Chemistry Senior Seminar is a course intended for students within one year of graduation, and senior standing is a prerequisite (the other is Chemistry 202, Introduction to Chemical Literature). The requirement for this course has changed this year. Until now, BA and BS students in the "chemistry option" were required to enroll for one hour credit each of their last two semesters before graduation, while BS students in the "biochemistry option" were required to enroll for one hour credit for just one semester.  Beginning with the Fall 2001 semester, all BA and BS majors must complete Biochemistry I (Chemistry 371), and need take only one semester of Chemistry 289.  Students who were pursuing chemistry degrees before the change occurred can apply either rule.  This means that you need two semesters of Chemistry Senior Seminar unless you will complete Biochemistry before you graduate, in which case you need enroll for only one semester.

The course meets Monday 4:00-5:00 and Wednesdays 4:00-4:50. Both meetings are in B451.  The Monday afternoon session is the regular research seminar for the Department of Chemistry, and usually consists of a presentation of recent research results by either a visiting scientist or a faculty member, postdoctoral Fellow, or graduate student of the Department. The presentation starts at 4:00 pm, but refreshments are served at approximately 3:40. The second meeting of the week is used for student seminar presentations, seminars by graduate students, and occasionally by guests. Some sessions will also be devoted to preparation for a comprehensive examination in chemistry, which is a departmental graduation requirement.

The requirement for a comprehensive examination is met by taking the Educational Testing Service's Major Field Achievement Test (ETS MFAT) in Chemistry, which will be administered during one of the April meetings during an extended Wednesday afternoon session. This test is designed to assess the knowledge of chemistry seniors as compared with peers across the country. The cost of this examination is borne by the University. Students who intend to apply to graduate schools in chemistry will also want to arrange to take (at their own expense) the Graduate Record Examination in Chemistry. The two examinations are similar in many respects, so that one prepares for them in the same way. Each is a multiple-choice examination requiring two (MFAT) or three (GRE) hours. Students tell me that the questions on the GRE are a little more difficult. The percentile scores for a given student tend to be lower on the GRE because of the selective nature of the student population that attempts it. One must register (and pay) in advance to take the GRE Chemistry Test, which is all that most graduate schools (including UMSL) require. The General Test requires an additional fee. The registration deadline is at least six weeks in advance of the administration of the test, so you have to plan ahead. Forms can be obtained from the UMSL Graduate Admissions office in Woods Hall. The test is given at UMSL, St. Louis University, and Washington University. Early registration is necessary to assure that you will be able to take the exam at your preferred location.

The responsibilities of students in 289 are:

• to attend class meetings (attendance is recorded) both Monday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon;
• to participate in the discussion in those sessions; to take the comprehensive examination;
• to present an original seminar on a chemical topic of interest. The last of these assignments is addressed further below.

Date	Topic
January  14	Professor K. Vijayamohanan, National Chemical Laboratory -University of Pune, Pune, India: "Applications of Self-assembled Monolayers for Biomolecular Electronics"
16	Introduction (of the course, professor, and students)
19, 1:00 (optional attendance)	Dr. A.N.Nesmeyanov, Institute of Organoelement Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences: "New Aspects in the Chemistry of Substituted Polyhedral Boron Compounds"
21	Martin Luther King Holiday
23	Advice on preparing a talk and an abstract (pdf file)
28	Professor Wai Tak Wip, University of Oklahoma: "Single Molecule Spectroscopy of Fluorescent Dyes Encapsulated in Solgel Films"
30	How to find a (better) job
February 4	Professor Ray Bergeron, University of Florida: TBA
6	Lisa Emery seminar: "Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Pheoxasilin";  Marjie Nutt seminar: "Heats of Sublimation of Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons"
11	Professor Michael Shaw, SIUE: "Synthesis and Electrochemistry of Some Pyranyl and Pyrylium Complexes of Manganese"
13	Judy Yuen seminar: "The Funnel-Flask Oscillator"
18 -off campus	Undergraduate Research Symposium at SIU-E.  2:00-4:00 (Probst Lecture by William Heineman at 7:00p - "Chemical Sensors: Why They Are Important to You")
18	Professor Barry Gold, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center: "Design of Novel DNA Triplex Forming Molecules"
20	Jeopochem
25	Professor Jacques Baenziger, Washington University: "The Role of Unique Sulfated Carbohydrates in Reproduction and Development"
27	Denise Ainsley seminar: "Synthesis of 3,7-di-t-butylsilafluorene"
March 4	CANCELLED Ross MacGillivray, University of Vancouver: "Substrate Specificity of Blood Coagulation Proteases" - No class today.
6	Amie Beerman seminar: "Activity of Sunscreen on the Human Body";  Justin Linsman seminar:"Selectivity of 5-HT Serotonin Receptors on Hallincinogen Activity and the Biological Effect"
11	Professor Andy LiWang, Texas A&M University: "Structure and Function of Circadian Clock Proteins"
13	Matt Dunn seminar: "Correlation Gas Chromatography Method for Vaporization Enthalpies of Glycols";   Mark Ulrich seminar: "Gasoline Additives and New Formulation Process"
18, 102 BH	R. W Murray Lecture Professor J. Fraser Stoddart, UCLA: "An Integrated Systems-Oriented Approach to Molecular Electronics"
20	Matt Marshall seminar: "Preparation of Long-chained Iminodiacetic Acids" - Postponed to May 1;  Kim Nguyen seminar: "Accutane - A Miracle Drug?"
25	Spring Break
27	Spring Break
April 1	Professor Peter H. Seeberger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: "Automated Synthesis of Oligosaccharides: Synthetic Challenges and Biomedical Rewards"
3	Mike Steevens seminar: "Synthesis of (R)-Albuterol"; Darija Bajramovic practice talk
8	Professor W. Dean Harman, University of Virginia: "Osmium, Rhenium, and Molybdenum Dearomatization Agents for Organic Synthesis"
10	Karen Terry seminar: "The Controversy over Desktop Fusion"- Postponed;  Josh Fair seminar: "Synthesis of Crownophanes as Cation Binding Receptors"
15	Professor Cal Y. Meyers, SIUC: "Some Intriguing Aspects of Sulfone Chemistry"
17, 3:00-5:30	Major Field Achievement Test (for students graduating in May or August)
22	Professor Peter Tipton, UM-Columbia: "Urate Oxidase: An Unusual Enzymatic Reaction with Implications for Ureide Metabolism"
24	Josh Miller seminar;  Viktoriya Sedelkova seminar;  Karen Terry seminar: "The Controversy over Desktop Fusion"
29	Professor Susan Martinis, University of Houston: "Molecular Delineation of a Multi-Function t-RNA Synthetase"
May 1	Kris Masgio practice talk,  Timitra Robinson seminar, Matt Marshall seminar (see March 20)
6, 3:30	Distinguished Alumni Lecture, Douglas G. Nuelle, M.D. - reception following in the Alumni Center

This file last modified 4/17/02