The Department of Chemistry at UBC, located in Vancouver, has facilities to accommodate over 300 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty. As one of North America's leading research units, the Department has built an international reputation for excellence on the strength of its faculty, teaching and cutting-edge research in the chemical sciences.

The Buildings

The main Chemistry building was the original Science building for UBC (constructed in 1922) and has since undergone extensive renovations to meet the updated needs of chemical research and instruction. Three additional wings were added between 1959 and 1965. A joint Chemistry/Physics building, opened in 1989, provides 55,000 square feet of additional research and office space, enhancing interdisciplinary research opportunities and giving the UBC Chemistry Department one of the most comfortable and up-to-date research spaces in North America. The Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory (AMPEL) opened in the fall of 1995, provides a unique interdisciplinary approach to research in materials science.

Shops & Services

Fully equipped to meet the needs of its research groups, the Chemistry Department maintains electronic, mechanical and glass-blowing shops, NMR, X-ray crystallography and mass spectroscopic facilities, as well as a departmental illustrator, microanalyst and biological services laboratory. The workshops are an important adjunct to the Department, with the capability to fabricate and repair specialized equipment. As well as maintaining the over 4,000 pieces of electronic equipment in the Department, the technical support personnel are involved in the design and development of new equipment. For instance, ESR, NMR, and mass spectrometers as well as NMR probes have all been produced in the shops. There are 15 technicians in the electronic and mechanical shops, and a full-time glass-blower. The departmental library conveniently maintains its own collection of journals, and the main science and medical libraries are nearby.