Chemistry Graduate program
Fall 2009 Orientation
Program Chair: Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan
Chair of Admissions: Dr. Predrag Cudic
Basis of the program
• Multi disciplinary Doctoral program in
Chemistry
• Faculty strength in Chemistry, Biochemistry,
Biophysical Chemistry, Drugs from the sea,
proteomics, Bioinformatics and Molecular
medicine
• Minimum course work, but research
intensive (key strength)
• Doctoral degrees at FAU require at least 80
semester credits beyond the baccalaureate
degree.
Current emphasis
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Small molecule drug discovery, synthesis, high
throughput screen
Carbohydrate chemistry
Environmental science
Drugs/peptides from sea
Biophysical chemistry, Raman microscopy,
oxygenase enzyme
Metal enzymes, biotechnology
Microfluidics, drug delivery
Neuroscience, aging, protein biochemistry
Bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, druggable target
discovery
Other participating units
• Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Center for Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology (CMBB)
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution
(HBOI)
• Smithsonian Institute
• Scripps Florida
• Torrey Pines & Max Planck Institute (future)
Rotation Requirements
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Chair will meet with you one on one
Seek interview with three faculty
Do rotation for four weeks in each labs
At the end of the rotation the Chair will help
you with your choice
Buddy System
• New!
• One student for each incoming student to
help with transition
• Next year you my be asked to volunteer!
– Give us your feedback at the end of the semester
Course requirements: 3 core, 3 electives,
seminar and Intro. To Chemical Res.
• Introduction to
Chemical Research (1)Fall
• Core courses- 9 credits
- Instrumentation (3)-Fall
- Synthesis &
Characterization (3)Spring
- Kinetics & Energetics
(3)-Spring
- Not linked courses
- MUST complete CORE
in the first two years
• Electives-3 courses (9
credits)-May transfer
Plus
- Non Thesis Seminar (1
credit)
- May have to take other
electives (Advisory
Committee’s decision)
- Electives can be from
other programs
(consult advisor)
- Decided by the student
and the Advisory
committee
20 course credits (Minimum)
Registration
• 9 credits in the Fall/Spring and 6 credits in the
summer (maximum 24 credits per year).
• Undergraduate course needs Advisor’s justification
• MUST maintain 3.0 GPA for tuition waiver and to
remain in the program (probation for two semesters
followed by dismissal).
• Full time commitment required (no part time)
• Outside employment not advisable
• Continuous registration ( at least one credit per
year).- This is minimum. Needs approval
• Possible to go off for one semester. MUST have
approval from the Chair.
Financial aid
TA
RA
- Full year support (5 yrs)
- Must meet the TA
commitment
- Language skills
- Must have full time
registration
- $20K/yr + tuition waiver
• Grant-based (advisor)
• $20K/yr + tuition waiver
• Other scholarship
(minority/pre
doctoral/Private)
possible. Consult
advisor/E-Mail/FAU
Graduate College web
page (check frequently)
Research Advisory Committee
• Four members Research Advisory
Committee (RAC) including the chair at least
three of whom are members of the “Graduate
Faculty” of the Chemistry Ph.D. program
• One Committee member must be a faculty
member from outside the Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry
• The RAC should be in place by the end of the
Year I.
• Student’s and the advisor’s choice.
Committee-Contd.
• All RAC members must be approved by the
Chair of the Dept. and the Graduate Program
Committee.
• If the major advisor is a non tenured faculty,
at least one member of the Committee MUST
be at the rank of a tenured Associate or full
Professor.
• If the major advisor is from outside the
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, at
least two members MUST be from the
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.
Year 1
- Form Research Advisory Committee (before end of
Year I)
- Choose your Research Advisory Committee in
consultation with your advisor
- MUST start core courses/Intro. To Chemical research
• Register for advanced research (CHM 7978)
• Discuss a program of courses with your advisor (or
Dr. Cudic, if no advisor) in the first semester
• Elective courses to strengthen your background in
field of study
• May do rotation (consult advisor/Chair)
• Plan for first Committee meeting before the end of
Year I to early Year II.
Year 2
• Arrange first Committee meeting if not
done so already
• Complete Core and Elective courses
• Continue research
• Plan for non thesis seminar
• Complete plan of study form at the
graduate College before end of year II
Candidacy exam:
To complete at least twelve months in advance of final
dissertation
- Within 3-6 months of coursework completion
1. EXAM 1- Written exam (4 hours).
• three key publications in the area of research to critically
analyze.
