Dr. James Mgaya
Head - Department of Chemistry
 

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry

General information for students

The Department of Chemistry offers a wide range of courses ranging from basic Chemistry to Applied Chemistry to both undergraduate and postgraduate students. All courses offered at the department incorporate a blend of theoretical aspects as well as practical aspects using the available up-to-date Laboratory facilities. Courses offered are in the fields of Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Computational Chemistry, and Industrial Chemistry. In addition to teaching, the Department can provide a wide range of consultancy activities based on the expertise of its academic and technical members of staff.  

Learning resources

The College Library has an excellent collection of Chemistry books (both hardcopy and online), journals and reference materials. MSc Students specializing in Chemistry are further sources of scientific information and help.

Laboratories

The Department has research and teaching laboratories furnished with modern fume chambers, freezers, lab equipment such as distillation equipment, rotary evaporator, hydrogen generator, orbital shaker, UV-Visible spectrophotometer, several hot water baths, conductivity meters, and many other apparatuses for carrying out research and doing experiments. 

Programmes

The Department of Chemistry in collaboration with other Departments in the Faculty of Science, and the Faculty of Education offers Undergraduate Programmes: Bachelor of Science with Education (BSc Ed) and Bachelor of Education in Science (BEd Sc). Similarly, the Department offers two Postgraduate programmes:  Master of Science with Education (MSc Ed) and Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry (MSc Ind Chem). Also, the department offers other programmes including Certificate and Diploma in Educational Laboratory Science and Technology

Teaching Staff and research areas

The staff members are Ph.D. qualified with significant guiding experience. They use various innovative teaching methods and put much effort in guiding learners to achieve their goals. The faculty member specializes in various research fields such as:

1. Computational Chemistry, Materials Chemistry, Bio-renewable Resources, and Nanotechnology
2. Chemical Analysis, Oilfield Chemistry, Oil and Natural Gas Engineering
3. Green Chemistry, Catalysis, and Renewable Energy
4. Environmental Chemistry, Environmental impact assessment, and Valorization of agro wastes
5. Separation Sciences and Quality Assurance in Higher Education systems
6. Bio/chemical Analysis of Natural Products from Traditional Herbal, Remedies, and Food Recipes
7. Biomolecular DNA Analysis of Toxigenic Algal Blooms in Drinking Water Systems
8. Risk Management and Mitigation
9. Forensic examination of factors that affect the environment
10. Aquatic pollution and environmental contaminants
11. Energy-Health-Natural Disasters Nexus
12. Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, and Polymer chemistry
13. Toxicology, Water treatment, Methods development in spectroscopy, and electro-analytical techniques

Laboratory technicians and scientists

Technical staffs are available to guide (or supervise) students conducting Chemistry experiments and ensure equipment and apparatus are well maintained. The lab scientists are also involved in conducting research, projects, case studies, consultancy, and community services in collaboration with academic staff.

Academic advisers

Academic staff members are available as academic advisers and set office hours for consultation about their fields. They are also ready to discuss Chemistry, Science in general, and career developments. The best way to take full advantage of the scientific opportunities available in the department is to attend all lectures, tutorial sessions, and laboratory sessions, and engage in group discussions.