analytical chemistry
April 1973, Vol 45, No. 4
Editorial
Editor: H E R B E R T A. L A I T I N E N
EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Phone: 202-872-4600 Teletype: 710-8220151 M a n a g i n g E d i t o r : Virginia E. Stewart Associate E d i t o r s : Josephine M . Petruzzi Alan J. Senzel Assistant Editor; Andrew A. Husovsky PRODUCTION S T A F F
Art Director: Norman W. Favin Associate P r o d u c t i o n M a n a g e r s : Leroy L. Corcoran Charlotte C. Sayre E d i t o r i a l A s s i s t a n t : Nancy J. Oddenino EDITORIAL PROCESSING DEPARTMENT, EASTON, P A .
A s s i s t a n t E d i t o r : Elizabeth K. Rufe
ADVISORY BOARD: Allen J. Bard, Fred Baumann, David F . Boltz, C. G. Enke, Henry M . Fales, Kenneth W. Gardiner, Jack M . Gill, Jeanette G. Graaselli, Theo dore Kuwana, Oscar Menis, William C. Purdy, Eugene M. Sallee, Donald T. Saw yer, Lloyd R. Snyder, Harold F . Walton
INSTRUMENTATION
ADVISORY
PANEL:
Jonathan W. Amy, Richard A. Durst, J. J. Kirkland, Charles E. Klopfenstein, Ronald H. Laessig, Marvin Margoshes, Harry L. Pardue, Howard J. Sloane, Ralph E. Thiers
Published by the A M E R I C A N C H E M I C A L SOCIETY 1155 16th Street, N . W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Books a n d J o u r n a l s Division John Κ Crum D i r e c t o r R u t h Reynard A s s i s t a n t t o t h e D i r e c t o r
Charles R. Bertsch H e a d , E d i t o r i a l Processing D e p a r t m e n t D . H. Michael Bowen H e a d , J o u r n a l s Department Bacil Guiley H e a d , G r a p h i c s a n d Production Department Seldon W. Terrant H e a d , R e s e a r c h a n d Development D e p a r t m e n t
The Work-Study Ph.D. Program The recent description of a work-study program leading to the Ph.D. degree at Northeastern University (C & EN, February 26, 1973, page 13) is of special interest to analytical chemists. Students selected for the program will devote their first year to graduate study emphasizing course work and their second year working in a cooperating industrial laboratory. During this pe riod, they will take at least one chemistry course at Northeast ern. They will then return to the campus on a full time basis to work on thesis research. There are obvious potential benefits of the program, both to the students and to the industries. The student broadens his experience, gains a perspective as to the role of chemists in in dustry, and gains a valuable contact for possible future employ ment. The company gets a chance to evaluate a possible future employee without making a long-term commitment, and to carry on a short-range exploratory problem that might not be feasible otherwise, and gains valuable contacts with the univer sity staff. Specialized facilities, either at the university or in the industrial laboratory, might be shared to advantage. Any drastic change from the traditional pattern of graduate study should be examined for possible shortcomings. Careful attention should be paid to picking an appropriate thesis re search problem, preferably before the year of industrial experi ence, for otherwise there might be a strong temptation to carry an industrial problem into an academic environment. This is not to say that there is a sharp demarcation between industrial and academic problems, but that the role of the university should be to contribute to basic knowledge rather than to solve specific problems. Of the various fields of chemistry, analytical chemistry appears to be best suited to a work-study program, because many analytical problems have both applied and basic aspects. In principle, the work-study program appears most appropri ate to a university located in or near a large city, to ensure the continuous contact that appears essential to the full success of the program. We shall watch with interest to see the results of this experiment as evaluated from the viewpoints of industry, university, and the students themselves.
Advertising Management CENTCOM, L T D . (for Branch Offices, see page 467 A)
For submission of manuscripts, page 365 A
see ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 45, NO. 4, APRIL 1973
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