HOD (Chemistry)

Dr. Emmanuel Ntambi
Senior Lecturer

The MUST Chemistry Department is committed to a diverse, nurturing, and inclusive culture for all its faculty, staff, and students. The Department aims to prepare all of its members to be successful in the increasingly diverse global chemistry community. We strive for balance and inclusiveness in our approach to recruiting students and faculty and we endeavor to maintain a warm, welcoming, and collegial climate.

Humankind’s ever-developing scientific knowledge and technology rely heavily on chemistry (medicine, biology, materials science, physics, energy, geology and environmental science, to name a few). Thus, welcome to the Department of Chemistry. I hope that you will explore to get to know our Department, students and staff, and discover the research and educational opportunities available in our Department. I also hope that you get a feel for the collegiality and sense of mission and vision that our Department, students, and staff share. We are proud of our Department and our undergraduate and graduate programs.

The department of Chemistry started with…(No) students in 1998 in response to the national call for well-trained science teachers. It is now a fully-fledged department in the Faculty of Science offering Bachelors, Masters and PhD programs. The department has so far been headed by Dr. Wasswa John (first head), Mr Byamugisha Denis, Dr Grace Birungi and Dr Emmanuel Ntambi

The Department of Chemistry offers courses in undergraduate chemistry and a two-year Master of Chemistry program by course work and dissertation which started in 2010. It also offers a three year PhD by Research. At the undergraduate level the department offers services to the teacher trainees taking on the combinations of Mathematics and Chemistry and Biology and Chemistry for three years; and for the pre-degree chemical technologists for two years.

PHOTONAMEPOSITION
Dr. Emmanuel Ntambi (HOD)Senior Lecturer
Ass. Prof Grace BirungiSenior Lecturer
Mr. Byamugisha DenisSenior Lecturer
Mr. AdakuSenior Lecturer
Mr. Mukasa PaulLecturer
Ms. Nalumansi IreneLecturer
Mr. Baguma JonathanLaboratory Technician
Mr. Cherop TonyLaboratory Technician
MISSION

To expand the horizons of chemical knowledge among students, colleagues, and the community; and to perform cutting edge chemical research in an environmentally and ethically sound manner in the Great Lakes Region, and the world.

VISION

To be the country’s leading institution for high school chemistry teacher education and scientists

RESEARCH AREAS

Research in our department spans the traditional Organic Chemistry: Natural medicinal Products, Bio-active phytochemicals, Nutraceuticals, Natural Colourants

Inorganic Chemistry: (i) Inorganic Chemistry:Coordination chemistry of group VIB elements. (ii) Inorganic synthesis: Synthesis and characterisation of polyoxometalates for phosphate determination. (iii) Analytical chemistry:Development of spectrophotometric methods for the determination of phosphate in water systems. Physical Chemistry: (i) Surface Chemistry, adsorption and desorption, Phytoremediation and soil chemistry (ii) Analytical, Environmental Chemistry: (iii) Analytical methods development for determination of trace elements in environmental matrices (iv) Analytical methods for determination of adulterants in food (v) Water Chemistry: Convectional and emerging pollutants like heavy metals, PAH’s/POP’s, personal care products, Speciation; Water quality analysis; Waste Management and Investigating contaminants that affect the physico-chemical properties of water systems.

The Core Values of the department Include

    1.  We endorse a strong chemical science tradition that provides a basis for lifelong learning, critical analysis, quantitative reasoning, and professional development.
    2.  We value research and scholarship as the primary means to uncover new fundamental knowledge of the world around us and to insure curricula that are always timely, current, and relevant.
    3.  We support collaborative efforts, service projects, and other partnerships that combine scientific inquiry with meeting contemporary needs of society.
    4.  We value the diversity of questions, methods, conceptual approaches, and ideas that comprise the central science of chemistry.
    5.  We value the direct mentoring of students by faculty and the learning by doing manner of instructing students in a laboratory science.
    6.  We recognize the rapid development of new technology and value the opportunities it presents for research, education, and communication of scientific ideas.

The Department of Chemistry is guided by the following objectives:
    Research: Improve and enhance our research infrastructure, our external research funding, our research productivity, and our national and international reputation for research developments
    Education: Update our curriculum on a continuing basis to bring cutting-edge developments to our students; provide new degree programs to reflect changing needs of society, advancements in the field of chemistry, and opportunities unique to Uganda; and, be a driving force and resource in chemistry teacher education
    Service: Provide an engaged and interested department for the surrounding community and the state, and share technical expertise in support of efforts for the public good
    Resources: Utilize all available resources in the most efficient and most productive ways and to secure available external resources to support our mission