As part of a continued initiative aimed at providing high quality STEM education to prepare students at Indiana Wesleyan University for in-demand STEM careers, the Division of Natural Sciences (DNS)-Marion has achieved American Chemical Society (ACS) certification of the Biochemistry and Chemistry programs and has launched an Environmental Science major.
ACS is a nationally recognized organization that promotes excellence in undergraduate chemistry education programs. ACS certification acknowledges high-quality and rigorous programs that prepare students for a successful STEM career upon graduation. IWU’s Biochemistry and Chemistry programs have graduated notable alumni who have gone on to top graduate schools and jobs in biotechnology.
The accreditation in Biochemistry and Chemistry allows for two new accredited majors on the Marion campus: ACS Chemistry and ACS Biochemistry. Dr. Steven Tripp, Associate Professor of Chemistry, expresses his enthusiasm for the future of the programs, “At Indiana Wesleyan University, we take immense pride in our commitment to academic excellence and in the many graduates who carry IWU’s mission to outstanding careers in STEM.” Dr. Tripp feels the accreditation showcases the strengths of IWU, saying, “This certified program is further enhanced by a robust undergraduate research program at IWU with training on our state-of-the-art instrumentation.” The academic excellence paired with the new accreditation will benefit current and future students with quality training and acknowledged credentials in STEM careers.
The Division of Natural Sciences (DNS) has also added a new Environmental Science major. Dr. Jennifer Noseworthy, Associate Professor of Plant Biology, is excited for her part in offering the new Environmental Science major. She informs, “With the growth of employment opportunities within the field of environmental science, we are thrilled to offer a B.S. in Environmental Science at Indiana Wesleyan University. Our program features faculty invested in sustainable agriculture, environmental microbiology, and ornithology where we can explore the multidisciplinary nature of this field within the framework of Christian stewardship and creation care.” Dr. Noseworthy also notes the many hands-on learning experiences including service-learning opportunities, summer internships at the IWU Alliance Garden Campus Farm, and summer research fellowships with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and IWU’s Hodson Summer Research endowed fund.
IWU is the 13th school in the CCCU to offer programs accredited by the ACS. The newly certified programs and new Environmental Science program further enables IWU to attract students and transform them into world changers to impact STEM fields. These three programs also benefit from over $2 million dollars in recent grants to the DNS at IWU from funding agencies including the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These awards offer STEM student scholarships and undergraduate research projects at the school. Dr. Tripp says, “We look forward to continuing to provide our students with the highest quality education and preparing them for successful science careers.”