CHEM-517-brian.clowers-2026-02-22-05-40-29

Chromatography

CHEM 517

Fall 202X (TBD)

Number of Credit Hours: 3

PREREQUISITES: CHEM 425 or equivalent.

 

Course Details

Day and Time: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9-10 am

Meeting Location: TBD

 

Instructor Contact Information

INSTRUCTOR:		Brian Clowers, Ph.D.
CONTACT INFO:	Phone:	509-335-4300
	e-mail:	brian.clowers@wsu.edu
OFFICE HOURS AND LOCATION:		Tuesdays 11 am to 12 pm and Zoom by request. Fulmer 549

 

Course Description

To address modern challenges across the chemical, biological, and physical sciences, it is often necessary to isolate and examine chemical and biological species as pure substances.  The fundamentals and application of chemical separations remain at the core of these endeavors.  It is for these reasons that this class aims to develop a student’s understanding of chromatographic separations and the range of modern solutions that exist for compound isolation and analysis.  In addition to the traditional lecture format, the topics covered in this course will be supplemented by classical and modern readings primarily derived from peer-reviewed literature.  The selection of these resources is designed to offer a classical understanding of the technical challenges that are now embodied in many of the mature chromatographic approaches now in routine use. As per graduate school recommendations, for each hour of lecture equivalent, students should expect to devote a minimum of three hours of work outside class.

 

Course Materials 

Reading assignments accessible through http://canvas.wsu.edu/

Hand-outs, review articles, and other information as provided by the instructor and posted on http://canvas.wsu.edu/

 

Learning Objectives and Student Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Student Learning Outcome	Evaluation of Outcome
Become familiar with fundamental concepts of partition coefficients and their role in achieving separations across different types of chromatography.  This includes the development of an understanding of the mechanisms of elution and separation optimization.	Timed, online quizzes Personalized Take-Home Exam
Develop the core skills to parse existing chromatographic protocols and identify the key factors influencing a chromatography experiment.	In-class discussions, presentations, and written critiques of contemporary literature.
Understand the underlying assumptions of the most common chromatographic separation techniques and approaches to method validation.	Timed, online class quizzes, and participation in class discussions.

---

Course Schedule

Grading 

Quizzes		100 points
Reading Participation		60 points
Special Topic Report		75 points
Poster Presentation		50 points

 

GRADING SCALE:

 

A: >=90%	A-: 85–89.9%	B+: 80–84.9%	B: 75–79.9%	B-: 70–74.9%
C+: 65–69.9%	C: 60–64.9%	C-: 55–59.9%	D: 50–54.9%	F: <50%

 

Quizzes—10 points each

• 10 of 13 quizzes will be counted toward the final grade

Throughout the semester, thirteen 7-minute quizzes will be administered at the beginning of the designated class period.  Of these 13, only 10 will count towards the final grade. Each quiz will cover the material presented in the previous class period.  There will be no make-up quizzes, and the dates of each quiz will be announced via http://canvas.wsu.edu/ or in class. Quizzes will be administered electronically via Canvas (http://canvas.wsu.edu/). It is the responsibility of each student to be logged into Canvas at the start of the class period during which a quiz is to be administered. Login details for CHEM 517 will be provided when necessary. 

 

Reading Anticipation Guides (RSVPs)—60 points

• Reflect Summarize Viewpoint Puzzlers

• 10 of 13 will be graded (5 points each).

• Student-generated RSVP associated with final poster presentation (10 points).

Each week, a journal article or associated reading will be distributed along with an RSVP (See content folder on http://canvas.wsu.edu/ for an example RSVP and associated rubric).  The purpose of the RSVP guide is to challenge your assumptions regarding the topic at hand and promote a deeper understanding of the core concepts in any given reading.  For each RSVP, a series of questions and statements will be presented, and a response is required.  Each response is expected to be coherent and composed of complete sentences. RSVPs are due at 8 a.m. on the day of class. This provides sufficient time for me to review them and address questions/misconceptions at the start of class. They will comprise T/F, multiple choice, or short.  Make-up RSVPs will not be given, since I will drop your three lowest RSVPs.  Do NOT ask me for one; I will not grant it.  

In tandem with the final project and presentation, each student is to construct and provide to the instructor (5 working days in advance) their own RSVP associated with a reading or their own final poster presentation.  This exercise will help promote discussion about your final topic and focus attention on the key aspects of your chosen topic. Please use RVPSs assigned throughout the semester as templates. This aspect of class participation will contribute a maximum of 10 points to the point total for the class.  

Special Topic Report—75 points

• 15 points for the initial proposal

• 60 points for the written report

 

During the 8th week of class, students will be tasked with providing a presentation project proposal (up to 2 pages) focusing on the modern fundamentals or applications of chromatography to address technological challenges. This topic proposal is due electronically at the beginning of class on the Thursday of the 8th week. The special topic assignment for CHEM 517 is a targeted and critical evaluation of a modern application of chromatography. In addition to the review of the fundamentals of the underlying technique, the student is required to provide an assessment regarding the benefits of a particular separation scheme to the target application. The report is not limited to concepts and topics covered in the course, however, each project proposal must be approved by the instructor. Topics include efforts toward miniaturization, field deployment, instrumentation, novel sampling and sample preparation schemes, data analysis approaches, and even optimization efforts.  Students are encouraged to think broadly. However, the special topic report and accompanying presentation must encompass the research efforts from a minimum of two independent research groups with at least one peer-reviewed publication since 2015. The report must contain a minimum of 10 references and provide a perspective on the current state of the art and prospects for the future.  

