"At Sam Houston State University Chemistry I received much of the education and training that was necessary to begin work for one of the nation's most successful companies. Entering the work force in a field as diverse as chemistry is an intimidating experience made easy by my years spent at SHSU. The faculty are fair, friendly, and available. The curriculum is challenging, and the access to hands-on experience is unparalleled. I am pleased with how my education from Sam Houston State Chemistry has served me already in my new career, and I am proud to count myself among its alumni. Go Bearkats"
Karl K.
B.S. Chemistry Spring 2007
M.S. Chemistry Spring 2009

"My experiences at Sam Houston State University’s Department of Chemistry were phenomenal. The faculty and staff were very knowledgeable and dedicated to the preparation of their students. Their expertise and guidance also allowed me to obtain the solid foundation and in-depth understanding I needed to excel in my chemistry courses. Now as a graduate student at IU, my scientific research involves nanomaterials and working on fundamental problems of science. It is a passion I first discovered when I attended SHSU where I realized that chemistry allowed me to make new materials, interact with them via physical measurements and design them for useful applications. These experiences at SHSU not only augmented my appreciation of chemistry, but it also continued to spark curiosity as I endeavored to understand the behavior of materials, and thus expanding my interests in research."
Nancy O.
B.S. Chemistry
B.S. Criminal Justice
Fall 2007

"Sam Houston State University’s Chemistry department is full of great individuals. I graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in environmental science, but the enthusiasm and knowledge of the chemistry department convinced me to add a chemistry major on top of that. The educational and hands-on experience I gained from the chemistry program gave me many options upon graduation. Even though I am currently working in the environmental field, the knowledge and experience I gained from the chemistry program is always being used. It doesn’t matter if you are a lab rat, a hazardous materials handler, an environmental investigator, a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker, a chemistry education is vital to many fields. Chemistry really is the central science."
Lance G.
B.S. Environmental Science
B.S. Chemistry
Spring 2008

"I went directly from my SHSU undergraduate degree to a doctoral program in chemistry. Initially, I had some trepidation about going straight into a PhD program from my undergraduate degree but I soon realized that the quality of education I received at SHSU was an excellent foundation. I have found that I have experience and knowledge that can only come with hands on instrument time that many of my colleagues did not get. All in all, I got a very well rounded, high quality education that has given me a strong foundation in further academic pursuits. I am proud to be an SHSU alumnus. The decision to attend SHSU for my undergraduate in chemistry has turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have made."
Billy H.
B.S. Chemistry Spring 2008

"Attending SHSU for both my BS and MS in chemistry, I received a strong academic foundation upon which I am still building today. This was delivered by a faculty that was always available to the students and took a genuine interest in their learning. In addition to that, I also gained a large degree of experience in teaching and research. Now that I have left to pursue a Ph. D., I understand just how valuable that foundation and experience really are. I can say with confidence that it has given me a great advantage during this new phase of my academic career."
James F.
B.S. Chemistry Spring 2006
M.S. Chemistry Summer 2008

"As an undergraduate I was very well prepared coming out of SHSU. I am now a Ph.D. student and feel very confident in my new academic home. The SHSU faculty are knowledgeable and were always available for questions and guidance. Everyone in the department becomes like family after a while, and with such a rigorous course of study, family never hurts."
Bassam A.
B.S. Chemistry
Spring 2006

"During my undergraduate graduation year at SHSU, I visited a major research institution during recruitment weekend for a look at their Ph.D. program in chemistry. I was initially concerned about being ill-prepared for that graduate program. Those fears were quickly put to rest after speaking with some of the other prospective students. Now in my first year of that program, I realize now that I was more than well prepared, and I'm doing quite well on the road to a Ph.D. SHSU chemistry has a solid program, from which I am proud to have received my degree."
Heath H.
B.S. Chemistry
Spring 2006

