skip to Main Content

All chemistry majors at the University of Hawai’i are strongly encouraged to do research as part of their degree program. This entails doing a chemistry project in one of the department’s research laboratories.

As an undergraduate, there are several reasons why it is good to spend some time doing research…

Perhaps the most important reason is that you encounter real chemical problems to which you can apply the knowledge you have learned in your formal chemistry classes.

  • You also get to experience what it is like to work in a research lab.
  • You get to know individual faculty, and interact with their graduate students and other researchers in the lab.
  • Undergraduate research experience looks good on a resume and makes you a more attractive candidate for graduate school or for finding a job when you graduate.
  • A chemistry B.S. major at UH can count up to 3 credits of Chem 399 towards his/her degree requirements.

There are several ways to pick a research adviser:

  • One approach is to look at the different research areas listed on the UH chemistry department web pages and identify a research area which interests you.
  • Alternatively, go talk to a chemistry student adviser (Profs. Head or Kumashiro) and depending on your interests, they will advise you on which faculty members you might interview.

After identifying one or more research areas, go and visit the appropriate faculty members and tell them you are interested in doing undergraduate research. Don’t be shy because most faculty members will offer you encouragement especially once they know that you are interested in doing some research.

Back To Top