The department has a strong commitment to improve life through research and education in chemistry.

We are living in an exciting but challenging time, with amazing technology breakthroughs in internet, electronics, biology and medicine. But the daunting reality of global warming, over population, and never-ending human conflicts has also weaved into our life.

Looking ahead, chemistry will definitely play an essential role in dealing with many of the challenges. In particular, the expanding human population will inevitably strain the nature resources, pollute the environment and generate more diseases. Without question, chemistry, as a central science and in an interdisciplinary approach, can provide solutions to many such challenges. The department is committed to carry out world-class research and education to improve quality of life, with emphasis on health, environment and energy.

Stony Brook Chemistry has a long tradition of inter- and multi-disciplinary research and education where undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers all work closely with faculty to develop and pursue their common interests. Students perform research over a broad range of fields - biological, inorganic, organic, materials, theoretical, and physical chemistry. The best example is the work of Professor Paul Lauterbur, Nobel Laureate in Medicine & Physiology in 2003, who made his pioneering discoveries in Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Stony Brook Chemistry Department in the 1970's by combining principles of biology, chemistry and physics.

Stony Brook University has been recognized as one of the nation's finest universities. Over the past decade, externally funding has grown faster than most other public universities and now ranks among the top 25 institutions receiving supports from the National Science Foundation. Stony Brook Chemistry has also emerged as one of the top chemistry programs in the country. The department is a participant in the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate through our ACES Project, where the effort includes activities designed to enhance the graduate student experience and to identify and implement best practices in graduate education. The department also initiated several cutting-edge research institutes including the Institute of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (ICB&DD) and the Center for Environmental Molecular Science (CEMS). Students can also expand their research experience beyond the Stony Brook campus through faculty sponsored programs at nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory, a federally-funded, 5,265-acre research laboratory offering state-of-the art facilities for medical imaging, nanoscience, synchrotron facility, nuclear medicine and chemistry

Stony Brook Chemistry is an exciting place! With a world-class faculty, a diverse community of students and state-of-the-art facilities in a beautiful Long Island north shore setting, Stony Brook is an ideal place for developing a rewarding career in modern chemistry. We are confident that you will find Stony Brook a stimulating place to work and study.

Benjamin Hsiao
Professor and Chair