the door for many students to pursue pharmacy.”

Other universities participating in the EAP initiative include Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina-Asheville, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina-Pembroke, University of North Carolina-Wilmington and Western Carolina University. This collaborative effort aims to expand opportunities for aspiring pharmacy professionals across North Carolina.

Media Contact Information: [email protected]

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