I  decided to write a letter as an alumnus telling whomever wants to know what I think about the NU Chemistry Department.  When I came to NU, I was a Bio major and it turned out that it wasn't for me.  That is when I started my transition to Chemistry by switching my major to Biochem.  Even then, I found myself gravitating more towards the Chemistry side of science.  As Dr. Krause can tell you, I didn't have the greatest first semester in Organic Chemistry.  I actually thought it ironic because he told me that maybe chemistry wasn't for me.  That is when I made up my mind to be the best Chemistry student I could be and finished out the next semester with a B+.  I believe that I owe everything academically to my two strongest mentors at NU my professor They, more than anybody else helped me through the hard times and guided me through the good times.  As a Chemistry major at NU, I believe I was afforded the best education that I could've had.  As I sit here typing this letter in Korea, I reflect back on what might have been the most beneficial task I learned at college; that would be multitasking taught primarily by Dr. Krause.  In his classes he always challenged us to work on and finish more than one experiment or lesson at a time all the while looking up formulas to help ourselves.  It was hard at first, but I can say with some experience that it has helped me tremendously as an Officer in the US Army.  Chemistry at NU was more than just learning and memorizing concepts in books, it was looking at the current issues in science and applying what we learned to it.  The professors opened up our eyes to all the possibilities that were out there.  I talked with Dr. Schreiner for countless hours discussing where I could go and what I could do when I got out of college.  Even now, I still keep in touch and seek advice via email.  I see Chemistry at NU growing stronger and stronger every year because the program more than speaks for itself.  We were always excited to get the younger students interested in Chemistry and seeing them at meetings and special events was the best.  Niagara Chemistry sponsered a show and tell with 3rd graders at a local school to show them the "cool" things about Chemistry.  I think this gets their mind going and maybe someday they will be a Chemist somewhere hopefully having attended Niagara University. 

     I truly believe that education can happen anywhere with whatever means you have, and although we may not have had the latest equipment, we did have the best professors that experience had to offer.  The two individuals I mentioned above along with the rest of the staff at NU is why students excel at life after NU.  I don't know if this letter helps anyone’s cause, but maybe just to let people know what one alumnus thinks about his experiences at Niagara University - The Chemistry program is the strong faculty and staff, and that is all there is to it.  Thanks NU for everything, I will never forget what you've done for me.