Why Study Chemistry?
Our nation's progress may hinge on contributions made by chemists. New and better materials ranging from super-tough Kevlar fibers, to medicines like Taxol (cancer therapy) help improve our standard of living. New materials like single-walled carbon nano tubes and polymers generated in ionic liquids offer great promise for the future. Many agricultural chemicals were developed by chemists. Food production and energy technology are two areas that account for more than 30% of our gross national product, and both areas depend heavily on input from chemists.
Basic research in photochemistry, physical chemistry, and solid-state inorganic chemistry contributed to the development of silicon integrated circuits. Newer "chip" materials like silicon carbide continue this collaboration. The advent of ultra clear glass made possible the development of optical fibers, and the high-speed high-bandwidth communication so necessary in today's internet world. The discovery of catalytic cracking and reformulation of petroleum allowed 80% of a barrel of crude oil to be used as gasoline, rather than the 50% available without this chemistry. It is estimated that 200 million barrels of crude oil are saved each year by this process. Chemistry is important to most scientific disciplines ranging from molecular biology to astrophysics. Chemistry is truly the central science.
The job market is excellent for chemists with B.S. (and M.S. or Ph.D. degrees). The salaries for a chemist are among the highest for any major. The opportunities for further discovery and development in the chemical sciences are vast. Chemistry is poised as never before to enter a new period of fruitful inquiry because of advances in theory, discoveries in synthetic chemistry, and the development of new classes of miniaturized analytical equipment.
Why not become a part of this exciting scientific adventure? Chemistry can provide a launch pad to begin a rewarding and exciting career.
