Chemistry Faculty & Staff
Department chair: Cynthia Strong | Contact info
Faculty & Staff
Jeff Cardon
Sherman and Vera Shaffer Professor of Biology and Chemistry
Teaches courses in biology and chemistry, including Cell and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and courses in organic chemistry. Recent research with students has focused on energy utilization in the yeast S. cerevisiae, which may shed light on biological causes of obesity in humans. Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles.
Charley Liberko
Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in organic chemistry, Chemical Principles I & II, and non-majors courses such as Chemistry of Artists' Materials. His research with students is concerned primarily with organic dyes and the relationship between structure and optical properties. Ph.D. in organic chemistry, University of Minnesota.
Brian Nowak-Thompson
Associate Professor of Biology and Chemistry
Teaches introductory and advanced classes in chemistry and biology with an emphasis in biochemistry. Students in his lab study the production of bacterial metabolites that inhibit plant pathogens. The bacteria producing these metabolites are sometimes used in place of agricultural pesticides to manage plant disease. Ph.D in biochemistry and biophysics, Oregon State University.
Jai Shanata
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in organic chemistry, Chemical Principles I and II, and an advanced topics course in pharmacology and chemical biology. He and his students apply physics and chemistry to biological models to study how components of human diet, including cholesterol, fatty acids, and drugs, impact ion channel function. The long-term goal is to predict and control drug side effects and off-target effects. Ph.D. in chemistry, California Institute of Technology.
Cindy Strong
William Deskin Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and Chemical Principles I & II. She and her students pursue research projects in bioinorganic chemistry and analytical chemistry. Ph.D. in chemistry, California Institute of Technology.
Craig Teague
Professor of Chemistry
Teaches courses in physical chemistry, Chemical Principles I & II, and other courses. In partnership with the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, his research with students explores methods of separating and capturing carbon dioxide, particularly using room temperature ionic liquids. Ph.D. in chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Diane Gingerich Feil
Laboratory Instructor of Biology and Chemistry
Andrea Pionek
Laboratory Instructor and Lecturer in Chemistry
Mary Anne Teague
Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry
Additional instructors
- Truman Jordan (emeritus), Lecturer
Emeriti Faculty
Addison Ault
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
Ph.D. in chemistry, Harvard University
William Deskin
Professor of Chemistry Emeritus
Ph.D., University of Iowa
Truman Jordan
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
Ph.D., Harvard University