LSSU's chemistry program gets certification after five year process

Lake Superior State University has been known for creative problem-solving and scientific research for years, but it can add another specialty to its list: chemistry.

The LSSU chemistry program has been certified by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training, which is considered the gold standard for chemistry degrees.

The designation was awarded in late September after a five-year process supported by LSSU faculty and administration.

This is quite an achievement for the department; it's something we've been working on for five years," says Barbara Keller, dean of the LSSU College of Natural, Mathematical and Health Sciences, which includes the chemistry department.

She says the ACS approval is often a desirable qualification sought after by major employers of chemistry graduates, and in turn, students and parents of students often ask about whether LSSU provides the designation on their degrees.

"The designation tells employers that these students have received excellent quality training that is approved by the American Chemical Society, the largest professional society of chemists in the world," she says.

The nonprofit ACS was chartered by Congress in 1876, and is the world's largest scientific society and one of the world's leading sources of authoritative scientific information.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Barbara Keller, Lake Superior State University
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