cooperative education
edited by GEOFFREY DAVIES ALANL. MCCLELLAND
The Doctor of Chemistry Program Career Preparation for Industrial Chemists Lynn A. Melton University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083 The University of Texas a t DaUas has developed a unique doctoral program in chemistry that leads to the Doctor of Chemistry (DChem) degree. The program is explicitly designed to prepare students for careers as problem-solving scientists in industrv..which hires more than two-thirds of all chemical graduates. The program is already receiving favorable recoenition from maior chemical com~aniesand araduates havebeen hired a t companies such as DuPont, Hercules, BASF, and Mobay. T h e DChem program requires broad, unspecialized coursework in organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry, as well as specific courses dealing with computers, materials science, industrial chemistry, and problem solving. The research experience is divided into three roughly year-long research practrco: The firvt practicum, the Apnrmticeshio Praclicum. culminates in an MS in Chemistrv: the second 'practicum, ihe Industrial Practicum, requiris thestudent to workfull-timeas a orofessionalin an industri~--a1 or governmental R&D laboratory; and the third practicum.. the Fundamental Practicum. taken a t UT-Dallas, requires the student to conduct original research and to i r e Dare a naDer readv for submission to a professional iournal. The 'Doctor of chemistry Program has its origins in the 1973 American Chemical Society report, Chemistry in the Economy, which detailed the many interactions of the science of chemistry in the American economy. A chapter in that report, "Correlating Chemical Education with Industry Needs", summarized responses from research managers, directors, and vice-presidents of 96 chemical companies. Five major concerns were listed:
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PhD's need to show greater initiative on the job and greater attention to self-improvement. A complementary "need for modification of the structure of PhD research programs" was also stated. Industry criticized the "excessive emphasis on theory and specialization". Industry noted that graduates lack many basic laboratory skills as well as "profounder ones as the 'proper design of experiments' ". Industry noted an "insufficient awareness or respect for economic constraints, commercial applicability, and social needs for implications". Industry complained of "an amazing lack of competence in communication skills". The Universitv of Texas a t Dallas was established in 1969 on the foundation of the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies. a private research institate that was developed in responsk to local industry needs. The chemistry program began there in 1971. The ideas and concerns expressed by faculthichemiral industrygestated in this relatively tv in a university that lacked established traditions and that sought new deiigns for its academic programs. When the 142
Journal of Chemical Education
industrially oriented DChem program, with its mandatory Industrial Practicum, was approved in 1982, the chemistry facultv chose t o use the new name Doctor of Chemistrv hem) to distinguish the degree from a PhD degre;, which has traditionallv reauired the extension of knowledge as its key criterion, &d t o affirm an identification with clinical-problem-solvingdegrees, one of which is the Doctor of Medicine, which typically require skilled and innovative ap~licationof prior knowledge in new situations rather rhan ;he development of new knowledge per se. In addition to its interest in the preparation of students for in- the~chemical industrv. the chemistrv facultv a t - - careers ~ ~ UT-Dallas is also research-oriented, with over $?50,000ber vear "~~ in direct costs from contracts and grants (includius the National Science Foundation, ~ a t i o n L ~ n s t i t & eofs ~ e k t h , Armv Research Office. and Robert A. Welch Foundation) among its eight members. It is a member of the Council for Chemical Research and has Dartici~atedactively in its University-Industry ~nteractioncommittee. The DChem Program
Course Curriculum A student entering the DChem program (with a B S degree in chemistry or its equivalent) does not specialize in a subdiscipline of chemistry but, rather, takes a broad core that includes organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, and applied chemistry courses. The fall and spring semesters of the first vear emohasize foundation chemical knowledge: the sumk e r semester emphasizes techniques; and the Fall semester of the second year emphasizes applications. The three research practica, each with an estimated duration of 12 months. follow the course work. The table shows the courses and their sequencing in the curriculum. The structure and emphasis of the course sequences is important. Rather than functioning as preparative courses for students who will later specialize as synthetic organic, quantum, or organometallic chemists, and so on, the courses reflect the understanding that chemists in industrial prohlem-solvingroles are likely to see a variety of different chemical problems in their careers. The foundation courses nrovide the students with a broad, s'olid grounding that they cancontinually use tolearn rapidly in a new field or to keep abreast in a familiar one. The year-long organic sequence emphasizes the use of fundamental concepts of bonding and structure in correlating the large known body of synthetic andlor preparative organic chemistry. The intent is that the student will have reasonable facility with mechanistic organic chemistry, will know a substantial number of functional group transformations, and will he able to construct reasonable (although not necessarily artful), multistep synthetic paths.