2. EXAM 2- Oral exam.
• No later than four weeks after Exam 1, the student will be tested
related to the subject matter of Exam 1 as well as in the
student’s area of research.
• Two chances to receive a Pass for the Candidacy Examination.
After the second opportunity, dismissal
• Admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the
Candidacy Exam (exam I & Exam II) and must enroll in CHM
7980.
- The RAC MAY specify other requirements as part of the Candidacy
exam.
Research Proposal (not a
candidacy requirement)
3. Research Proposal (related, but distinct
area)
- NIH format (may be other format) grant
proposal
- Six weeks to complete the written proposal
- May have an oral examination with the
Committee within two weeks of submission
- Two chances are given if unsuccessful
Years 3 and beyond
• Doctoral degree requirements completed in 5-7 years (<7
Years)
• May complete earlier (if Committee agrees)
• At least once a year (preferably twice) meeting with your
Committee
• Dissertation Defense should be done at least twelve months
after advancing to Candidacy
• Complete dissertation research ( at least 25 credits, may
require more)
• Peer-reviewed first authored (or a major contributing author)
publication (minimum one) in press before the Dissertation
defense
• Submit dissertation to the Research Advisory Committee
• Public presentation and defense of Dissertation Research
* Continue publications, Aim for high profile
journals
Dissertation requirements
• Annual progress report (Dec)
• Plan of study to graduate College at least
one semester before graduation
• Inform Chair of program in the beginning of
semester about dissertation defense
• Public Defense three weeks before
graduation
• Committee must have three weeks to review
draft Dissertation
• Approval of Committee
Program expectations
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High quality research
Attendance in all seminars
Seminar presentations skills
Ability to raise critical issues and
alternatives in research proposals
• Ability to identify strengths and
weaknesses in research
• Top quality publications
Yearly requirements
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Annual Milestone
checklist * (Sep 1)
- Once a year meeting
with the Program Chair
(Fall)
* Student’s responsibility
• Annual research
progress report *
(starting from end of
second year)
- Due (Dec 1)
- Once a year the
research advisor and
the student submit a
progress report to
Program Chair on
research activities
* Advisor’s and the
student’s responsibility
Change of advisor
• Possible, but a challenge
• A written justification is necessary
• The new advisor must agree in writing to
take the student
• The new lab must have adequate funds to
support the training
• May have to take additional courses
• May have to be readmitted to candidacy
• May NOT be able to join the lab of choice
FAU graduate policy guidelines
• Office of graduate admissions and
studies- see http://graduate.fau.edu/
• For FAQs- see
http://graduate.fau.edu/StudiesFAQ.htm
• For policy and procedures, see
http://www.fau.edu/academic/registrar/
univcatalog/CombAcadPol.pdf
• For graduate student association, see
http://graduate.fau.edu/GSA/
What can you expect from the
Program?
• Mentorship support
• Rigorous training
• Interdisciplinary approach to research
problems
• Commitment to high quality training
and excellence from faculty
• Job placement advise
New things for you!
