Overview of the Chemistry Department

1. Background

Salale University is one of the public higher education institutions in Ethiopia that was established in July 2015 G.C by the council of ministers following the demand of the community of North Shoa and its surrounding, and in line with the direction of the government as per the proclamation article /No.359/2008. It is located in Oromia region, North Shoa, Fitche town at a distance of 114 km from Addis Ababa. Currently, the university is offering about 30 programs clustered in 5 colleges namely: College of Health Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource, College of Business and Economics, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and College of Natural Sciences. The Department of Chemistry, which was established in August 2017 G.C, is one of the academic programs in the College of Natural Sciences offering BSc degree in the regular and MSc degree in regular programs. The activities of the department unlimited, which is started to deliver common and supportive courses to students requested from various departments of the University, conducting research and providing community services. In all of the aforementioned and other related activities, the contribution of the department is significant at the university and also at national level. In line with the national policy of higher education that focuses on promoting applied (80%) and basic (20%) research in science and technology, the department launched postgraduate programs leading to MSc. in Chemistry in the academic year 2020/2021 G.C with streams of Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry.

 In general, the department is offering the following programs:

BSc. Degree in Chemistry (Regular) is given now.

 MSc. Degree in Chemistry (Analytical Chemistry) is given now.

 MSc. Degree in Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry) is launched.

2. Vision

 The vision of the department is to become a Center of Excellence in teaching, learning and research, bring out the potential of students by providing quality teaching, increase global linkages by attracting foreign scholars and establishing collaborative research and to work for wellbeing of humankind through the study of Chemistry as a central Sciences of every subject.

3. Mission

 Chemistry is one of the central Sciences for every subject in our modern world. It plays a crucial role in the development of science, technology, business, medicine and other related sciences including medicine. It profoundly influences the socio-economic development of a society and civilization of our world. Thus, it is imperative that students be equipped with strong Chemistry’s knowledge and skills which enable them to be handling and labeling depending on the procedure for safe and quality productive in areas where rigorous thought and precision of results are emphasized.

Hence, the mission of the department is:

To promote quality teaching, learning and research in the department to become the Center of Excellence.

 To promote quality collaborative work with other stakeholders of Chemistry especially in all factories regarding the quality of production.

To make department nationally and globally competitive.

4. Objectives

 The general objective of mathematics department is:

• To produce qualified Chemists in teaching-learning areas, creative and good researchers who initiates, promotes and foster research in applied Chemistry and leaders who shall be an asset for scientific community.
• To make department nationally and globally competitive by producing good researchers.

5. Resource Profile Staff Profile

1. Physical facility

 The physical facilities of the department are almost reasonably suitable for academic work. Most of them have offices, computer (lap-top and desk-top) which is the minimum requirements. Those academic staff that has computer has a facility connected to the local area network and internet. The department also has six laboratories for each stream which give service for both graduate and undergraduate students.

6. Seminars and Conferences

    Not held yet.

7. Research Thematic Areas

 Taking into account the problems identified, experiences obtained, information reviewed from documents, research interests of the staff members, the following research thematic areas were developed.

Theme 1: Analytical Chemistry

 Sub-thematic area 1: Analysis of inorganic and organic environmental contaminants

 Water quality analysis and treatment technologies.

 Environmental impact assessment and pollution remediation.

 Analysis and assessment of chemical and physical processes of local agricultural products of various sectors such as Aflatoxins and pesticides Developing chemical and material testing center.

Sub-thematic 2: Nutritional quality and safety of staple foods in different parts of Oromia

 regional state to the national level

 Quality and safety of food and beverages.

 Human and animal health nutrition.

 Sub-thematic 3: Application of electrochemistry in different disciplines

 different strategies of electro surface modification for clinical and environmental applications such as

• Carbon nanomaterial
• Metal Nanoparticles

 Sub-thematic 4: Green and sustainable chemistry

Integrating concepts of green chemistry into curricular and research.

 Improving efficiency of materials for energy conservation.

 Natural product chemistry.

 Improving efficiency of industrial chemical and physical processing.

 Synthesis and characterization of valuable organic compounds.

 Developing small scale model chemicals and materials production center.

 Sub-thematic 5: developing and applying method for phytochemical investigation of medicinal plants.

 Sub-thematic 6: chromatography based method development for the investigation and labeling nutritional value of wild edible plants.

 Unidentified specific areas

 Enhancing coordination's and collaboration among universities, research institutions, local agricultural, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Optimization of the quality of local industrial processes and products.

 Improving chemistry teaching in collaboration with high schools and other academic institutions.

Theme 2: physical chemistry

 Sub-thematic 1: Finding suitable, sustainable and renewable energy sources

 Polymeric materials and Solar cells

 Dye synthesized solar cells

 Batteries

 Energy storage and Environmental related Researches

 Fuel cells

 Hydrogen production

 Nuclear energy

 Hydropower energy

 Geothermal energy

 Sub-thematic 2: Studying elements and compounds at molecular levels using computational chemistry.

 First principle calculations

 Computational modeling

 Nanotechnology

 Sub-thematic 3: Environmental pollutions

 Heavy metals

 Hazardous materials

 Sub-thematic 4: Catalytic reactions and Redox Reactions

 Homogeneous catalysis

 Heterogeneous catalysis

 Oxidation and reduction reaction

 Theme 3: Inorganic Chemistry

 Sub-thematic 1: Molecular design and synthesis

 Catalysis

 Nanomaterial

 Sub-thematic 2: Inorganic materials, metal oxides and magnetism

 Organometallic synthesis

 Welding industries

 Ores and ions

 Sub-thematic 3: surface chemistry and catalysis

 Theme 4: Organic chemistry

 Sub-thematic 1: Drug and pharmaceuticals industry

 Phytochemicals

 Extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants

 Characterizations

 Synthesis of drugs

 Sulfur containing drugs

 Sub-thematic 2: Food industries

 Fragrance

 Flavor

 Preservatives

 Free radicals

 Spices

Aromatization of coffee

 Sub-thematic 3: Polymers industries

 Polymerization of natural products

 Polymers and solar energy

 Conducting and non-conducting polymers

 Sub-thematic 4: Synthesis of Organic compounds

 Fertilizers

 Agro chemicals

 Explosives

 Sub-thematic 5: Studying and developing plausible mechanisms for the development different drugs and compounds

 Rate of reaction

 Mechanisms

 Catalysis

 Substrate

8. Consultancy and Trainings

 The department is giving consultancy and training on Chemical safety and handling for Salale University academic staffs (Biology and Chemistry technical assistant) and for the surrounding community (Garba Gurracha and Fiche secondary school Chemistry staffs).

9. Partnerships and Collaborations

Neither partnerships nor Collaborations made yet.

10. Head of Departments

Name: Tadele Getachew, MSc in Organic Chemistry.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone Number: +251 91 026 1427/+251 91 968 4295

Phone Number (Office):- Not provided yet.

Office: Block 007; G+4.