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Why Chemistry?

Chemistry is truly the central science. Within the broad classification of Chemistry, you will find applications of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Biology, Technology etc. It is a discipline which looks at the world around us and tries to explain, at the most fundamental level, what is the true composition of the world around us, why things change, and how do the changes occur. Since the days of Aristotle, mankind has been attempting to master these concepts, and through the years the wealth of accumulated knowledge has lead to amazing discoveries and insights into a world hidden to our naked eye.  In our curriculum we will focus on both the conceptual understanding of matter and its changes as well as the quantitative aspects of predicting and measuring these properties. 

Why Here?

Students are able form personal relationships with our highly trained faculty both in the classroom setting and in research opportunities.

Students benefit from receiving their lecture information directly from the Professor/Instructor fluent in his or her area of expertise. There are no Teaching Assistant or intermediaries standing between the faculty and the student. Students can ask questions directly to our faculty and can engage in discussions both in class and during office hours. Classroom exams are also prepared and graded by the faculty member, keeping the examinations consistent with the content presented. Our faculty has access to modern classroom technology, as well. Montgomery Hall hosts two Smart classrooms, and we are experimenting with new lecture strategies to reach every student.

We have an many undergraduate research availabilities in many different disciplines of chemistry. Please visit our Research page to hear about these projects in more detail. Some of the research areas include:


  • fabricating microsensors for direct measurement of specific compounds in biological samples
  • development of microsensor coatings
  • monitoring for certain environmental pollutants


  • studying the functions and 3D structures of hypothetical proteins and signaling proteins
  • molecular modeling of biomolecular interactions between DNA, RNA, drug molecules, and nucleic acid-protein


  • synthesizing Ru complexes and evaluating their effectiveness as anti-cancer agents
  • performing metal-catalyzed conversion of cellulosic biomass for fuels and value-added chemicals
  • studying the effectiveness of Cu and Fe salts as allyl amine-forming catalysts.
  • investigating new metal complexes with specific structural characteristics
  • modeling biological inorganic molecules' active sites 


  • synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds
  • isolation and characterization on natural products of Louisiana-native plants
  • formation of biodiesel from alligator fat


  • measuring and calculating the oxidant and antioxidant characteristics of medicines and possible medicinal molecules
  • computer modeling of chemical kinetics, equilibrium, and transport properties as applied to corrosion in oilfield environments

Why Now?

UL Lafayette Department of Chemistry is expanding, and you can be a part of this exciting time. Every semester, we are seeing an increase in the number of students registering for chemistry classes. However, we pride ourselves on keeping our large lecture classroom sizes relatively small. As we move towards the development of a new Masters Degree program while continuing to maintain our excellent teaching standards, we are very optimistic about our future, and we are pleased to welcome students into our program.