Department Vision

With its inherently interdisciplinary nature, Chemistry has proven to be a pivotal force in addressing the urgent, multifaceted societal challenges of the 21st century. For 75 years, The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has delivered exceptional science to Florida State University and the world. Our research and education missions continue to raise the bar on innovation, recognition, and excellence. With unanimous support from our department, we will push into three new areas for continued departmental growth, synergistic interactions with other FSU departments, centers, and institutes, and provide a world-class education for our undergraduate and graduate students.

VISION

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry will focus on three strategic areas of scientific growth that leverage our current and emerging strengths and align with the FSU strategic plan for research excellence (ASPIRE). This collaborative approach will advance research and provide optimal training for our students, equipping them with the capabilities, research skills, and broad knowledge base necessary for tackling societal challenges effectively. The three primary focal points for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry are:

Advanced Functional Molecules and Materials: Chemistry & Biochemistry can decipher and construct systems with unparalleled precision and complexity. Modern analytical tools and physical models, combined with powerful synthetic protocols, allow decoding structures of molecules and materials at the atomic level. Such insight opens pathways to designing and synthesizing new molecules and materials with improved functional properties. The ability to analyze and predict structure-property relationships using advanced measurements and theoretical methods is crucial to addressing problems in critical areas such as quantum information processing, stimuli-responsive materials, adaptive polymers, and bio-compatible molecules and materials. Advanced Functional Molecules and Materials aims to expand our research on molecules and materials whose structure and function are correlated by design to enable desirable functions.

Molecular Biodesign: Chemical tools to construct, manipulate, and analyze molecular structures are evolving at an accelerating rate. We seek to unleash these tools and ideas on molecular designs and functionality inspired by living systems. Discoveries in life-inspired design will be coupled with new personalized prediction, prevention, diagnostics, and therapy approaches. We aim to foster multidisciplinary research that can deliver health benefits and equip the next generation of scientists with research skills to solve critical problems at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine. Ultimately, Molecular Biodesign will foster translational science and synergize Chemistry & Biochemistry with other departments, institutes, and centers across the FSU Health landscape.

Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry: Chemistry & Biochemistry plays a central role in sustainable solutions to significant challenges in energy and the environment. Chemical analysis and data manipulation in both these areas require innovation in measurements and modeling. Sustainable chemical synthesis and processing methods will have major impacts on the economy and quality of life. The development of energy storage and production continues to rely on chemical innovations. We seek to expand our already-intense efforts in environmental analysis, catalysis science, and sustainable chemistry.

All thrusts will incorporate a focus on translating discoveries into practical solutions for society via enhanced collaboration with industrial partners, including technology licensing, collaborative research, and student internship opportunities for workforce development. To achieve this departmental vision, we propose a comprehensive and coordinated hiring plan, “Fifty for the Future,” to increase the number of research-active faculty in our department.

Combined, this vision for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry will continue our department’s excellence in scientific endeavors, forge new paths to solve the most pressing problems of the 21st century, and provide new training opportunities for the next generation of scientists.