Chemistry Faculty & Staff
Department chair: Charley Liberko | Contact info
Faculty & Staff
Charley Liberko
Sherman and Vera Schaffer 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; Richard and Norma Small Distinguished Professor
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.
Catherine Volle
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Teaches introductory and advanced courses in biology and chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry. She and her students use chemical techniques to investigate biological problems. They investigate new and exciting ways to kill bacteria and how viral proteins can disrupt non-canonical DNA structures. Ph.D., molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry, Brown University.
Diane Gingerich Feil
Laboratory Instructor of Biology and Chemistry
403 Russell Science Center
Andrea Pionek
Laboratory Instructor and Lecturer in Chemistry
402 Russell Science Center
Emeriti Faculty & Lecturers
Addison Ault
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
Ph.D. in chemistry, Harvard University
Jeff Cardon
Professor of Biology and Chemistry Emeritus
B.S., University of Utah; Ph.D., University of California
Truman Jordan
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
Ph.D., Harvard University