"The Department of Chemistry at SHSU offers a great program with knowledgeable professors, courses to introduce a student to the different aspects of chemistry, and the opportunity for some to perform new and publishable research at an undergraduate or graduate level. The teaching of new and current chemical principles and instrumentation in this program can prepare a person for a job in industry and graduate school."
Jerry S.
B.S. Chemistry Spring 2003
M.S. Chemistry Summer 2005

"I began my university career at another college majoring in environmental science and was frustrated with the lack of care or concern as to how well I was understanding the material. It seemed like the professors detested teaching and were there only for the research. When I enrolled at Sam I immediately noticed that the chemistry and environmental science professors supported the students above there required rolls. This is the major reason I enjoyed Sam and succeeded. I now am a professional environmental scientist and I still keep in touch with several of my professors. Anyone serious about a chemistry/environmental career should want to receive the best education for their money and in my opinion the best is at Sam Houston State University.
Laurance G.
B. S. Environmental Science/Chemistry minor
Fall 2002

"Pursuing a degree at SHSU was extremely pivotal in improving my choices for different careers related to science.  I have worked in analytical labs using both wet chemistry and lab instruments. So many of the ideas and concepts acquired during my studies at SHSU are still helping me on a daily basis."
Angelica G.
B. S. Chemistry/Environmental Science minor
Spring 1996

Here is Sam Houston State University's Department of Chemistry's first forensic chemistry diploma
Melissa M.
B.S Forensic Chemistry
Fall 2003

"The graduate program in chemistry at Sam Houston gave me the skills I needed to obtain a job in the biotech field even before I graduated.  The hands-on exposure to instrumentation such as GC/MS, HPLC, ICP, AAS and more allowed me to become proficient in both method development and troubleshooting highly technical chemical processes."
Mary E.
M. S. Chemistry
Fall 2001

"Although I was a Biology major, I had no idea my minor field of study (Chemistry) would land me the position I have today.  As an undergraduate who had spent a year at another university, there was no comparison.  I lived closer to the other university, but chose to drive 1 hour to attend SHSU.  My professors were always available to help.....they even knew me by name!!! I wasn't just a number & that was really nice!"
Melissa B.
B. S. Biology/Chemistry minor
Spring 2000

"As a graduate student, you should be able to communicate with your research advisor 24/7 without any appointments.  At the Chemistry department of SHSU, this becomes the reality."
Eser B.
M. S. Chemistry
Spring 1997

"The professors were very accessible in the SHSU Chemistry Department. I could drop by  to ask a question about the subject material and actually speak with the professor, oftentimes without an appointment.  Sometimes when my professor was not available, one of the other faculty members was more than willing to help me."
Jennifer P.
Chemistry Minor
Fall 1996

"If you are ready for a scientific challenge, get a head start with your graduate degree from SHSU.  I did..."
Deger B.
M. S. Chemistry
Spring 1997

"I actually owe a lot of my recent job successes to the chemistry department at SHSU, especially for giving me the opportunity to teach the instrumental analysis lab (as a teaching assistant). It gave me the edge to step into the GC work at my last job which prepared me for my present position at NASA--so thank you very much. I also used the knowledge imparted by the linear least squares work in Excel at my last job and was able to actually avoid a mini-crisis when we had a blowout of a graphite furnace AA (which performed analyses by the method of standard additions) and had to switch to using an ICP for low metals detections. The ICP did not have a program to calculate this and I created it externally in Excel (again thanks to SHSU Chemistry) so keep making students learn that. No one else at my lab had a clue on how to set up the spreadsheet and I definitely got brownie points from my boss."
Marie C.
B. S. Environmental Science/Chemistry Minor
Spring 1996

"The smaller class sizes made the lectures more personal and we were always encouraged to ask questions."
Mary E.
M. S. Chemistry
Fall 2001

"Even though chemistry was my minor, the laboratory skills, information I was taught in my chemistry classes, and the opportunity to do undergraduate research has proven to be invaluable in my current career."
Joann P.
B. S. Biology Major, Chemistry Minor
Summer 2002