Dow donates $3.5 million to UC Berkeley for sustainable chemistry education

BERKELEY, Calif. — The University of California, Berkeley College of Chemistry is rebuilding its aging undergraduate teaching labs and designing a new curriculum based on the principles of sustainability and green chemistry thanks to a $3.5 million gift from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation.

Sustainable chemistry uses the principles of green chemistry in the design of products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances while addressing environmental impact.

“I am very grateful for the support we have received from Dow,” said College of Chemistry Dean Richard A. Mathies. “This very generous and ground-breaking gift from the Dow Foundation will transform chemical sciences instruction for the 21st Century. These funds will enable us to completely renew our undergraduate instructional laboratories and our curriculum with a sharp focus on sustainable green chemical practices. The impact of this gift is huge because these courses serve thousands of students every year. Furthermore, Berkeley is now leading the way in making sustainable green chemical practices a core concept in our entire profession.”