Information for Fall 2008 Incoming Graduate Students

Keep an eye out for letters from the Graduate School. Over the course of the next few months you may receive letters from the University of Nevada, Reno Graduate School: read these letters! Occasionally the letters will remind you to submit information missing from your records that is needed before you can enroll for the Fall semester. Frequently the needed information will be:

  • Proof of immunizations.
  • Receipt of final, official transcripts from your previous institution, showing conferral of degree.

Please keep the Chemistry Department and Graduate School informed of your current mailing address.

Contents

  1. Arrival in Reno
  2. Chemistry/Chemical Physics Contact Information
  3. Important Dates
  4. Registration Exams
  5. Housing
  6. Helpful Links
  7. About your postal addresses at Nevada
  8. Obtaining your e-mail address
  9. Special information for international students
  1. ARRIVAL IN RENO

    International graduate students should arrive in Reno by August 1, 2008, in order to have enough time to complete the paperwork for the employment which includes obtaining a social security number, and to take the SPEAK test. Domestic new graduate students should plan to arrive in Reno by August 7, 2008, in order to complete paperwork, secure housing, and settle down in preparation for orientation activities (which begin August 8). Be sure to check into the department as soon as you arrive to meet your new friends, sign your TA contract, and to receive any late announcements. The chemistry main office is located in room 213 (southeast corner, second floor) of the Chemistry Building. The Chemistry Building is on the New Quad (see the general campus map). If you will travel to Reno by air, someone from the department can meet you at the airport. Contact Professor Sheridan (rss[ at ]unr.edu) to make arrangements.

  2. CHEMISTRY/CHEMICAL PHYSICS CONTACT INFORMATION
    • Prof. Sean Casey, Chair of Graduate Admissions Committee
      Phone: 775-784-4133
      Email: scasey[ at ]unr.edu
    • Chemistry Main Office:
      Jennifer Melius, Graduate Administrative Assistant
      Phone: 775-784-6041
      Email: jmelius[ at ]unr.edu
    • Prof. Robert Sheridan, Chair of Graduate Studies Committee
      Phone: 775-784-6730
      Email: rss[ at ]unr.edu
    • Prof. Joseph Cline, Director of Chemical Physics Program
      Phone: 775-784-4376
      Email: cline[ at ]unr.edu
  3. IMPORTANT DATES

    Calendar for August 2008

           August       
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
                1  2
 3  4  5  6  7  8  9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30      
31
    August 1
    International students should have arrived in Reno and checked in with the department and at OISS.
    August 7
    Domestic students should have arrived in Reno and checked in with the department.
    August 5, 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
    SPEAK test (international students only, see below). Coordinate with Jennifer Melius to make an appointment for the exact time for the exam at the IELC office.
    August 8, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
    Fire Extinguisher and Fire Safety Training
    August 8, 1:15 - 5:00 p.m., AB 107
    Laboratory Safety Training class
    August 11, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, CB 316A
    Chemistry/Chemical Physics New Graduate Student Orientation Meeting
    Agenda:
    • Introduction
    • Overview of Department, Graduate Study Guidelines, etc.
    • General Safety Talk
    August 11-13, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
    Chemistry (or Chemical Physics) Registration Exams (see additional information below).
    All exams are given in CB 111 and may consume the entire afternoon.
    • Physical Chemistry: 2 p.m. on August 11
    • Inorganic Chemistry (or Mathematical Physics): 2 p.m. on August 12
    • Organic Chemistry (or Mechanics): 2 p.m. on August 13
    August 14, afternoon, times and locations by appointment.
    Individual course advisement for new graduate students
    August 15, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, EJCH 220
    Bridge Placement testing. Int'l only.
    August 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m., CB 316A
    Chemistry TA orientation
    August 19, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m., EJCH 220
    Bridge Placement testing. Int'l only.
    August 20, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Ballroom A, JCSU
    UNR Graduate Assistant Training Orientation. This program familiarizes new teaching assistants with UNR instructional policies and instructional methods and is required. See the orientation website for schedule and further details.
    August 21, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., JCSU
    UNR New student and graduate student orientation
    August 22, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, AB 208
    Non-Resident Alien Orientation. Int'l only.
    August 22, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., CB 316A
    TA Meeting
    Monday, August 25
    Instruction begins
    For other important dates, see the UNR Academic Calendar.
  4. CHEMISTRY/CHEMICAL PHYSICS REGISTRATION EXAMINATIONS

    Registration exams will be given to assess each student’s background at the undergraduate level. Students enrolled in the Chemistry M.S. and Ph.D. programs take exams in Physical, Inorganic, and Organic Chemistry. These are ACS standardized exams and cover the subject material corresponding to undergraduate courses in each of these areas of chemistry. Students enrolled in the Chemical Physics Program take the ACS Physical Chemistry exam plus examinations in mathematics and mechanics. The registration exams also serve as the Qualifying Exams required by the Graduate School for the Ph.D. program (consult the general catalog). All incoming students should prepare for these exams since any student failing a registration exam will be required to take the corresponding undergraduate courses and obtain a grade of “B” or better. A cash award is given to the student showing the best overall performance in the registration exams.

    Standard texts which have been used for typical courses covered by the registration exams are as follows:

    • Physical Chemistry: Atkins, Physical Chemistry, Freeman.
    • Organic Chemistry: Solomon, Organic Chemistry, John Wiley and Sons.
    • Inorganic Chemistry: Huheey, Inorganic Chemistry, Harper and Row; Shriver, Atkins, and Langford, Inorganic Chemistry, Freeman.
    • Mathematical Physics: Boas, Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences, John Wiley and Sons.
    • Mechanics: Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, Fundamental Physics, John Wiley and Sons.
  5. HOUSING

    This is the first matter to which you should attend when you arrive in Reno. On-campus housing options for graduate students include the University Village apartments (family housing which has a waiting list), though nearly all single graduate students secure private housing off campus. There are many housing options near the University campus. Entering graduate students can often find roommates or leads on apartments through graduate students already in the program. Contact Professor Casey (scasey[ at ]unr.edu) for help in making graduate student contacts.

    Additional housing information:

  6. ABOUT YOUR NEW ADDRESS AT NEVADA

    Your departmental mail address and contact information at the University of Nevada, Reno will be:

    Department of Chemistry
    University of Nevada
    1664 N. Virginia St.
    Reno, NV 89557-0216
    USA

    Department general phone number: 775-784-6041

  7. E-MAIL ADDRESSES

    The university provides e-mail services for all students.

    All University of Nevada, Reno students (undergraduate and graduate) are automatically assigned an e-mail address in the form “username@unr.nevada.edu”, accessed through the WebMail interface. Go on the web to activate and configure this account.

    For department communications, you should only use an official UNR address. Please provide your school e-mail address to the main office for inclusion in the departmental directory and on the e-list for announcements. You will be expected to read your e-mail regularly for departmental announcements. It is possible to forward mail to a private service, but this is not recommended because important mail could be lost if that account changes.

  8. SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
    • You must arrive in Reno by August 1, 2008 in order to have enough time to complete the paperwork for the employment which includes applying for a social security number. Obtaining a social security number takes about one month, but you can receive a temporary number for TA contract purposes. You will need a valid picture identification card that is more than one year old in order to apply for a social security number.
    • International graduate students for whom English is not their native language must take the SPEAK test upon arrival at the University. Students who have a sufficiently high score on the TSE (Test of Spoken English) may be exempted from this requirement. The SPEAK test will be administered during the week of August 4. The Chemistry Department Office will assist students in arranging appointments with the IELC Office.
    • All international students must visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) before they register for classes.
    • International student arrival information from OISS.