Chemistry (PhD)

Emphasizing rigorous and meaningful research in diverse topics like nanotechnology, biomedical sensors, and clean energy, WPI’s PhD program in Chemistry prepares students to transition seamlessly to meet real-world challenges.

Here you will find a collaborative culture, focus on hands-on problem solving, and close one-on-one mentorship from world-class faculty that will put you at the center of groundbreaking research on compelling problems in medicine, the environment, and green chemistry.

You’ll also have access to state-of-the-art facilities like our Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, where modern equipment and instrumentation empowers you to conduct research at the highest levels.

Graduate Admissions

Curriculum

Our flexible and diverse curriculum encourages each student to tailor a program of research and study to their individual career goals.

The focus of your program will be on conducting original, immersive research in collaboration with a faculty advisor that prepares you to make meaningful contributions to the advancement of your field.

To complement your research, you will take select courses in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and other disciplines of your choosing. Depending on your professional interests, you can hone your teaching skills in seminars at WPI’s Morgan Teaching and Learning Center, advance your knowledge in bioprocessing in our newly established Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center, or expand your corporate knowledge through courses in our School of Business.

Graduate Catalog

Research

Innovative research aimed at making a real impact is the cornerstone of WPI’s Chemistry PhD program. You will work alongside faculty and student researchers who are making advances such as developing new catalysts for green chemistry, designing smart chromophores to interrogate biological systems, and investigating signaling pathways involved in diseases like cancer and diabetes.

Our research focus areas:

Catalysis
Computational Chemistry
Drug Design and Synthesis
Enzyme Kinetics
Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Molecular Modeling
Optical and Electrochemical Sensors
Spectroscopy

Explore our Research

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At WPI, students’ work makes an immediate impact on some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

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Students work one-on-one with faculty members to develop a targeted curriculum—so they can combine their interests in science, engineering, and even entrepreneurship.

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Whether your interests are in biotech or pharmaceutical fields, or in areas such as energy or rare resources, the opportunities at WPI prepare you for your next steps.

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Research at WPI is invigorating, exciting, and innovative.

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WPI’s high-tech lab bays are organized by research focus, not departments, and invite multidisciplinary collaboration.

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The flexible degree program at WPI means your BCB degree offers a comprehensive plan tailored to your professional and personal goals.

WPI’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department is located in the Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park, a research complex designed to promote high-level interdisciplinary research. Here, you will work side by side with faculty, student, and industry researchers across multiple disciplines and have access to modern instrumentation, including state-of-the-art equipment for microscopy, facilities supporting cell culture work, and a 3,500-square-foot vivarium.

View our Facilities

Faculty Profiles

George A. Kaminski

I am a computational physical chemist. My research is in the areas of force field building and applications. Special attention is given to creating polarizable force fields for organic and biophysical systems, including proteins and protein-ligand complexes. I teach classes in physical, computational and general chemistry. Simulations of proteins is very important in biomedical research because proteins play crucial role in a large number of biological phenomena, both benign and harmful.

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James P. Dittami

Prior to joining the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), I received a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry under Arthur G. Schultz at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and did postdoctoral studies with E.J. Corey at Harvard University. I served as Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at WPI from 1995-2005. The focus of my research has been the development of new synthetic methods, synthesis of natural products and design and synthesis of therapeutically active analogs.

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Marion Emmert

My group explores challenges at the interface of organic and inorganic chemistry with a focus on potential applications in drug discovery, biomass conversion, and recycling. What ties all these areas together is the need for efficient chemical reactivity. Our research addresses this challenge by designing new catalysts, gaining insight into reaction mechanisms, and inventing new processes that improve on the state of the art.

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Ronald Grimm

What makes a particular material efficient at converting sunlight to electrical or chemical energy? Conversely, what makes a material a poor energy converter? The Grimmgroup is motivated by quantifying and controlling the bulk and surface properties of solar energy conversion materials. As a research group in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, we seek an atom- and bond-level understanding of material properties.

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Chemistry/Biochemistry Department