vaar -- 1 Fall Fwndatlons
Year - 1 Spring Foundations
lnwganlc
Aagnced i ~ n i 1 c stmct~reend bonding
organic
Aagnced organic 1 mechanisms
Advanced lnwganlc N organometaillcs and hOmDgeneOuS cataiysls Advanced hganlc b synthesis Spectrometric Mentilicatlon NMR. MS. UV. IR specha
Area
AnalVtieal
Year 1
Year - I1
Summer Techniques
Fail Applications
Preparative Techniques Organic and inwganlc
Materials Sclenu, polymers and ceramlcs
Anaiyiicai Techniques instruments and memoas development
Chemlca! Problem soh4ng primary analylical cnemstry, smtistics, and experimentai design Surlan,Chemistry physical chemist'yof surfaces and heterogeneous catalysis
Thsmrodynamics stat. thermodynamlos. cIas$Icaithermcdynam ICS, and compvter appllcations
tions, chemical engineering. and scaleup supponlng
Cornpotem in Chemisw
manuscripts. literahre searches, applications, and program
Cammnication Techniques oral presantatlons and technical writing
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The year-long inorganic sequence emphasizes fundamental concepts of structure and bonding in inorganic materials and builds on them to explore the synthesis and reactivity of inorganic/organometallic molecules and their use as catalysts. The first semester of the physical chemistry sequence is thermodvnamics (statistical and classical. ideal and nonideal); the rod -. is efficient and effective calculation of chemical and nhvsi. . cal equilil,ria. The recond semester of the sequence is surface chemistry, primarily the phyrical chemistg. of surfaces and heterogeneous catalysis. Although quantum argumenLs are used throughout the eurticulum, there is no course in quantum mechanics per se. Kinetics is used as a tool in the Advanced Organic I course and is a significant portion of the elementary chemical engineering material in Principles of Industrial Chemistry. But again, there is no course in kinetics per se. The techniques courses emphasize the development of skills. The Preparative Techniques c o m e emphasizes the development of professional level. skills for chemical synthesis and purification, for organic, inorganic, and organometallic syntheses. The Analytical Techniques course has the dual goal of development of students'awareneas of a wide variety of modern instrumental techniques and of development of experience in analytiesl methods develonment. The Communrcation Techniques course provides explicit training in scientific wiling-which is also required in papers within courses and the three practicum reports-and in oral presentations, ~~~
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T h e applications courses emphasize extensions of chemistry beyond traditional academic interests.
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Materials Science strives to Link the microscopic properties of bath organic materials (polymers)and inorganic materials (ceramics) to their macroscopic properties. Prinei~lesof Industrial Chemistrv introduces students tolareescale chemistry; it includes commodities, reactions suitable for large-scale syntheses, elementary chemical engineering, and field trips to chemical plants. Chemical Problem Solving contains material on prohlem-solving approaches and on statistics and experimental design; it addresses the students' development as primary analytical chemists, i.e., those chemists who first examine a prohlem to decide which analytical techniques are most appropriate.
