Chair’s Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at Yale University.

Our department is a community of approximately 400 people comprising undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, research scientists, faculty, and professional staff. We recognize that chemistry is important because it has played a significant role in improving our quality of life in the past century. The discovery of antibiotics to cure bacterial diseases, the development of the Haber-Bosch process to synthesize fertilizers, and the preparation of high-quality semiconductors to power computers have transformed our society.

Further, chemistry will be required to solve the societal challenges of this century. For example, new catalysts are required to aid our transition to sustainable energy sources, more selective pharmaceuticals are needed to target cancerous cells instead of healthy tissue, and novel materials are required to develop practical quantum computers. In the Yale Chemistry Department, we are actively performing research to solve these and other challenges and train students who can pursue careers as chemists. We are committed to excellence in both research and teaching.

Most of the research and teaching in the chemistry department occurs in three buildings on the Yale main campus or in interdisciplinary research laboratories on Yale’s West Campus. On main campus, the iconic Sterling Chemistry Laboratory recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and includes lecture halls, state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratories, and research space. The Kline Chemistry Laboratory was redeveloped in 2014 and houses research laboratories as well as most of the Chemistry and Biophysical Instrument Center, which is a resource available to researchers in the Yale community and beyond. Finally, the Class of ’54 Chemistry Research Building, built in 2006, contains the laboratories of most synthetic groups at Yale and the Yale Catalysis and Separations Core. On the West Campus, chemistry students and faculty are associated with the Energy Sciences Institute, the Institute of Biomolecular Design and Discovery, and the Microbial Science Institute.

Despite our world-class facilities, our people are our defining feature. We aim to provide a supportive environment that enables all members of our community to thrive and reach their potential as scientists regardless of background. Although our department has a history of making significant scientific advances (several Nobel laureates have been associated with our department), our most profound legacy is the people we have educated, many of whom have excelled in fields other than chemistry. We also recognize that we are important members of the New Haven community and provide outreach events that educate the public about chemistry.

For me personally, it is a privilege to lead the Yale Chemistry Department. Please enjoy our website, which describes our research and educational programs in more detail, and feel free to contact us with questions.

Nilay Hazari
John Randolph Huffman Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair