Chemistry department cracks World's Top 100

Joanna Magee, Communications Officer, Faculty of Science

Waterloo’s department of chemistry has ranked in the top 100 of the best chemistry departments in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Waterloo was only one of five Canadian chemistry departments to break the top 100, joining the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, University of British Columbia and University of Ottawa in the chemistry rankings.

The ARWU is published by the Center for World-Class Universities and the Institute of Higher Education of Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. The ARWU uses six objective indicators to rank world universities, including faculty with Nobel prizes or Field medals, number of highly cited researchers, and number of articles published in the top international journals.

More than 1,000 universities are ranked by the ARWU each year and the best 500 are published on the web. This is the first year chemistry departments have been specifically ranked by the ARWU.

John Honek, chair of chemistry, was pleased to learn of Waterloo’s top 100 ranking. “In looking at all the universities that are included, the chemistry departments listed are really top-notch,” he says. “It is a real testament to the high quality research that our faculty and students conduct in our department that allows uWaterloo Chemistry to be ranked so highly.”
Honek also points out that the department has “exceptional individuals in all areas of Chemistry who publish in leading edge international journals. Chemistry is critically important and impacts the world around us.”

Chemistry can be used in a number of different ways, from predictive theoretical chemistry, to analytical measurement, to chemical synthesis of new materials and new drugs, to catalyst development and understanding how biomolecules function in cells. Everything that has atoms can be readily investigated by chemists.

The department is also breaking into new areas that will bode well for Chemistry’s reputation in the future. “We have a number of faculty members who are working in nanotechnology and some who are researchers associated with the Institute for Quantum Computing,” Honek says.

To show just how much of an influence chemistry has in our lives, the department will also be offering a new course in the fall for undergraduate students called What in the World is Chemistry.

“The course will aim to give students a new appreciation for the impact that chemistry has on society,” Honek says. “We need to show students that there is a demand for chemists and students with chemistry backgrounds and it is this training that will contribute to future scientific breakthroughs which will benefit our society.”

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Former president and Vice-Chancellor of St. Jerome's University Michael Higgins (right) will deliver a keynote address at the Education to Globalize the Human Mind conference, which is being held August 20-22 at the University of Waterloo Conference Centre in Ron Eydt Village. Organized by the Spiritual Heritage Education Network (SHEN), the conference "deals with the necessary educational curricula required in order to increase inter-religious and cross-cultural understanding" Dr. Higgins will be speaking on Saturday, August 21 at 1:30 p.m. More information is available via email.

It's that time of year again. The PAC is closing its doors until September 6. CIF remains open with reduced hours until September 5 - Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Call it seasonal service shrinkage. It's also the time of year when many Food Services outlets reduce their operating hours. Mudie's in Village 1 is closed until Sunday, September 5 at 10 a.m., Browser's in the Dana Porter Library is now open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and is closed on weekends until September 18, Eye Opener in the School of Optometry is now closed and will re-open August 23, Bon Appetit in the David Centre is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily (Jolly Chef only), and as for Tim Hortons, The Davis Centre outlet is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in SCH, the hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. As of today, the SLC location is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. until August 27, and is closed on weekends. It will be closed from August 30 to September 5, much to the chagrin of the construction crew working next door.

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