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The Computers in Chemistry course does not fit neatly into the categories above. It is necessary because chemical professionals increasingly need access to word processing, database management, computer control, and computer
modeling. Originally, it was offered late in the curriculum, but it has worked its way t o the beginning because the instructors of other courses increasingly wanted to make use of computer applications. Doctoral Candidacy T o date, doctoral candidacy has been decided on the basis of written examinations in each of the four major areasanalytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry. Because the examination results were considered to be a poor indicator of the quality of the students as doctoral-level chemists, the procedures described in the following paragraphs have recently been adopted. Admission to doctoral candidacy is decided in conjunction with the defense of the first practicum repott. Successful defense of the Apprenticeship Practicum report results in the award of an MS degree; continuation in the DChem program requires an additional judgment by the chemistry farultv that the student is progressing appropriately as a docto;al student. Approximately midway through the Apprenticeship Practicum, a major examination, the Problem Solving Examination (PSE) is administered to each student. This examinat,ion. which mav reauire a full week of work in the library, tests the studek's ability to organize an effective attack on (and possibly solve) a new problem. T h e results of the PSE are to be used in advising Apprenticeship Practicum students about problem-solving skills they need to master.
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Research Practlca The research practica are intended to refine and extend the student's research and problem-solving skills. They are short-term (typically 12-15 months; only the Industrial Practicum has a formal time limit), and each requires a final report that is defended before the student's Supervisory Committee. In the first practicum, the Apprenticeship Practicum, the student learns to carry out research on a directed project; the final report is a ~aste;'s thesis, and a successful defense of that report in an oral examination results in the award of an MS in Chemistry. In the second practicum, the ZndustriolPracticum,the student is a full-timeemployee in a chemical or chemical-relatedindustry and works on a problem that is expected to take no more than nine months (most actually take the maximum 12 months
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allowed). The final report is a technical report in the company's normal format. A faculty member is appointed as Industrial Liaison for the Industrial Practicum, and the technical manager of the Industrial Practicum project is added to the student's Supervisory Committee and participates in the oral examination. UT-Dallas assists in the placement of students in the Industrial Practica by circulating files for each eligihle student among the companies which have indicated an interest in the Industrial Practicum program. As part of this process, UTDallas provides a Statement of Ezpeetations for Industrial Practica, which describes the broad constraints that make the IndustrialPracticum appropriate for the student's professional development and that summarize the employment expectations, including work rules, letters of recommendation, and mechanisms for inclusion of research results in the Industrial Praetieum report while protecting proprietary information. Companies that have employed Industrial Practicum students include Anderson-Clayton Foods, ARCO Exploration and Development Company, Texas Instruments,Syntex, Oryx Energy Company, Mallinkrodt, BASF, Shell Development Company, and United Technologies. In the third praetieum, the Fundamental Practicum, the student works more independently under a UT-Dallas faculty member h a t the same facultv as in the Annrentice.suoervisor . .. ship Practirum~,and the final report is a manumipt ready for sulrmirsim to a reputable scientificjournal. Successfuldefense of the manuxript in an oral examination results in theaward of the DChem degree. The intramural practica need not be "applied chemistry"; indeed, faculty with oneoine - - NSF or NIH fundine will often identify a portion of a n ongoing basic research that is appropriate as a practicum project.
about paint chemistry? I think you know very little." Nickle responded, "Du Pont knows, but they hired me because I had a good chemical background and was ready and willing to take on short-term projects!' During the preparation of this article, Nickle once more commented on the DChem ~ r o m a m"Mv . current position is totallv different from anvihi& l ' d e v e k done before, in terms oi' the chemistries I& workine with. . .but the skills and tools I developed in the ~ ~ h e m ~ r o g rare a r ncompletely relevant to the project. I'd hiehlvrecommend it for anvone if they knew that they wanted-totogointo industry." Currently, DChem graduates are employed a t DuPont, Hercules, Syntex, EG&G (Rocky Flats), BASF, Mobay, and Sherwin-Williams. The DChem program also affects the chemistry faculty a t UT-Dallas. The faculty support the DChem program as an effective means of preparation of students for careers in the chemical industry, but they also comment that "The DChem program is good for the students, but not necessarily for the faculty."In a one-year research practicum i t is difficult for a student, even a mature third-practicum student, to achieve the research productivity that PhD students, with their loneer participation in a research problem, can attain. Also, it issometimes difficult to maintain continuity of research skills in a facultv member's research program when the most senior studentsare only in the laboratory for a year.
