Department of Chemistry
Honors & Awards
Honors Requirements
Chemistry and Chemical Physics
- Greater than 3.50 GPA in concentration (based on courses approved in ASK)
- Poster presentation (generally a week or two before Spring break) on your research
- Thesis that has been approved by advisor and department
AB Candidates
AB candidates are also eligible for Honors if you satisfy these criteria (i.e. earning the ScB is not a requirement for Honors.)
Oral Presentations
Oral presentations (typically held during Reading Period) are required for students who want their thesis to be considered for the Clapp Prize, but others are welcome to present as well.
Biochemistry
- A strong grade record in concentration courses.(See Quality Grades below)
- Two semesters of Independent Study (CHEM 0970, CHEM 0980) or equivalent. Guidelines and requirements associated with Independent Study are in the Undergraduate Concentration Handbook. Please note students enrolled in BIOL1950/1960 must complete a project proposal form, please see the Biology website for more information and discuss with your concentration advisor.
- A Thesis in a form approved by the research advisor, and recommended by the research advisor. Additional information about thesis guidelines will be provided by the Concentration Advisor in the first half of the fall semester.
Quality Grades
Students who have earned a majority of "A" grades in courses required for the concentration and who are are in good academic standing are eligible to apply for honors at the start of their penultimate (typically 7th) semester at Brown. Classes taken S/NC will count as qualifying towards that majority if they are marked "S* with distinction" indicating that had the student taken the course for a grade, the grade would have been an "A". Courses with a grade of S may be counted when a Course Performance Report indicates a grade of A. Students just shy of meeting the grade requirement for honors are encouraged to apply. Grades earned in penultimate semester concentration courses will be accounted for in the determination of quality grades made in the final semester. Students in the class of 2021: A strong grade record in concentration courses. This means a grade point average for the concentration that is higher than 3.25. For students in the classes of 2022 and after: Students must have a majority of either As or S with distinction grades in concentration courses.
Thesis Archival in the Brown Digital Repository
The BDR is Brown University's online archive of student and faculty scholarship maintained by the Brown University Library. By choosing to deposit your honors thesis in the BDR, you are making your scholarly work discoverable and accessible into the future. Information on access and licensing are provided in the form.
Sigma Xi
The Brown University Chapter of Sigma Xi invites applicants from chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical physics. Seniors (semester 7 and semester 8) who have demonstrated a high level of competence in science qualify.
The following are intended to be guidelines for additional qualifications:
- A grade point average of 3.4 or better in the sciences. If your G.P.A. is close to this, and you have done research, please submit an application.
- Twelve semester courses in sciences, including courses at the elementary level.
- Two courses beyond the elementary level in a science outside the student's department, OR
- Three courses, including courses at the elementary level, in two or more sciences outside the student's department, OR
- Involvement in a research project under supervision for at least one semester.
These qualifications are intended to be guidelines.
Undergraduate Prizes & Awards
- Biochemistry – Mia Kantorovich, Joseph Suh, Alex Zheng and Yongkuan Zhang
- Chemical Physics – Yunguen Kim
- Chemistry – Faith Kim, Stefan Leonard and Andy Zhu
- Division of Physical Chemistry – Jefferey Tejada- Peralta
- Division of Organic Chemistry – Tony Pan
- Division of Inorganic Chemistry – Selena Kiu
- Willis Bilderback
Paul C. Cross Prize is awarded to an undergraduate with extraordinary potential for achievement in the field of physical chemistry, broadly defined.
- Noah Whepley
In Biochemistry (2)
- Anna Katharine Shlimak The Role of Chitinase 3-Like Protein 1 Orthologs in Drosophila Models of TDP43 and SOD1 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Advisor: Kristi Wharton)
- Filip Josef Aubrecht Ion-Specific Interactions Engender Dynamic and Tailorable Material Properties in Biomimetic Cationic Polyelectrolytes (Advisor: Benjamin McDonald)
Chemistry (2)
- Selena Kiu Synthesis and Reactivity of [Fe-S] Clusters, Roussin’s Black Anion, and Derived Intermediates(Advisor: Eunsuk Kim)
- Jaehun Seo A Spectral Dialogue with an Introverted Yariv Reagent (Advisor: Amit Basu)
The Chase Award recognizes students whose extraordinary leadership and service contributions during their years at Brown improved the department or the academic and educational experiences of all undergraduate students.
- Ian Bartlett
Prof. Uhlig received his BS in chemistry from Brown University in 1929 and his PhD in physical chemistry in 1932 from MIT. He had a long and distinguished career as a professor at MIT and endowed this gift in support of the chemistry department.
- Liam Hass
- Tony Pan
- Faith Kim
Reade Tompson passed away 2 years ago at the age of 103. He earned a BS in chemistry in 1940 and his PhD in organic chemistry from Duke in 1945. He worked at Dupont for over thirty years. Reade Tompson wished to support the chemistry department at Brown with a generous donation and we are pleased to name this prize in his honor.
The winners of the Reade Y. Tompson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research are:
Lucie Johnson (Robinson Lab) and Pran Teelucksingh (Kizer Lab)
Congratulations to all the Chemistry Department Undergraduates!
View the 2024 Chemistry Department Undergraduate Ceremony here!