Chair’s Message

Albany State University aspires to excellence, and in its efforts to provide access to higher education, we are proud to introduce the new Department of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences. Our new Department will allow greater focus and attention to the growing fields of Chemistry, the Forensic Sciences, and Pre-Engineering, providing an in-depth and hands-on approach for student learning and faculty research. Science and technology continue to dominate the marketplace and has a growing demand for prepared students. This Department will accentuate student growth and preparation for their field of study and post-graduate career or continued education.

The Department of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences consists of the Chemistry program with Associate in core curriculum with the pathway to BS chemistry and Bachelor of Science degrees, the Forensic Science program with a Bachelor of Science degree, and the Pre-Engineering Program with an Associate in core curriculum with the pathway to Bachelor of Engineering, which adheres to the traditional liberal arts model in delivering educational services and programs. The mission of the Department of Chemistry and Forensics Science is to “Produce Highly Qualified and Research Oriented Students”. To achieve this mission, the department provides a fully supportive atmosphere for faculty-mentored research and student-centered learning. Students are expected to obtain a broad and deep understanding, to think critically, and to communicate effectively in oral and written forms in class and research. The curriculum provides hands-on experiences with modern instruments that prepare students to enter industry, or graduate and professional programs.

The Department offers ACS Certified BS degree in Chemistry for students interested in medical, dental, or pharmacy schools as well as professional chemists. The chemistry faculty has various interests in multiple research areas including: synthesis of new chemicals, pharmaceuticals, computational chemistry, nanotechnology and electrochemistry. All chemistry faculty members are engaged in research, which includes mentoring undergraduate research students with state of the art modern analytical instruments such as NMR, SEM, GC/MS, HPLC and so on. Chemistry faculty members have received more than $10 million in federal grants to support their research and students over the past 10 years. The chemistry faculty is dedicated more than ever to the growth and development of our students through our competitive program in the field of chemistry.

The Department offers the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) Certified BS degree in Forensic Science and the Forensic Science program is designed to prepare students for professional careers as analysts in Crime Laboratories in the United States. Their job titles are Criminalists, Trace Evidence Specialists, Serologists, DNA Specialists Toxicologists, Drug Analysts, Firearms Examiners, Fingerprint Specialists, Staff Photographers and Evidence Technicians. This program also prepares students for careers as Crime Scene Investigators, Detectives and Identification Officers who process crime scenes and investigate crimes. This program offers more than on-the-job training: it prepares competent expert witnesses for the courts.

The Department also offers an Associate in core curriculum with the pathway to Bachelor of Engineering degree in the Pre-Engineering program, allowing students to lay the foundation education needed to culminate their studies into a Bachelor of Engineering degree either from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, Mercer University or University of Georgia under the Regents’ Engineering Pathways Program (REPP).

We are excited to introduce the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences at Albany State University. Our dedicated faculty, and cutting-edge research and teaching, the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences is prepared to develop our students and their potential into leaders in their chosen fields of expertise.

Sincerely,

Seong S. Seo, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Chair
Department of Chemistry and Forensic Sciences
Albany State University
Office BCBB 208
Albany, GA 31705
229-500-2160 or 229-500-2162
seong.seo@asurams.edu