UMD Chemical Physics Program

University of MD Chemical Physics Program

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Science and technology today increasingly demand an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems. The Chemical Physics Program at the University of Maryland at College Park provides a firm academic foundation for an expanding range of professional careers that require knowledge of both physics and chemistry.

The program offers Ph.D. and master's degrees in chemical physics. It is intended for students with undergraduate degrees in chemistry or physics as well as students with majors in mathematics or engineering and strong backgrounds in chemistry or physics.

Faculty are drawn from the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Meteorology, Physics, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Materials and Nuclear Engineering as well as the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP).

Representative research areas include:

atomic/molecular structure

atmospheric chemistry

atmospheric remote sensing

optical/electron spectroscopy

statistical thermodynamics

biophysics/phase transitions

properties of fluids

soft materials

surface science

fluctuation phenomena

quantum electronics

intermolecular energy transfer

statistical physics

polymers

plasma physics

protein folding

x-ray physics

The University of Maryland is located near a high concentration of government research laboratories. Two cooperative programs allow students to pursue thesis work under the joint supervision of a Maryland faculty member and scientists specializing in atomic, molecular, and optical science at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or with scientists specializing in biophysics research at the National Institute of Health (NIH). Additional opportunities are available for graduate students to work jointly with scientists at other government research laboratories, including NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Naval Research Laboratory, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Weekly seminar programs introduce students to distinguished scientists working in a variety of fields.

Statement of Mutual Expectations between CHPH and its Graduate Students
Graduate students in CMPS doctoral programs are expected to develop a mastery of their field, and gain familiarity with their discipline from arrival to graduation.

In particular, full-time doctoral students who arrive with a baccalaureate degree normally will:

Become engaged in research no later than during their 2nd year, and often in their 1st year;
Identify a thesis adviser by the end of the second year.
Identify a thesis topic during their 3rd year.
Secure admission to candidacy within 3-4 years.
Submit at least one paper for publication prior to graduation.
Complete all requirements and graduate within 5-6 years.

Graduate students in CMPS doctoral programs normally may expect:

A wide selection of courses relevant to the intended field of study.
Advice and mentoring by faculty in their program prior to the selection of an adviser.
From their adviser (or, in some instances the program):
- Regular access and advice during the research and thesis preparation.
- Training in the preparation of oral and written scholarly presentations; in particular, advice and support for the writing of at least one paper for publication and one formal oral presentation.
- Introductions, for example at conferences, to other members of the field.
- Assistance and advice with post Ph.D. professional advancement and employment.

Related Research

The University of Maryland Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC)

Nanotechnology at the University of Maryland

Program Degree Results (1975 - 2007)
Presently Enrolled: 53
Dual Degree: 13
Master's Degree: 17
Doctoral Degree: 54
Left Program: 3

Michael Coplan - Director and Professor / 301-405-4858 / coplan@umd.edu

Professor Coplan's principal current research interests are: a) experimental studies of electron impact double ionization using a multiple detector triple coincidence spectrometer b) correlation of solar wind plasma parameters using data from instruments on the WIND and SoHO spacecraft and c) measurements of ion flux in the night-time polar cusp with a high time resolution magnetic spectrograph.

Robert Walker - Associate Director and Associate Professor / 301-405-8667 / rawalker@umd.edu

Profiling of dipolar width of solid/liquid and liquid/liquid interfaces; effects of solvent structure on solubility and oil/water partitioning; non-linear optical spectroscopy; oxidation mechanisms in solid oxide fuel cells.

New Chemical Physics Faculty in Biophysics

Arpita Upadhyaya - 301-405-9939 / arpitau@umd.edu

Nature has engineered many molecular and cellular machines that induce motion at different scales from the level of single cells to that of multicellular tissues. The cell membrane, cytoskeletal polymers and other proteins collectively form a highly nonlinear, adaptive dynamical system that allows the cell to respond to its environment. Research in my laboratory combines mathematical modeling, quantitative imaging and genetic manipulation to uncover how signaling networks and physical properties of the cell and its surroundings control force generation and directed cell motion.

Arthur La Porta - 301-405-3291 / alaporta@umd.edu

My research involves using advanced optical techniques such as optical traps to study enzymes that are important in molecular and cell biology. In particular, we seek to understand how processive Nucleic Acid based enzymes such as polymerases, helicases or topoisomerases perform their tasks.

Last update 12/06/03 09:05 PM Webmaster: ipsthelp@ipst.umd.edu