Who are we? Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0215 CU-Boulder Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate Leadership Team: Prof. Veronica Vaida, Chair [email protected] Prof. David Jonas [email protected] Deborah Casher, Graduate Student [email protected] Melissa Trainer, Graduate Student [email protected]

What do we want to accomplish in the CID? We are using the connection to the CID to re-examine our department's graduate and post-graduate education. The emphasis is on interdisciplinary opportunities which we aim to develop with a variety of tools: A strong alumni network Faculty, peer and alumni advising of our students and post-docs Alternatives to formal courses (seminars as courses, courses on history and philosophy of chemistry) Opportunities for students to acquire working knowledge in areas that border chemistry (education, law, public policy, etc.) **Supporting Intellectual Community**

About our department Here are documents created as part of our work with the CID: Commonalities Program overview Exemplary Element: Rotations Laboratory Rotations for First Year Biochemistry Students Convening 2003 - Key Ideas Exemplary Element: Advising Committees Faculty Advising Committees for Upper Level Biochemistry Students Transdisciplinary Opportunities For Graduate Students in Chemistry A proposal to fund chemistry Ph.D. students interested in pursuing research at the interface of chemistry and other disciplines Seminar Course Introduced for First-years

Faculty and graduate student initiatives Faculty: Started a seminar-course for first year students Established advising committees for students Planning a course on history and ethics in chemistry intended for faculty and students Inviting Ph.D. alumni working in a number of fields to give talks on their work and career choices Setting up an alumni network Graduate students: Created a Web-based handbook that advises graduate students on a number of topics and includes faculty lists of what to know before taking their courses Started a Shadowing Program, which allows new students to work with graduate student mentors in different research groups before they choose a Ph.D. advisor Started a weekly seminar for students and post-docs to present and discuss their research in a comfortable, faculty-free environment Supporting Intellectual Community A summary of the ways our department has looked at the intellectual community provided for graduate students. Seminar Course for First-years Transdisciplinary Opportunities Student and Post-doc Seminar (MICS) This is the webpage for our student and post-doc run seminar series, Methods in Chemistry Seminar. Reflections on Student/Post-doc Seminar Thoughts and comments from organizers and participatants on the MICS graduate/post-doc seminar. Graduate Student Handbook