 

The following paper format must be followed:

• A minimum of 7 pages with a maximum of 10 (Arial, 12 point font) with a spacing of 1.5 and 1” margins.  This page total excludes references and any figures deemed appropriate to convey the topic clearly
• Sections to include:
• Report title, author name, and affiliation. 
• Abstract: This must be a summary with a 200 to 250-word count. The abstract must contain quantitative information that relates to your report. For example, figures of merit and/or performance data that quantitatively (i.e., analytically) describe the state-of-the-art for the topic. 
• Introduction and Background: Describe the technology topic you have selected and why you selected it. Be sure to include the chemical analysis needs and challenges being addressed.
• Experimental and Technology Summary: Describe in sufficient detail the core assumptions and theory of the target method (with references). For example, if it is a new stationary phase design, go into the dimensional and compositional details and relate as much as possible to the concepts presented in the course. Include and discuss salient data results (e.g., figures and tables, citing source references) for how the new technology performs. 
• Future Directions: What are the challenges and/or shortcomings that still need to be addressed by the technology? Is there room for improvement, and if so, how? 
• References: List references cited in the text using numbers.

Class Poster Presentation—50 points

Following the 8th week of class, the topics for each individual poster presentation will be determined and mirror those of the written Special Topics Report. The class poster presentation is scheduled for 12/5/2025 at a TBD time. Posters will concisely convey the findings and pertinent aspects from the student’s Special Topics Report. A poster template (PowerPoint) and a grading rubric for this assignment will be posted on canvas. Completed posters must be turned in electronically via canvas a week prior to the poster session to ensure sufficient time for printing. The final grade for this assessment will be based on the clarity of presentation, rigor of analysis, and oral presentation of the topic, as judged by the instructor and fellow students. To facilitate discussion and prompt questions from fellow students, each presenter will provide a series of curated questions. As detailed below, this student-constructed RSVP will help develop a technical understanding among fellow students during the poster session. Answers to the RSVP questions provided by the student, along with a copy for distribution to fellow students without the answers.

 

CANVAS USAGE: Students are expected to access the course Canvas space a minimum of three times per week. Canvas will serve as the central hub for all course activities, including foundational materials, assignments, announcements, and submission of assignments.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance will not be taken during each class period, however, presentation dates are not to be missed.  Students should make all arrangements NOT to miss their selected presentation dates.  Anticipation of missing an assigned presentation period should be discussed in advance with the instructor to make alternative plans. Given that multiple quizzes and RSVPs will be dropped throughout the semester, make-up assignments will not be provided.  It is understood that students must sometimes miss class meetings, examinations, or other academic obligations affecting their grades due to extenuating circumstances.

Reasonable accommodations will be made for reasonable absences.  In the event of acute illness (e.g., COVID-19) requiring absence, please contact the instructor to identify a mutually agreeable path for accommodation. 

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:  Cheating or plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying work or allowing your work to be copied; use of unauthorized material at exams, any communication between students during an exam, and actively looking at another student’s paper during an exam or quiz. All incidents of cheating will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. Violation of academic integrity will result in a grade of F for the course and may lead to possible dismissal from the University. Definitions and the processes to be used for handling complaints related to academic dishonesty are presented at http://conduct.wsu.edu/AI. Though you have the right to appeal any decision by the instructor, you will not be able to drop or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished. A summary of the consequences for violating this policy is outlined below:

---

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Fail the course and assigned an F.

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.

 

Generative AI Policy (ChatGPT): Generative AI such as ChatGPT is permitted but should be used with caution. If any algorithmically generated text is used in your assignments, it MUST be 1) reviewed and revised and 2) disclosed as indicated below. You are prohibited from:

1. Directly copying and pasting AI-generated text into your work without review and document revision.
2. Using exact or revised AI-generated text without disclosure.

Failure to adhere to these guidelines is a violation of academic integrity and will be handled as detailed above. If you are concerned about potential allegations related to unauthorized or undocumented use of AI, there are a number of steps to take. Suggestions to address the modern issue of AI access and undocumented use include:

1. Ask your instructor for guidance if you’re uncertain about how/when/how much to use AI-generated work.
2. Track your changes in your written assignments.
3. Keep multiple drafts of your written documents.
4. Keep the original AI-generated output.
5. Disclose your use of AI-generated text.
6. Keep all the original sources you used to inform your assignments

 

MIDTERM GRADES: Midterm grades must be submitted for every enrolled student. According to Rule 88, midterm grades will be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday of the eighth week of class. I will use A – F grading at midterm.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS:  Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please either visit or call the Access Center (Washington Building 217; 509-335-3417) to schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor. All accommodations MUST be approved through the Access Center. For more information, contact a Disability Specialist at 509-335-3417, http://accesscenter.wsu.edu, or Access.Center@wsu.edu.  Accommodations are also available for students whose course activities fall on days that are in conflict with religious observations. It is a university expectation that students with approved accommodations visit with instructors (via email or Zoom) within two weeks of requesting their accommodations to discuss logistics.

 

SAFETY:   Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Pullman campus. It is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan (http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management website (http://oem.wsu.edu/) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community. The campus-wide alert system is at http://alert.wsu.edu/. 

 

University Syllabus: Students are responsible for reading and understanding all university-wide policies and resources pertaining to all courses (for instance: accommodations, care resources, policies on discrimination or harassment), which can be found in the university syllabus.