Biochemistry
Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Why Major in Biochemistry at Allegheny College
Biochemistry encourages you to engage with science by integrating biology, chemistry, and physics in innovative ways. You’ll develop important communication, research, and critical thinking skills that prepare you for success in a wide range of fields.
Unusual Combinations
Students often combine Biochemistry with:
Division
- Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Program Type
- Major
Number of Credits
62 or 64 for majorWhere Biochemistry Alumni Work Today
Director of Medical Oncology
Meadville Medical Center
Jason Brown ’97
Idaho State Veterinarian
Idaho State Department of Agriculture
Scott Leibsle ’99
President & CEO
Interphase Materials
Noah Snyder ’10
Microbial and Biome Sciences Group Leader
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Taraka Dale ’99
Director of Research
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation
Nicole Spardy Burr ’04
Senior Manager of Medical Affairs
Suneva Medical
Sarah Sckena ’10
Senior Scientist
OB/GYN Resident
Crozer Health
Erika Pack ’16
JD, Counsel
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
Emily Starr ’16
Post-doctoral Fellow
Research Account Executive
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dana Bruce ’17
Medical Student
Geisinger
Carolyn Young ’20
Medical Student
LECOM-Seton Hill
Brayden Cartwright ’23
The community atmosphere of the Allegheny Biochemistry Program helped me to find my support system and create deep connections with others. Critical thinking is fostered in lecture halls, laboratory work, research opportunities, and even the annual Chemii Bake-Off. In every activity, students are instructed to focus on the thought processes of learning and the various pathways to a solution, rather than focusing solely on obtaining the correct answer.
Your Four-Year Journey
Year 1: Understanding
In your first year, you’ll gain an introduction to the foundational concepts in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, taking classes that, in parallel, discuss the importance of interactions, energy, dynamics, equilibrium, and proportional reasoning. Many entry points into the major are available; however, most first-year students take Introduction to Chemistry (I, II), Introduction to Biology I, and Calculus (I, II).
Featured Courses:
Year 2: New Approaches
In your second year, you’ll take intermediate and core courses that reinforce the importance of interactions, energy, dynamics, equilibrium, and proportional reasoning. Additionally, a communication course is offered to learn evidence-based scientific writing and speaking. You’ll also take Organic Chemistry I, Introduction to Biology II, Physics I, and a seminar course in chemistry or biology.
Year 3: Delving Deeper
Your third year is your Core Biochemistry interdisciplinary experience: explore the intersection of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. In-class and laboratory experiences model interdisciplinary communication and use of foundational concepts to understand complex biological phenomena. The Junior Seminar strengthens evidence-based scientific writing and speaking and prepares you for the Senior Comp.
Year 4: The Comp
In your final year, you’ll take advanced courses in biology and chemistry that strengthen interdisciplinary communication and utilization of field-specific foundational concepts to understand complex biological phenomena. The Senior Comp (biology or chemistry) is a two-semester project under the mentorship of a Biochemistry faculty advisor, allowing you to develop relevant biochemical hypotheses and carry out investigations to test your original ideas.
Research and Internships
We’ll prepare you to navigate the blurred distinctions between the sciences through an interdisciplinary and integrated major in the field of biochemistry.
You’ll be exposed to a variety of hands-on education opportunities as we encourage you to see the connections between scientific disciplines.
The annual Lord Lecture brings some of the nation’s most distinguished chemists to the College for residencies of up to one week. Recent Lord Lecturers include:
- Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize–winning chemist, poet, and playwright
- Dudley Herschbach, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- George Whitesides, Mallinckrodt Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University and winner of the 1998 National Medal of Science
- Katherine A. Mirica, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Dartmouth
The annual Darling Lecture Series brings a nationally-known biologist to campus for a public lecture and meetings with students.
Allegheny offers sponsored study-away programs in more than 15 countries across the world.
Many biochemistry majors carry out independent research or collaborative research with faculty in addition to the Senior Comp. Biochemistry majors frequently present their research at regional and national scientific conferences.
Faculty and Staff
Associate Professor
Department Chair
Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; B.A., Kenyon College
Email: bhersh@allegheny.edu
Phone: 814-332-5206
Associate Professor
Ph.D. (Biological Chemistry/Biophysics), University of North Carolina; B.S. (Chemistry), Florida International University
Email: igarcia@allegheny.edu
Phone: 814-332-5357
Featured News
Translating an Allegheny Education into Happy Trails
When Will Tippins ‘17 and his buddy Joe Shultz ‘17 went on their first camping trip their first year at Allegheny, they were woefully unprepared.
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Address:
520 North Main Street
Meadville, PA 16335
Contact:
814-332-4351
info@allegheny.edu
admissions@allegheny.edu
