Faculty members in the biochemistry/molecular biology program are all practicing scientists who are engaged in active research, much of it with students. They believe that students learn science by doing science, so they are committed to a discovery-based curriculum.
Wei-Jen Chang, associate professor of biology, joined the Hamilton faculty in 2006. He earned a bachelor’s degree from National Taiwan University and his master’s and Ph.D. from SUNY Buffalo. During his postdoctoral work at Princeton University Chang studied gene evolution and genome organization in unicellular organisms. He has written or co-written several professional articles in Gene, Protist, Molecular Biology and Evolution and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Elgren received his Ph.D. from Dartmouth College and brought his expertise in biophysical chemistry to Hamilton in 1993. Elgren's current efforts are dedicated to the examination of metalloproteins encapsulated in sol-gel glasses. The porous nature of these materials allow the encapsulated enzymes to retain their catalytic functions. The transparent materials also allow us to examine the properties of the enzymes using spectroscopic methods. Elgren has received numerous grants and has published articles in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Biochemistry, the Journal of Chemical Education, and The Chemical Educator. He is the past president of the Council on Undergraduate Research
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Hamilton's biochemistry program, like all the sciences, is strongly grounded in the College’s innovative liberal arts approach. Students build their writing and speaking skills along with their laboratory skills. Biochemistry is also an interdisciplinary major. All these dimensions make Hamilton's biochemistry grads uniquely qualified to think creatively and make connections among many fields. Graduates have a strong record of admission to graduate and professional schools, and to employment in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, secondary school teaching and science writing.
Students and teachers research and publish together. Students co-authored and published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals with professors from the Department of Chemistry over a recent five-year period.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Education doesn't conclude at graduation for most Hamilton biochemistry students. The College graduates 15 to 20 biochemistry, chemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Hamilton's biochemistry program, like all the sciences, is strongly grounded in the College’s innovative liberal arts approach. Students build their writing and speaking skills along with their laboratory skills. Biochemistry is also an interdisciplinary major. All these dimensions make Hamilton's biochemistry grads uniquely qualified to think creatively and make connections among many fields. Graduates have a strong record of admission to graduate and professional schools, and to employment in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, secondary school teaching and science writing.
Students and teachers research and publish together. Students co-authored and published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals with professors from the Department of Chemistry over a recent five-year period.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Education doesn't conclude at graduation for most Hamilton biochemistry students. The College graduates 15 to 20 biochemistry, chemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Hamilton's biochemistry program, like all the sciences, is strongly grounded in the College’s innovative liberal arts approach. Students build their writing and speaking skills along with their laboratory skills. Biochemistry is also an interdisciplinary major. All these dimensions make Hamilton's biochemistry grads uniquely qualified to think creatively and make connections among many fields. Graduates have a strong record of admission to graduate and professional schools, and to employment in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, secondary school teaching and science writing.
Students and teachers research and publish together. Students co-authored and published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals with professors from the Department of Chemistry over a recent five-year period.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Education doesn't conclude at graduation for most Hamilton biochemistry students. The College graduates 15 to 20 biochemistry, chemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
Hamilton's biochemistry program, like all the sciences, is strongly grounded in the College’s innovative liberal arts approach. Students build their writing and speaking skills along with their laboratory skills. Biochemistry is also an interdisciplinary major. All these dimensions make Hamilton's biochemistry grads uniquely qualified to think creatively and make connections among many fields. Graduates have a strong record of admission to graduate and professional schools, and to employment in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, secondary school teaching and science writing.
Students and teachers research and publish together. Students co-authored and published 17 papers in peer-reviewed journals with professors from the Department of Chemistry over a recent five-year period.
Hamilton has regularly hosted the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate Computational Chemistry (MERCURY). The Chemistry Department houses supercomputers and linux clusters for this National Science Foundation-funded consortium, a group of eight liberal arts colleges from across the nation.
Education doesn't conclude at graduation for most Hamilton biochemistry students. The College graduates 15 to 20 biochemistry, chemistry and chemical physics majors each year. Half of those graduates successfully pursue graduate study; another 25 percent pursue other forms of postgraduate professional training.
