Our faculty members take pride in the high quality of our program. They work closely with students in teaching and research laboratories. We strongly encourage our undergraduate students to participate in research with faculty members as early as the summer of their freshmen year. Research opportunities in the department are available for chemistry majors and minor.

Remi Oki, the department head, is interested in low temperature sol-gel synthesis of bioactive glass materials for bone repairs and replacement. Funding for the research is provided by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculo-skeletal diseases of the National Institute of Health. In addition, his group is also interested in the synthesis of boron based inorganic materials as therapeutic reagents in neutron capture therapy for cancer treatment.

Larry Cole is interested in the calculations and determination of physical and chemical properties of unorthodox aqueous acid solution with a possible formula of H9O4+, and the applications of such acids in the destruction of Anthrax bacteria, as safe fungicide and preservatives for fruits and vegetables.

Ananda Amarasekara is interested in the synthesis and reactions of aryl N-sulpinylamine compounds and bioactive natural products.

Hylton McWhinney is interested in surface and interfacial characterizations as it relates to Environmental waste treatment, waste management and waste restoration, sensing and detection of toxic gases and hazardous bio-materials.

Antoine Carty is interested in synthesis and applications of novel heterocycles, and combinatorial chemistry.

Xinwei Yan is interested in development of analytical detectors for GC and HPLC. His recent work involves the development of new total fluorine analyzer, methods and apparatus of simultaneous chemiluminscent sulfur and nitrogen detection.

Vassant Doctor is interested conducting research on the mechanism by which xylan sulfates enhance the anticoagulant action mediated by circulating antithrombic proteins of the blood, the Antithrombin III and Heparin co-factor II, the in vitro interactions of sulfated polysaccharides with proteases and inhibitors of fibrinolysis and coagulation using fucoidan.

John Williams is interested on computational chemistry and in the general application of technology in chemical research and teaching.

In addition, chemistry research opportunities and internships, and coops are also available to our majors outside PVAMU. For more information, contact any member of our faculty and visit the ACS site http://center.acs.org/application/epic/epicmain.cfm