• Open hour access to the Chair- Tue 121PM
• Once a semester, get together with the
Chair to discuss patents, jobs and any
other issues
• Student Advisory Committee to provide
a framework for feedback to the Chair,
get general help
Students Advisory Committee to
the Chair
Sanaz R. Dovell (Chair)
Patrick Cosme
Nina Bionda &
Mari D. Heghinian
Graduate Advising
Dr. P. Cudic (Chair, Admissions)
Dr. S. Lepore
Dr. W. Louda
Dr. F. Mari
Dr. R. Narayanan ( Program) Chair
Dr. C. Parkanyi
Dr. A. Terentis
Dr. G. Sui &
Dr. S. Vetter
Dr. L. West
Seminars
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Attendance required
Departmental seminars (Fri) 3-4 PM
Dissertation defense
CMBB seminars
Symposia (Scripps/Torrey Pines, Max
Planck)
• Annual Nobel lecture
*Key purpose: effective presentation skills
Statistics
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55 students to date (from 2000)
29 students graduated
Currently 26 students in the program
Past students at Harvard, FAU,
University of Miami, Nova South
Eastern University, Barry University,
Albert Einstein College of Medicine,
Scripps Florida, Wistar Institute, Glaxo
Smith Kline
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Ph.D. Program graduate faculty
listing ( Rev. Aug 09)
Name
E-Mail
Rank
Affiliation
Research Field
Dr. P, Cudic
pcudic@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Bioorganic/Biomimetic chemistry synthetic organic chemistry, peptide chemistry, molecular recognition
Dr. S. Lepore
slepore@fau.edu
Associate Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Development of synthetic organic methods and their application to the synthesis of therapeutically important compounds
Dr. W. Louda
blouda@fau.edu
Senior Scientist
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Lipophilic pigments. Specifically chlorophylls, chlorophyll derivatives, cartoenoids, certain polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(perylene) and dimeric indole-phenol
Dr. F. Mari
mari@fau.edu
Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Isolation and chracterization of peptides and proteins of marine origin, structure and dynamics of pepties and proteins of
marine origin using NMR methods, computational methods for the analysis of structure-activity relationships of
biomolecules
Dr. R. Narayanan
rnarayan@fau.edu
Chair/Professor
Chemistry, Biochemistry & Biology
Molecular aspects of transformation; oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and transcription factors; differentiation, cellcycle and apoptosis; antisense and gene therapy; targeted drug delivery and pro-drug development; bioinformatics
Dr. C. Parkanyi
parkanyi@fau.edu
Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Physical and theoretical organic chemistry, photochemistry, electronic spectroscopy, dipole moments, heterocyclic
chemistry, food chemistry, environmental chemistry, coordination chemistry, structural chemistry
Dr. G. Sui
gsui@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Microfluidics for cancer diagnosis and research, microfluidics for preparation of quantum dots, drug delivery
Dr. A.Terentis
terentis@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Biophysical and bioanalytical chemistry, small-molecule binding to DNA and RNA, bioanalytical applications of confocal
raman microscopy, oxygenase enzyme catalysis
Dr. S. Vetter
svetter@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Metalloenzyme engineering, protein chemistry, antiobiotic biotechnology
Dr. L. West
lwest@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Drugs from the sea
Dr. J. Baldwin
jbaldwin@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Population genetics and reproductive biology, marine behavioral
Dr. H. Weissbach
hweissba@fau.edu
Research Professor and Director, CMBB
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Oxidative damage,aging research, molecular biology., biochemistry
Dr.A. Azarolo
aazzarol@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Science
Influence of sec hormones on autoimmune eye disease
Dr. K. Brew
kbrew@fau.edu
Professor
Biomedical Science
Protein engineering, glycobiology
Dr. M. Caputi
mcaputi@fau.edu
Associate Professor
Biomedical Science
Viral and cellular RNA processing, apoptosis
Dr. K. Guthrie
kguthrie@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Science
Neorobiology, risk-taking behavior, quantitative
Dr. Z. Li
zli@fau.edu
Assistant Professor
Biomedical Science
RNA metabolism, oxidative stress, biodefense
Dr. H. Prentice
hprentice@fau.edu
Associate Professor
Biomedical Science
Hypoxia and the cardiovascular system
Dr. S. Pomponi
pomponi@hboi.fau.edu
VP & Director of Rresearch
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Marine invertebrate cell culture
Dr. A. Wright
awrigh33@hboi.fau.edu
Division Director
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Drugs from the sea
Dr. V. Paul
paul@si.edu
Head Scientiest & Ecologist
Smithsonian Institution, Ft. Pierce
Ecological roles of marine natural products
Dr. P. Griffin
pgriffin@scripps.edu
Chair, Head of Molecular Therapeutics
Scripps Florida
Probing ligand interactions by hydrogen deuterium exchange
Dr. C. Liang
cliang@scripps.edu
Associate Professor
Scripps Florida
Novel protein kinase inhibitors as therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and asthma
Contact
• Must use FAU E- Mail only (no exceptions)
• Clear E-Mails frequently from MYFAU (don’t exceed
quota)
• Web site is constantly updated (check FAQs)
• Course related questions- advisor/Faculty
• TA/RA support- Jennifer Soberon/advisor (read
FAQs)
• TA lab assignment- contact Dr. J. Haky
• Paperwork, pay check, TA contract- contact Jennifer
Soberon
• General questions, help- contact- Eva John
• Policy, candidacy and graduation issues-contact Dr.
Narayanan, rnarayan@fau.edu