One of the most important tasks facing you after deciding to pursue postgraduate education is the selection of your area of expertise. Postgraduate research is highly focused and there are a wide variety of research projects to choose from. Your selection will have a direct impact on your future career opportunities, so it is a decision that should be made with great care. When selecting a research focus, you should consider which skills you would like to develop and what type of employment you would like to seek after graduation. The following list summarizes what students in our research group learn:
- Infrared Spectrophotometry (knowledge of instrumentation, optical sampling methods & spectral interpretation)
- Mass Spectrometry (knowledge of instrumentation, interface design & spectral interpretation)
- Gas Chromatography (interface design, separation optimization, fast analysis tradeoffs)
- Thermal Analysis (thermogravimetry & differential scanning calorimetry)
- Data Analysis (pattern recognition, curve fitting, other chemometric methods)
- Computer Programming (real-time data acquisition, data reduction, presentation of results)
The nature of our research often involves collaboration with other
groups within the Chemistry & Biochemistry department, with groups in other
departments (i.e. Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering), and
with corporations and government laboratories. Collaborative
research provides exposure to a team research environment and expands
your "area of expertise". Previous graduates from our group are employed by a variety of entities including: instrument manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, government laboratories, and universities (teaching).
