Renewable Energy and Sustainable Chemistry Across the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum

Abstract

Issues of energy and sustainability are having a direct impact on the public and are capturing the interests of many. As result, it is no surprise that science, including the field of chemistry, will become more connected with society in the future. To address this connection, we are in the process of integrating important elements of renewable energy and sustainable chemistry across the undergraduate chemistry curriculum at the University of Minnesota, Morris. This project strives to create a curriculum which is more interdisciplinary with respect to both teaching and research and which introduces topics that are timely, yet essential in preparing undergraduate students. Our initial efforts are focused on three key areas: (i) developing new courses in renewable energy and sustainability; (ii) integrating photovoltaics across the undergraduate curriculum; and (iii) illustrating the role of biochemistry in renewable energy and sustainability. Our goal is to develop a far-reaching energy and sustainable chemistry curriculum that complements the traditional curriculum and better prepares our future graduates for success in addressing global problems. An overview of the project will be presented along with our preliminary results.