Breadcrumb
Careers & Alumni
With a strong foundation in chemstry, you’ll be highly prepared for your future.
Our Chemistry B.S. degree is approved by the American Chemical Society and offers an option in Biochemistry. We also offer a flexible B.A. degree designed for students wishing to pursue their secondary teaching credential or for students who want to work in today's high-tech industries.
Our degrees also offer excellent preparation for graduate or professional school. Our students have succeeded at Cornell University, MIT, the University of California at Davis, the University of Oregon, the University of Washington and many other top institutions.
If you're considering a career in the biotech industry, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine or dentistry, Biochemistry is a great choice for undergraduate study to prepare you for professional school. Or, as a teacher, you can share your love of chemistry with tomorrow's scientists and engineers.
In short, nearly all of our students go where they want to go after graduation.
Related Job Titles
The following list is not meant to be all inclusive; many other job alternatives and titles may exist. Some require further education. As a Chemistry major, careers could reach across other concentration areas; refer to those career guides.
Organic Chemist
Inorganic Chemist
Analytical Chemist
Research Chemist
Clinical Chemist
Chemical Analyst
Lab Assistant/Tech
Research Assistant
Junior Chemist
Chemical Engineer
Physical Chemist
Geochemist
Exploration Geophysicist
Biotechnologist
Biochemist
Food Chemist
Histochemist
Pharmacologist
Pharmacist
Pharmacy Technician
Physiologist
Sanitarian
Toxicologist
Medical Technologist
Genetic Engineer
Nutritionist
Environmental Consultant
Fiber Chemist
Forensic Chemist
Criminalist
Agricultural Commodities Inspector
Food & Drug Inspector
Alcohol & Tobacco Inspector
Quality Control Specialist
Patent Researcher
Museum Scientist
Science Librarian
Scientific Journalist
Lecturer /Professor /School Teacher
Marketable Skills
Communication
- Confer with scientists or engineers on product development
- Giving full attention to others in order to understand points being made and to ask questions
- Writing specific documentation
Technical Skills
- Knowledge of chemical development, analysis, modification and replication
- Experience using scientific tools and instruments
- Experience testing products to ensure they meet specifications
Problem-Solving
- Ability of understand complex scientific problems
- Breaking complex problems into component parts
- Using logic and reason to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
Organizational
- Planning and managing projects
- Working effectively and coordinating tasks
- Integrating creative approaches to processes
Meet our Alumni
Alumni Updates
Albert Ochoa-Castillo
Chemistry, 2022
Albert is currently in the second year of his PhD studies at Colorado State University, focusing on the fundamentals of plant cryopreservation. He recently received the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, one of the country’s top STEM fellowship programs. Albert crafted a method to visualize sucrose in plant cells and proposed a technique for simultaneous imaging of two molecules in plant tissue. His research explores cryoprotectant-cell interactions using advanced microscopy methods. After graduating, Albert aims to teach chemistry at a primarily undergraduate institution, prioritizing research inclusion for first-generation and Hispanic students to enhance diversity in scientific fields.
Lester B Garrison
ChemistryChemical Oceanography high interest, 1978
After a most successful career in Clinical Chemistry and developing tests for inborn errors of metabolism in newborn infants, Lester Garrison (Chemistry, '78), has retired. His training in Chemical Oceanography was a good basis for his subsequent work in clinical chemistry. Driven by a passion for applying enzymology to solving clinical chemistry diagnostic issues, he was most pleased to develop a method to diagnose Galactosemia by measuring the lack of activity of the enzyme Galactose 1 Phosphate Uridyltransferase. This changed the accuracy of the previous galactosemia test from 60-70% reliable to 99%+ reliable, a great step forward in screening.
Joni McAtee, MD
ChemistryBioChemistry, 2008
After HSU, Joni McAtee attended UC Davis school of medicine. McAtee did her residency in Family Medicine in Duluth, MN. McAtee returned to Humboldt County to work in a broad spectrum family medicine with obstetrics. McAtee opened a business in Fortuna, Ikigai Physician Group with a clinic. Working as hospitalist in Fortuna and Eureka. Working in Hospice with Hospice of Humboldt.
Stephen Bowlus
Chemistry, 1970
After graduation, Stephen Bowlus, Chemistry, 1970, attended University of Illinois (MS '72, PhD '74, postdoc entomology '75), and went into industrial research. He worked primarily in the agricultural chemistry field, starting as a synthesis chemist, then migrating to computational chemistry, molecular modeling and statistics. He retired from industry in 2003. In 2006, Bowlus started teaching as an adjunct instructor at Columbia College in Sonora, California, before retiring in 2019.
Alissa Sobo
Chemistry, 2010
After graduating from Humboldt State University, Alissa Sobo, Chemistry, 2010, stayed in the community and opened a restaurant called Naan of the Above. Alissa sold this business and moved to the bay area to teach science in after school programs. Alissa then had two children, and while staying at home with them, taught herself to code. She built a web application called Ample that was recently mentioned in the New York Times. She now works as a software engineer for Mozilla.
John Giraldes
Chemistry, 2003
John Giraldes, 2003 Chemistry, graduated from University of Minnesota with a degree in Medicinal Chemistry in 2006 and went on to work for Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Global Discovery Chemistry, Oncology in Cambridge, Mass., until 2015. Giraldes then relocated to Baltimore, Md., and currently working as a Project Manager and Scientific Analyst for the National Cancer Institute's Experimental Therapeutics (NExT) Program.
Hadasa Villalobos
Chemistry, summer 2014
Hadasa Villalobos, ’14 Chemistry, worked for E&J Gallo Winery for a harvest season after graduating HSU. Villalobos went on to working for an agricultural chemical company doing plant, water, and soil analysis. While working for the agricultural chemical company, Villalobos was also helping out a local brewery set up a QC program. She was then recruited by The Dudes Brewing Company to run their QC program, where Villalobos is currently working. Villalobos is content with her choice of attending HSU and is very appreciative of the knowledge she gained from the Chemistry Department and the time spent in it.
Mark S Fesler
Chemistry, 1984
Mark S. Fesler, 1984 Chemistry, worked for more than 25 years as an analytical chemist. For the last eight years, Fesler has worked as an environmental scientist and consultant with the engineering company CH2M Hill.
Marshall R Ligare
Chemistry, 2009
Marshall R. Ligare, 2009 Chemistry, finished his PhD at University of California Santa Barbara and is starting a postdoctoral research position at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
J
Chemistry, 2013
Jeffrey Herr, 2013 Chemistry, found a job working as a laboratory technician in the quality control lab for Traditional Medicinals, which produces tea. Herr’s work is in testing and sampling herbs with names he can barely pronounce. Herr writes, “I already miss HSU.”