The Doctor of Chemistry Program as an Experiment The Doctor of Chemistry program, as described in this article, is clearly a departure from standard practice in American PhD programs: the coursework and the research DChem Results experience are much less specialized, and there is explicit Ideally, a DChem graduate will have seen two worlds, the emphasis on eventual industrial employment. Any experiacademic and the industrial, and will have successfully dement. and ~articularlvone where the product cannot be fended research projects carried out in a directed academic clearly judgeduntil weil in the luture,re&irescarefuldesign setting, in a n applied research style in an industrial setting, and monitoring. TheChemistry faculty at VT-Dallas-with and in a fundamental style in an academic setting. The the support of the ~ n i v e r s i t admidistration-has i estabbruad course background, the experience in changing prohlished an Advisors Committee for the Doctor of Chemistry lems, the familiarity with the industrial climate, the experiprogram. This committee includes local and national ac& ence with differing research styles-these characteristics demic and industrial scientists and research directors, for should vield adeot chemical ~roblem-solversfor the rhemiexample, N o m a n Hackerman (Scientific Director, Robert * cal industry. A. Welch Foundation), Robert Parry (Past President, AmerThe DChem program can also be examined in terms of its ican Societv). - ~ - Chemical ~ - ~ effect on a n individual DChem student. Stanley K. Nickle ..and John R. Norell (President. Provesta Corporation, Phillips Petroleum company). I t ha* met entered the DChem promam in fall 1983, and he began his each s ~ r i n ea t UT-Dallas to review the entire DroeramApprenticeship ~ r a c t i c ~project, m "Thermodynamic Stud. curriculum, student and faculty recruitment, industrial inies of Lanthanide-NOTA and Lanthanide-NOTP Comteractions, and plans for the coming years. The DChem plexes", in January 1985. He was awarded a n MS degree in Advisory Committee reviews plans drawn up by the faculty, Chemistry a t the spring 1986 commencement. In February meets with the DChem students with faculty not present, 198fi he beean his Industrial Practicum ~roiect."Investiaa-~ ~~~-~ meets with members of the UT-Dallas administration, and tions on t h e u s e ofTGA1T)SC as a ~ c r e e n ' i n i ~ for o h In S ~ I U reports its impressions and recommendations. Combustion". at ARCO Exoloration and Technolow -- Comjoseph ~ e i n a nSenior , Member of the Technical Staff a t pany. He began his Fundamental Practicum prolect, "FluoTexas Instruments and a member of the DChem Advisory rescence Lifetime and Ouenchina of the Vapor Phase EmisCommittee, suggests that the DChem program is providing ne', sion of ~ , N , ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ e t ; a m e t h ~ ~ - ~ h e n ~ l e n eind i a m i what industry needs: "There'sno question that we haveneed February 1987, and he was awarded the DChem degree a t for that kind of training in our industries. I feel that the the spring 1988 commencement. During his last yeat at UTgeneral quest for quality in manufacturing, particularly with Dallas, he interviewed with campus recruiters for major new materials and technologies, demands people with that chemical companies and had three plant trips and three job type of background." offers. In May 1988 he started work with E.I. Du Pont De The results so far are encouraging; the chemistry faculty Nemours & Company a t the Marshall Laboratory in Philaa t UT-Dallas hopes to extend its contacts with industry, to delphia, PA, where he is involved in the development of new continue development of the DChem program, and to expaint products. pand the recognition of the DChem program and its role in Shortly after Nickle had begun work a t Du Pont, the the preparation of students for careers in the chemical insupervisor of Nickle's Fundamental Practicum (L.A. Meldustry. ton) asked him, "Just what does Du Pont think you know ~
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