Chemistry Home Page

Welcome to Chemistry at Lebanon Valley College

Feel free to wander through our web site. You'll learn about our faculty, academic programs, student/faculty research, and much more. Our program, accredited by the American Chemical Society, emphasizes:

a thorough and rigorous study of chemistry and biochemistry,
hands-on experimentation using state-of-the-art chemical instruments,
ongoing, real-life student research projects,
personal, academic, and professional growth as developing scientists.

With this foundation, graduates from Lebanon Valley College successfully move into PhD programs, teaching positions, health-professional schools, and chemically-related professions.

Research - The Vital Component

History. Fifty nine years ago a young and energetic assistant professor, H. Anthony Neidig, initiated the college's first summer research program for chemistry students. That pilot program, supported by a three-year grant from Research Corporation, was dramatically successful and resulted in a 1950 publication by Neidig and four undergraduate students in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society. Such undergraduate research papers were unheard of at the time. Further support from Research Corporation, the Petroleum Research Fund, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation has fueled a sequence of annual summer research programs that have continued every single year since 1948.

Rationale. Our annual summer research experience now lies at the heart of chemistry and biochemistry at Lebanon Valley College. We believe that the reason for involving students in real research is compelling: the scientific method, the very foundation of science, is best understood through an experiential process in which experimental design, data collection and analysis, and hypothesis testing become tangible tools in a process of discovery. During the summer, students are able to immerse themselves completely in science, giving them the time and opportunity necessary to refine techniques, to learn to confront and solve problems, to understand the power and limitations of instrumentation, and to evaluate, interpret, record, and present data.

Results. The pioneering efforts, beginning in 1948 and extending to the present, have served to demonstrate that research can become truly integral within the undergraduate chemistry curriculum and that, when so integrated, the research experience exerts a profound effect on the student-faculty dynamic, on the productivity of both students and faculty, and on the future success of chemistry graduates. Joint faculty-student projects constitute the most effective scientific teaching done in the department. Student research is directed toward professional development and may result in joint authorship of scientific publications and in the opportunity to present research results at a regional or national scientific meeting. The department has an active seminar program which brings students into contact with nationally recognized authorities in chemistry and chemistry-related fields. The commitment to student research has had a significant impact on the career decisions of Lebanon Valley's graduates. Of the students participating in summer research, 85 percent have earned higher degrees.

Getting More Information

If you are interested in becoming part of the LVC Chemistry program, please feel free to contact us. The department can be reached at:

LVC Department of Chemistry
Garber Science Center
Lebanon Valley College
101 N. College Ave
Annville, PA 17003
Phone: (717) 867-6140
e-mail: chemistry@lvc.edu

Other information, such as an on-line application form, arranging campus-wide visits, financial aid information, and additional departmental information, can be obtained directly from the internet or calling the Admissions Department at (717) 867-6181.