{"104391":{"#nid":"104391","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Interest in Biochemistry Grows in the College of Sciences","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJennifer Leavey, Ph.D.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDirector of Undergraduate Academic Services, School of Biology\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the fastest growing majors on campus is the new Biochemistry (Biochem) major offered by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. While Biochem certificates have been offered for many years, the Biochemistry major was only approved in 2007. Currently 170 students are enrolled in the rapidly expanding major. For more about the new major, I spoke with Carrie Shepler, an academic professional in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is Biochemistry? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nBiochemistry is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy was the Biochemistry major established? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe \u0022bio\u0022 emphasis in all areas of science and engineering increased dramatically in the last decade, so we felt it was beneficial to Tech students to offer a program to prepare them for the many job opportunities that emphasize the biological aspects of chemistry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat career goals do most Biochem majors have? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOur students have a variety of career goals including attending medical school or other forms of graduate school and pursuing a career in the industry sector which includes pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIs there a Biochemistry minor?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNo, but we do have a certificate in organic\/biochemistry.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow does the Biochemistry major differ from the Chemistry major? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nChemistry focuses on the atomic and molecular composition of the world around us. Biology concentrates on the study of life. The Biochemistry degree merges chemistry and biology by studying the chemistry of life, through coursework in both fields.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy should someone major in Biochemistry at Georgia Tech?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAside from being an interesting area of study, our biochemistry curriculum is excellent preparation for a variety of post-graduation opportunities. It prepares students for professional school as well as jobs in government laboratories, regulatory agencies, law enforcement, cosmetics, food science, and more. In addition to a sound technical background, our program emphasizes career preparation skills. Though growing, our department still offers one-on-one advising and support for each student, and we strive to maintain this level of service.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information on obtaining a Biochemistry degree at Georgia Tech, please visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.chemistry.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"One of the fastest growing majors on campus is the new Biochemistry (Biochem) major offered by the School of Chemistry. While Biochem certificates have been offered for many years, the Biochemistry major was only approved in 2007. Currently 170 students are enrolled in the rapidly expanding major. For more about the new major, I spoke with Carrie Shepler, an academic professional in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biochemistry is a rapidly growing major at Tech."}],"uid":"27164","created_gmt":"2010-02-01 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:11:29","author":"Rachael Pocklington","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1418","name":"health professional schools"},{"id":"1417","name":"OPHA"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERachael Pocklington\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EParents Program\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=rpocklington3\u0022\u003EContact Rachael Pocklington\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3920\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rachael.pocklington@vpss.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}