The Collegian

Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News

Hillsdale College approved a proposal March 6 to add biochemistry to the list of science majors and minors offered next year.

The proposal was approved by the Educational Policies Committee, a group made of representatives from every field of study across campus that reviews academic proposals, and also by a vote of the entire college faculty.

Biochemistry studies chemistry and cellular and molecular biology. The chemistry department desired a biochemistry major to ease faculty workloads, offer students more flexibility in courses and attract more students to the college, Dean of Natural Sciences Chris Van Orman said.

"It's a big deal," he said. "We knew that we were losing people interested in that major to other schools."

Van Orman said the college needed time to create the major for two reasons. First, it needed to garner more funds from the Founders Campaign, the college's $400 million fundraiser, so that it could allocate funding for the change, Van Orman said.

The department also needed a specialist in biochemistry to teach the advanced courses. The department met that need last year by hiring Assistant Professor of Chemistry Christopher Hamilton.

With the requirements settled, the new major should give students interested in biotechnology or medicine something more suited to their needs, Van Orman said.

"Biochemistry is at the interface between the two fields," Hamilton said. "It's basically the chemistry of biomolecules underlying the chemistry of life."

Graduates in biochemistry go on to subjects such as biotechnology or medicine, he said. Sophomore Vivian Jago said she has been interested in biochemistry since freshman year and could be one of the first of such majors at Hillsdale.

Jago said she would like to open a restaurant that makes unusual recipes based on knowledge of gastronomy, similar to the famous Chicago restaurant Moto. With this major, she would study molecular gastronomy, which uses science to manipulate the taste and texture of foods, she said.

In all, about half a dozen students have already expressed interest in pursuing the new major, Hamilton said. He said he anticipates more interest.

Greater interest would significantly change the science department, Van Orman said. First, it might attract more students from biology majors, letting chemistry professors bear some of the biology faculty's current workload.

Currently, biology professors teach three to four classes and advise about eight junior and senior theses, Biology Department Chairman Frank Steiner said.

But more interest could also change class sizes and the curriculum, Van Orman said.

With the addition of the biochemistry major, all chemistry majors would be required to take Biology 300, which focuses on molecular genetics and cellular function, and the biochemistry majors would be required to take two semesters of upper-level physics, Van Orman said. These new requirements will change class sizes, he said.

Changed enrollment and more biochemistry senior theses means a shifted workload for the professors, but the students' workload should be about the same, Van Orman said.
However, the biochemistry major would have more resources at hand, Hamilton said. Students can take advantage of the nine biology and five chemistry professors.

"Hillsdale is a very different place than other institutions," Van Orman said. "We have a really hands-on approach with the students."

Jago said she finds Hamilton helpful in her studies.

"Dr. Hamilton is definitely interesting to talk to," Jago said. "I practically live in the guy's office, and he's not afraid to give you more information."

Sophomore Andrew Cureton also said he enjoys Hamilton's expertise.

"It's always interesting to figure out the different ways in which God has set [our bodies] up to operate and how complex it really is," he said.

Though the new major needs time to work out a few kinks, it should be robust within the next several years, Van Orman said.

"I'm excited," he said. "I'm really excited for it."

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