DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Department of Chemistry at St. Johns college was established in 1967 and started functioning as an independent department from 1982. Since 1982, the department offers a full-time program of graduate study leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in General Chemistry with Physics and Mathematics as supplementary science subjects. Thus the department has a long tradition over nearly 33 years in imparting Chemistry education to the rural backward area of southern skirts of Kerala. The first batch successfully completed the B.Sc degree programme with chemistry as major subject in 1985. The department also extends its services to other degree courses (B.Sc Botany and B.Sc Zoology) of this college that include chemistry subject as subsidiary part of the curriculum. The department has fetched three rank holders in the UG programme in chemistry before the implementation of grading pattern in the State. The glorious achievements and successful run of the department are entrenched on its dedicated faculty members. Presently, the department is functioned with 8 faculty members and 2 lab assistants with Ms. Simi Saju as the head.
Department of Chemistry at St. Johns college plays a vital role in moulding professionals and several of our alumni pursue higher studies and subsequently hold distinguished positions in diverse sectors at national and international level. By adding the post-graduate course (M.Sc) in general chemistry in 2013, the department has grown into a major centre for teaching. Existing only as a teaching department in its earlier days, it has become a teaching-cum-research department from 2013 onwards. It was recognized under DBT star scheme in 2015 and implemented from 2016 onwards. In 2016, the department of chemistry received the DST-FIST support in its research activities, enabling the department to be equipped with sophisticated instruments including UV-Visible spectrophotometer, Gas chromatograph and electrochemical workstation. The department was elevated as a Research Center under the University of Kerala in 2019. Presently, the department has 7 research guides and 8 research scholars (3 full time and 5 part-time research scholars). In addition, the department extends its research facilities and consultancy services to postgraduate students and research scholars of other colleges and universities.
The faculty members of this department are experienced researchers and actively involved in thrust areas like heterogeneous catalysis, material science, renewable energy, environmental chemistry, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, inorganic complexes etc through collaboration with other national and international universities and institutes. The department was successful in running major and minor research projects, funded by CSIR and UGC. Not drifting away from the original mandate of providing undergraduate and graduate chemistry education, the department is also in the process of establishing research activities in various areas of Chemical Sciences to augment the post-graduate research project studies as well as to build this department as a centre for research. The department has organized several major and minor events such as UGC sponsored National Symposium in Chemistry, a series of lectures that are relevant to graduate and post-graduate study and interdisciplinary research interest, mega exhibition etc. Placement of students of this department in industries, Universities/Colleges/Institutes, Ph.D admission abroad and reputed national institutions etc. are other feathers in its credit. As part of its efforts, the Department expects to diversify and expand its activities in the coming years.

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