Basic programming and computer-assisted data analysis skills have become a key requirement for success across many STEM fields and career paths; unfortunately the traditional chemistry curriculum has neglected building these skills, a disservice to undergraduates majoring in chemistry.  Here, I propose that the first semester physical chemistry class can serve as a useful platform to introduce these skills and concepts.  I will share a few examples that I think have been particularly impactful: non-linear curve-fitting to extract estimates for thermodynamic parameters associated with chemical equilibria from raw experimental data; implementations of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to explore energy landscapes with the canonical ensemble; and basic molecular dynamics simulations.  A challenging topic that I'd like to broach is which 'traditional' content-heavy topics were eliminated to allow time in the syllabus to enable these skills-based learning outcomes.  Dialogue is most welcomed on this delicate topic.

Incorporation of python programming skills into the physical chemistry curriculum

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