Alexander is anything but elemental

In July 2007, Rebecca Alexander became an associate professor in the chemistry department. Alexander celebrated and was relieved to receive tenure, but found herself in an interesting position. She had to do a life-check.

Read More from the Old Gold and Black

Congratulations to Rebecca Alexander, who received funding from the Office of Research & Sponsored Program's Science Research Fund for her proposal entitled "Structure probing of negative-strand viral RNA," for the period Jan. 01 - June 30, 2012.

Ph.D. student overcomes obstacles

" ... It’s been an interesting journey for Rockett, as she looks back on what led her to Wake. No one would ever guess that the 5-foot-4 brunette with a charming Southern accent and magnetic smile was homeless after she dropped out of her high school in Marion, N.C., in the 10th grade."

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Congratulations to Bruce King for his receipt of financial support from the Army Research Office and WFU Health Sciences for his proposal entitled "Ca093389-Targeted nanoparticles for kidney cancer therapy" for the period from 9/15/2011 - 9/14/2012.

More than just colleagues

When one thinks about working with a spouse or significant other, the connotations are not always glowing or positive; in fact, most of us would think of the horror stories we hear in which couples working together can no longer stand the presence of the other or, worse yet, working together became a contributing factor to the pair's separation.

Yet, if you talk to a few of the faculty on the university's campus who do indeed work with their spouse, they will overwhelming tell you... Read More from the Old Gold and Black

Nobel-winning biochemist discusses discovery

by Kasha Patel

"Some people accidentally spill a cup of coffee or bump into another car. Dr. Kary Mullis accidentally invented polymerase chain reaction, an invention that revolutionized the world."

Read the Old Gold and Black news item HERE

Nobel winner, DNA exoneree meet

In 1983, Mullis developed a process that multiplies a single strain of DNA, allowing investigators to use tiny amounts of DNA to identify suspects in murders, sexual assaults and other crimes, and exclude other suspects.
Read the news item HERE

The Wake Forest Faculty Fellowship Program, designed to honor the best teacher-scholars in the college, has awarded the MacDonough Family Faculty Fellowship to Bruce King and the Ranlet & Frank Bell, Jr. Faculty Fellowship to Dilip Kondepudi for the term beginning July 01, 2011 and ending June 30, 2013. Congratulations to Bruce & Dilip!

Congratulations to faculty colleagues for their recent receipt of external funding. Uli Bierbach's proposal "Novel DNA-metalating hybrid anticancer agents" has receive continued funding, and Abdou Lachgar recently received grants from the Biofuels Center of NC (for his project to develop a catalyst for biofuel production -- read more about this project here.) and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (for a proposal entitled "Design and synthesis of metalorganic materials for selective tobacco smoke filtration and waste water purification).

Wake Forest gets $145K grant for biodiesel project

A Wake Forest University alternative-energy project will be able to expand the testing of a key catalyst through a $145,665 grant from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina.

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The killing field
Research looks at how antibiotics work in the body

Senior chemistry major Allison Faig and professors Bruce King and Patricia Dos Santos are researching how antibiotics destroy dangerous bacteria in the body — hoping their work will lead to the development of new weapons against disease.

Dr. Brad Jones has developed a portable, inexpensive instrument that does atomic emission spectroscopy.

Click Here to read more.

I Want To Be A Chemistry Major... Now What?!?

Want to be a part of a special group of about 50 students who have already decided to major in Chemistry!

Click Here to find out...

John Tomlinson: Chemistry

The subject of organic chemistry gives the average person anxiety just thinking about it. For organic chemistry professor, John Tomlinson, it is a lifestyle. Tomlinson grew up in a small town in Ohio where he stayed for 25 years.

Read More in the Old Gold and Black

Congratulations to Abdou Lachgar, who was elected to the College Capital Planning Committee. In addition, Abdou recently received notification that his proposal "The Second US/Africa Summer School on Materials" was funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research for the period 5/13/2010 - 5/17/2011.

A senior mentor
Chemistry's Ron Noftle receives national award for his work with undergraduates

Decades of working with undergraduates in his chemistry research has earned chemistry professor Ron Noftle national recognition.

Noftle was one of 12 educators named a 2010 Senior Scientist Mentor by The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. Read More...

Welcome to Wake Chemistry

You are invited to explore the wealth of information here on our website in order to get a better idea of the wealth of opportunities and accomplishments that define the Chemistry Department at Wake Forest. We have a strong tradition of intensive teaching and wide-ranging research in the fundamentals of the field.

By recognizing the dynamic nature of science, the Chemistry Department aims to lead in undergraduate and graduate education and in research opportunities that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of chemistry. In this pursuit, our faculty, staff and students alike are committed to developing and using their creativity and critical thinking skills to achieve excellence in inquiry, discovery, application, and service. The department’s collegial spirit of respect and cooperation underlies and facilitates the many truly outstanding contributions to education and chemical research that we boast. In the words of Primo Levi,

"We are chemists… We are here for this – to make mistakes and to correct ourselves, to stand the blows and hand them out. We must never feel disarmed: nature is immense and complex, but it is not impermeable to the intelligence; we must circle around it, pierce and probe it, look for the opening or make it.” (Levi, The Periodic Table, p.75).

The Chemistry Department at Wake Forest welcomes you and will help you to “circle
around nature” and to find or make your own openings. Opportunity awaits….