Because chemistry and biochemistry form the core of the physical and life sciences, the Department is expected to play a central role in the transmission, expansion, and application of knowledge through teaching, research, and professional service. Additionally, it is the aim of the Department to promote the development of a scholarly climate conducive to intellectual growth, to provide graduate and undergraduate instruction of the highest quality, to offer graduate programs that are highly regarded, and to foster significant research and scholarly activities in Chemistry, Biochemistry and interdisciplinary fields.