Welcome from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science (CES) at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Our department has seen a dynamic growth phase, with ten new faculty hires in the last five years, together with recent renovation and expansion of facilities.

Our mission is to provide high-quality educational opportunities in the chemical, environmental and forensic sciences for students at all levels through classroom and research experiences; to build upon the research program to one that is befitting of a preeminent public polytechnic research university, and to participate fully in scholarly, educational and industrial opportunities at disciplinary interfaces.

CES is among the top producers of STEM degrees in the region with over 150 undergraduate, 40 masters, and ~40 Ph.D. students. CES offers degree programs in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.  The Department offers the rapidly growing New Jersey’s only undergraduate forensic science degree, and the first baccalaureate degree program in the New York metropolitan region. We provide for students in other majors to pursue a minor in one of two areas: Chemistry and Environmental Science and Policy.  The Chemistry minor has two paths based on student major: Chemical Engineering students have a special program to earn their Chemistry minor. We offer MS degrees in Chemistry, Environmental Science, Pharmaceutical Chemistry with a Biotechnology option, and an MS degree in Environmental and Sustainability Policy.

CES has 14 tenured/tenure-track faculty and eight University Lecturers and seven dedicated staff members with plans to grow in the next five years. Faculty expertise includes organic, inorganic, biochemical, environmental, physical, analytical, and theoretical chemistry. Others are in biosensors, biophotonics, environmental fate and transport, and mass spectrometry, nanotechnology, and materials chemistry. The goal of NJIT’s Chemistry and Environmental Science department is to maximize its impact on society by integrating education with research at all levels. Faculty research projects are funded with grants from the NSF, NIH, NASA, DOD,  USDA, and major industries. CES faculty includes three NSF CAREER awardees and fellows of major academies. These includes a fellow of the American Chemical Society, another fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and as well as other major awards and recognition. Our department sits at the nexus of applied sciences and the environment. Core research facilities include the Otto H. York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science, NMR facilities, Forensic Science laboratories, and the Life Sciences and Engineering Center with state-of-the-art instrumentation in surface microscopy, environmental measurements and mass spectrometry and material characterization.

The department provides various research opportunities for undergraduate students in the form of independent study, volunteer research assistantships, and various internal supports, including the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Program and the Provost Summer Fellowship and external supports.

I welcome you to browse our website and meet our students, faculty, and staff.

Omowunmi “Wunmi” Sadik

Distinguished Professor and Chair