The Davidson College Chemistry Department provides in-depth one-on-one and small group research opportunities usually unheard of at the undergraduate level. Students may take part in research during the academic year (Courses: CHE 396 and 397-Laboratory Research I and II, CHE 496 and 497-Senior Research I and II) and/or over the summer. After speaking with a professor about a research project, the Independent Study Proposal form should be completed and submitted to the Chair of the department.

Most students who participate in summer research receive stipends or scholarships to do so. Students often co-author with their professors scientific papers published in journals and presented at regional, national, or international meetings such as those of the American Chemical Society. Recent projects by current students are listed below (Note: Many of last summer's research projects are included in the News section).

• "Secondary organic aerosol formation via isoprene and ozone - preliminary heterogeneous studies," Brian Bouchard, '12, under the direction of Dr. Cindy Hauser, Spring 2012.
• "Chemistry demonstrations for middle school science students," Morgan Brown, '12, under the direction of Dr. Durwin Striplin, Spring 2012.
• "Characterization of the particulate phase of hookah smoke," Mac Gilliland, '12, under the direction of Dr. Cindy Hauser, Spring 2012.
• "Natural products and cancer," Kris Hendershot, '12, under the direction of Dr. David Brown, Spring 2012.
• "Synthesis and characterization of solar fuel cell dyes," Beth Mundy, '13, under the direction of Dr. Durwin Striplin, Spring 2012.
• "The exploration of the pyridinium radical as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of small organic ketone ," Kevin Peters, '12, under the direction of Dr. Dave Blauch, Spring 2012.
• "Purification and comparison of myelin protein zero with its mutants," Lerin Rutherford, '12, under the direction of Dr. Jeff Myers, Fall 2011.
• "Molecular modeling of nucleoside analogue binding to nucleotide polymerases, " Kevin Peters, '12, under the direction of Dr. Erland Stevens, Spring, 2011.
• "Ozone concentrations in Davidson, NC: Rural or urban?," Danielle Wright, '12, under the direction of Dr. Cindy Hauser, Fall, 2010.