Biochemistry Program Earns National Accreditation

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Provost Joanne Z. Bruno, J.D., is pleased to announce that the university’s undergraduate Biological Chemistry programs have received provisional accreditation from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB).

“This is great news for our students, particularly for those who are interested in moving on to advanced degrees with research options, students who want to pursue a teaching degree and others who are interested in pursuing careers in public health, healthcare and advanced medical degrees,” said Bruno.

Dr. Peter Hawkes, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences added, “This accreditation is a significant step among many to strengthen STEM (science technology, engineering and math) programs on our campus.”

According to Michelle Jones-Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and coordinator of the biochemistry and chemical biotechnology programs, “This accreditation means that our curriculum meets national standards. ESU is one of only two institutions within the State System to earn this accreditation and now joins Villanova and Penn State with an accredited biochemistry program.”

ESU graduates an average of 15 students per year with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and boasts a 94% placement rate in industry, graduate school, or professional school. The ASBMB accreditation is not only meaningful to the institution’s curriculum; it also opens the door for eligible ESU students to pursue individual accreditation in biochemistry from the ASBMB.

The program has more than 50% women and 27% minority enrollment, which Dr. Jones-Wilson said is three times the national average. Department faculty members have a wide breadth of experience in specialties including immunology and microbiology. “I’m a pharmaceutical chemist,” said Jones-Wilson, “and our faculty also includes a protein chemist and a lipid chemist, so we clearly cover the three major categories of the biochemistry program.”

In its bestowal of accreditation, the ASBMB acknowledged ESU’s strengths in teamwork, commitment to serving underrepresented groups, and faculty expertise.

Teamwork, one of the cornerstones of the program, is especially evident in the laboratory setting. “Students are required to write reports as a team.” Dr. Jones-Wilson explained. “They learn how to come together on one document and take turns being writer, editor, and fact-checker. Some may contribute more than others, but they have to learn how to manage that in a professional manner. It’s all about setting goals and objectives, and communicating clearly.”

ESU undergraduate Amber Bell expects to graduate in May with a dual degree in biochemistry and chemical biotechnology. Bell entered the biochemistry program with her eye on medical school. “I love the chemical side of what the body does and why,” she said. “Once I became involved in biochemistry and saw the many different opportunities within reach, I was even more certain in my choice of major and how I could relate that to my career interests.” Bell, a past recipient of the Lehigh Valley American Chemical Society’s Organic Chemistry Award Scholarship, will take a year between graduation and entering medical school to work as a medical scribe or a lab technician, in either a hospital setting or in industry.

For more information about ESU’s biochemistry program, contact Dr. Jones-Wilson at (570) 422-3703 or by email at mjwilson@esu.edu.

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