University of North Carolina at Pembroke
The Department of Chemistry and Physics at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP) has been making strides to incorporate green chemistry into our undergraduate curriculum for more than a decade. Some of our endeavors include the implementation of greener reagents, micro-scale lab techniques, and the inclusion of microwave methodologies in our teaching labs. Several of our research-active faculty are also devoted to doing green chemistry research. Our university is situated in Robeson County, the 5thlargest grossing county in North Carolina for its agricultural endeavors but with more than 25% of the population living below the poverty line. We are acutely aware of the needs of our community and are actively engaged in uplifting it. UNCP is a MSI (minority-serving institution) as well as North Carolina’s only four-year university designated by the US Department of Education as a Native American-Serving Non-tribal Institution and we believe that sustainable practices are one of the most compelling opportunities to affect change in our local communities.
Chemistry Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
We are actively working to revitalize our general and organic chemistry lab sequences to incorporate more modern labs to further improve their sustainability. Several of our research faculty have undertaken green chemistry projects including biomass valorization, polymer recycling, and greener alternatives for modern materials.
UNCP Chemistry and Physics Club; benjamin.killian@uncp.edu
- To reduce the chemical waste produced by our teaching labs
- To incorporate more green chemistry education into our undergraduate curriculum
- To modernize our lab equipment to improve our energy efficiency and promote safer lab practices
- To engage with and educate our local community on the importance of sustainability
- To take on projects in which we can utilize chemistry to improve the environment in our local community (air, water, and soil quality)
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