From the Department Head

Chemistry Matters, Fall 2024

Welcome to the annual Department of Chemistry newsletter, where we celebrate the achievements of our students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Over the past year, we have made significant strides in research, teaching, and outreach.

Before summarizing our highlights, I want to acknowledge the challenges faced by some members of our community. Many of our colleagues, students, alums, and friends are affected by the once-in-a-lifetime damage from Hurricane Helene. Standing together, many of you have already leveraged opportunities to help, and I hope you continue supporting Western North Carolina in the best way possible. UNC System institutions in Western North Carolina have set up relief funds, including Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina Asheville, and Western Carolina University.

Our department has hired extensively in the past couple of years, with new faculty members Xiaotong Li (2024), Raja Ghosh (2024), Milena Jovanovic (2023), Phoebe Glazer (2023), and David Heidary (2023) all joining us since early 2023. We also welcome several new staff members in the last year, including Taylor Clodfelfter (Undergraduate Programs Coordinator) and Lindsey Sandoval (Administrative Support Specialist).

Catherine Lull, Department Business Manager, was recognized this year by being nominated for the College of Sciences SHRA Excellence Award for her outstanding contributions to enhancing the quality and morale of the workplace.

We have also celebrated several faculty members who were recently awarded promotions. Dr. Lori Petrovich was promoted to Teaching Professor, and Dr. Yi Xiao was promoted to Professor.

Our faculty received numerous awards this year, including Dr. David Muddiman, elected an AAAS Fellow, and Jun Ohata, who received the National Institutes of Health’s Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award. These recognitions underscore the high caliber of research being conducted in our department.

Our students continue to impress us with their dedication and accomplishments. Many of them have won prestigious scholarships and fellowships, have presented their research at national conferences, and have published papers in top-tier journals. Juliana O’Brien recently received the 2024 College of Sciences Student Leadership Award for her leadership skills and positive impact on the NC State community. Our faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students continue to receive numerous accolades and awards, which you can read more about here and at ‘The Department by the Numbers.’

In addition, our Innovation in Chemistry video highlights some of the history and several novel aspects of our programs and mission. In terms of research, our faculty and research groups are making crucial contributions to solving society’s grand challenges, such as energy, drug discovery, human health, and the environment, as well as expanding our fundamental knowledge. We have continued to secure significant external funds from government agencies, foundations, and industry partners to support these efforts, and our researchers are collaborating with colleagues in other departments and institutions across the globe to tackle complex challenges.

This newsletter provides a glimpse into our vibrant and dynamic community in the Department of Chemistry. We are deeply grateful for your interest and support, and we look forward to another productive and fulfilling year. I encourage everyone to follow our website, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram accounts, and Facebook and LinkedIn pages to learn more about our department’s activities and accolades.

Thanks for reading this, and best regards. 

Gavin Williams