Discover the world around you at the atomic scale. Unravel the structure of organic compounds. Analyze trace metals in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. Explore how you can contribute to the field of nanotechnology.
Science at Evergreen weaves together disciplines and offers hands-on experience.
Chemistry is fundamental to understanding the world. Everything is made of chemicals, so chemistry touches almost every aspect of our existence. Chemical technologies provide solutions to problems in health care, materials, and energy generation and usage.
Chemistry is often referred to as the central science because it unites physics and mathematics, biology and medicine, and the earth and environmental sciences.
At Evergreen you can prepare for a career in science, medicine, or education through the study of chemistry. Discover this branch of science using quantitative methods and analytical tools. You'll study the relationship between molecular structure and function. You'll receive hands-on experience with modern lab techniques and research instrumentation.
Evergreen students take part in a wide variety of activities: analyzing trace metals in soils, using spectroscopy to determine the structure of alkaloids, studying chemical reactions critical to living systems, and more. They can also attend professional scientific conferences such as annual meetings of the American Chemical Society, which has recognized the Evergreen Chemistry Club with several awards over the years.
Our science faculty have expertise in a broad range of specialty areas. Our programs connect concepts in experimental chemistry to disciplines like biology, geology, and physics. Here, students engage in work that links theory to practice.
By studying chemistry at Evergreen, you can develop the experience and skills that are essential for solving real-world problems.
Join us in an education that doesn’t just change your life — it gives you the tools to change the world.
Sample Program
Integrated Natural Sciences
Offered Fall 2018–Spring 2019
Students in the program Molecule to Organism spend Friday morning in organic chemistry lab.
This yearlong interdisciplinary program focuses on transformations of matter and energy in and between living and nonliving systems. You will end the program with a working knowledge of scientific, mathematical, and computational concepts, ability to reason critically and to solve problems, and with hands-on experience in natural science. You'll also gain a strong appreciation of the interconnectedness of biological and physical systems and an ability to apply this knowledge to complex problems.
View this program in the catalog.
Students study for Applied Biology and Chemistry in Lab I.
Students in the Forensics and Criminal Behavior program investigate staged murder scenes as part of a quarter-long investigation project.
After Graduation
Evergreen chemistry graduates have an excellent record of success in graduate and professional schools, as well as working in a variety of scientific and technical fields. An Evergreen chemistry degree prepares you for careers in labs, universities, or industry and is excellent preparation for earning a graduate degree. It can be your springboard into professional school for training to become a physician, dentist, veterinarian, or attorney. Or you can earn a teaching certificate to teach high-demand science in K-12 schools. The possibilities are limited only by your energy and ambition.
Facilities & Resources
Students in Environmental Analysis complete phase two of a research study of the chemical balance in river water with and without decaying salmon and leaf debris.
Instrumentation
Students of all levels have access to modern chemical research instrumentation, including a 400 MHz FT-NMR spectrometer with multinuclear capability, multiple FT-IR spectrometers, two GC-Mass spectrometers, an ICP-Mass spectrometer, an atomic absorption spectrometer, a CHN analyzer, a UV/Vis-Discrete autoanalyzer, a mercury analyzer and three ion chromatographs.
Laboratory Space
Evergreen has several dedicated laboratories designed specifically for instruction and research in chemistry including a state-of-the-art organic chemistry lab, a high-tech water quality analysis lab, an environmental analysis lab, two modern biochemistry and molecular biology labs, and general chemistry labs.
Computer Application Laboratory (CAL)
The CAL supports the campus community with computing technologies for scientific inquiry.
Science Support Center (SSC)
Goggles, lab coats, and a whole lot more, including teaching technicians who will help you determine what you need for your experiments.
750 school kids + college level science experiments + cool fireworks and explosions = 2 days of learning and fun on Evergreen’s Olympia campus!
Shot and edited by Annie Ferguson '15.
Science Carnival and Research Exposition
The largest event of its kind in Washington, the Science Carnival offers hundreds of presentations from Evergreen science students with an emphasis on demonstration, hands-on participation and fun. More than a thousand elementary, high-school and college students and community members crowd Red Square and the science labs to learn and get excited about science. Topics covered include chemistry, computer science, biology, food science, health, physics, optics, geology, marine science and a wide range of other disciplines.
The Evergreen Chemistry Club
A great place for students interested in chemistry—and other scientific fields—to work together to promote science, learn more about careers, develop connections, and participate in interesting community and professional activities, including attending meetings of the American Chemistry Society (ACS). The club has won numerous national awards, including recognition in 2014 from the ACS as a Green Chemistry Student Chapter and an Honorable Mention Chapter.
Recent Student Projects
- Synthesis of bis-diphenylphosphinometallocene ligands for nickel catalyzed cross-coupling reactions
- Using 1H-NMR spectroscopy to understand the effects of photosensitizers during photo-oxidation of lipids
- Synthesis of chitosan graft copolymers for biomedical applications
- Spatial correlation between arsenic and mercury contamination, mining, and microbes in southeastern Peru
- Synthesis and exploration of ferrofluids
| Title | Expertise |
|---|---|
| Bond, Robin | Analytical chemistry |
| Bopegedera, Dharshi | Physical chemistry |
| McKinstry, Lydia | organic chemistry |
| Schofield, Paula | organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, biochemistry |
| Sunderman, Rebecca | physical and inorganic chemistry |