About

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the premier public research universities in the United States. Among all U.S. universities, public and private, Wisconsin ranks in the top five in recent evaluations of research activity and expenditures. In 2010, the university surpassed $1 billion in research spending. Among doctoral programs in the U.S., 15 UW-Madison departments, including chemistry, rank in the top 10 within their disciplines. In the 2010 U.S. News & World Report ranking (which is the most recent), the UW-Madison Department of Chemistry tied for seventh among all U.S. programs. Seventeen Nobel Prizes have been awarded to current or former UW-Madison faculty and alumni. Elected members of the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine include 121 UW-Madison faculty members; five Department of Chemistry professors are members of the National Academy of Science.

For decades, chemistry at Wisconsin has attracted outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, postdoctoral associates, and visiting scholars. This long and continuing tradition of excellence has many direct and indirect benefits for undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to having a broad choice of high quality courses, seminars, and research projects, students at all levels benefit from informal interactions with exceptional research scientists. The department also maintains a high-quality library, as well as first-rate instrumentation, shops, and laboratories. The department's reputation for excellence is nationally recognized by federal and nonprofit funding agencies, as well as corporate research sponsors.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is to conduct world-class, groundbreaking research in the chemical sciences while offering the highest quality of education to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs. While our research includes the traditional areas of physical, analytical, inorganic, and organic chemistry, we are rapidly becoming leaders in evolving areas such as chemical biology, biophysical chemistry, soft and hard materials chemistry, and nanotechnology. We pride ourselves on our highly interactive, diverse, and collegial scientific environment. Our emphasis on collaboration connects us to colleagues around campus, across the country, and throughout the world.