Message from the Director
James R. McKee, PhD
Graduate Program Director for Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacognosy
An advanced degree in the chemical sciences from USP can provide you with the skills and insight you need to pursue a career in research, pharmaceuticals, and a variety of industries seeking individuals with a background in the sciences. We offer small class sizes, individualized attention, an intense research-focused curriculum, and a strong reputation for being one of the best pharmaceutical science schools in the country.
USP is on the cutting edge of science, especially in the area of computational chemistry. We have a number of distinguished faculty members who have formed the West Center for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design addressing a wide range of problems in chemistry and biochemistry, using closely related computational tools. In addition, we offer a program in Pharmacognosy, the study of chemicals derived from plants which was the origin of many of the modern drugs we use today, such as aspirin. Only a small number of chemistry departments nationwide offer graduate programs in Pharmacognosy.
At USP, you'll receive personal attention. Because we have a small graduate program, there are much better opportunities for close interactions among all individuals in the Department, including graduate students and their research advisors, but also with undergraduates, post-doctoral students, and other faculty members. Faculty members typically have "open door" policies, and you don't need to make an appointment to talk with your research advisor. This provides for a friendly, collegial atmosphere that supports your graduate education in the chemical sciences.
Our chemical sciences gradate students also benefit from close interdepartmental relationships. Almost all of the graduate programs at USP are closely related - focused on the sciences underlying health (e.g., chemistry, biochemistry, biology, etc.), together with the professions that deliver it and the disciplines that look at how health care is delivered. Also, our faculty members and students collaborate across disciplines - for example, a graduate student in our Department in Griffith Hall, who is working on a problem in medicinal chemistry, can quickly talk with one of the toxicologists about what kind of problems a prospective drug candidate might cause if administered to a human. Our small, focused university makes it easy for graduate students to develop relationships with faculty members across departments.
I hope you will learn more about the biochemistry, chemistry, and pharmacognosy graduate programs at USP and how we are uniquely positioned to advance your research and career goals.
