The seminar program in the chemistry department consists of student presentations, guest speakers from academe and industry and a variety of other types of meetings. The seminar program makes a significant contribution toward your professional development as a chemist. The weekly meetings also provide an opportunity for students and faculty to gather for announcements and to create a sense of community in the department. Visiting speakers from graduate programs and industry will help you learn more about opportunities available to you upon graduation from Wittenberg.

The main purpose of the student presentations is to give you the opportunity to search the chemical literature on a topic in chemistry which is of particular interest to you, organize that information in a logical and coherent manner, and then present an in-depth scientific seminar to your peers. These are skills that you will very likely need as a professional person after graduation. The seminar program is your opportunity to learn and practice these skills.

Junior seminars are about 25 minutes in length and senior seminars are about 50 minutes in length. For the most part, senior seminars are presented during the fall semester and junior seminars are presented during the spring semester.

Communication skills are extremely important in whatever venture you pursue after graduation. Our seminar program provides students the opportunity to practice and learn effective speaking skills and has been cited as a model for other departments.