Tesla Bethel
Lantern Staff
All the different molecules in a person’s body can be broken down long after they are dead. Every person leaves a carbon imprint. Chemistry affects all walks of life from an organism’s metabolism, to the air we breathe, to even the water we consume. There is always going to be a need for people going into chemistry, but it is important to realize how broad it can be.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jacob Schesser explains the importance of chemistry.
“We are always going to have a need for people to analyze our water, our food, our drugs and medicines to make sure they are free of harmful contaminants.” Schesser said. “All of that falls in the realm of chemistry.”
With a degree in chemistry, one can work in fields from research and development to quality control and regulation to even environmental and health. Pursue a career as a toxicologist, which can entail testing the dangers of drugs, chemicals and agents to make sure the proper amounts a substance can be used before it becomes harmful. This would require a master’s or higher with a median salary of $82,240 a year, according to the American Chemical Society.
Maybe pursue a career as a chemical engineer, which only requires a bachelor’s degree, but has a median salary of $97,360 a year, according to the American Chemical Society. This job entails designing and troubleshooting the products from chemicals, to biologicals to even fuels.
One could also pursue a career as a hydrologist, which requires a master’s degree or doctorate, but the pay and need is worth it. The average salary is $120,160 a year, and they play one of the most important roles in any community. Every city with a municipal water has to have the water tested on a daily basis to make sure it is free of pesticides, metals, and other potentially toxic substances. The water from the tap is tested every day, so the population does not have to worry about getting sick.
Sophomore chemistry Major David House has aspirations of going into the medical field.
“I like science,” House said. “I feel chemistry hits the core aspects of it harder than the other two fundamental branches, biology and physics.”
Chemistry can also play an important role in going into any medical profession.
“If you major in chemistry that would qualify you for professional fields in regards to health sciences like medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, are all degrees that a chemistry degree would prepare you to apply for,” Schesser said.
House goes onto explain further saying, “Chemistry is a huge part of how the body works. Essentially, it is the barest-bones analysis of life. You can’t really be broken down on a more fundamental level than the atoms that make up a person.”
As far as the classes you need to take, a student going into this major will have to take calculus up to calculus three, chemistry one and two, as well as organic chemistry one and two. They will even have to take physics one and two on top of all other general education courses required. House explains that they can be difficult if a student does not pay attention, but that it is something to pursue if they enjoy science.
The average salary for a chemist is approximately $54,859 a year. This is slightly higher than the median of all household incomes in the United States, which was $51,939 as of 2013, according to Fox Business.
Chemistry is something that is detrimental to any community, and there will always be a need for young people to enter the field.
