By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 26, 2023) — Anne-Frances Miller,  professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky, is serving as the 2022-23 College of Arts and Sciences’ Distinguished Professor and will deliver the annual Distinguished Professor Lecture Monday, May 1, 2023.

The lecture, titled “Renewable: New Opportunities from one of Life’s Most Ancient Chemical Tools,” will begin at 5 p.m. in the William T. Young Library Athletic Auditorium. A reception will follow in the Alumni Gallery in the library.

The lecture will

By A Fish 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Incorporating art and sciences, UK Ph.D. recipient Priya Karna seized on an opportunity to submit her illustration to the American Chemical Society Diversity and Inclusion Cover Art Series. As a result, her artwork and editorial ended up in the March 2, 2023, issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 

“The competition started in 2021, so it's just been two years since they’ve been doing this,” she said. “I saw some of the examples of the cover art, and it looked like something I could do.” 

The artwork, "Women in Science: From Country to Chemistry," displays Karna’s vision of representing women from rural areas in science. The cover art depicts a girl with her cattle on a farm; she dreams of being a scientist.  

Since she was

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 20, 2023) — The University of Kentucky Nu Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society hosted its annual awards night on Tuesday, April 11, in the W. T. Young Athletic Auditorium. Among those recognized for the Maurice A. Clay award  was Kameron Kraus, a student in the College of Arts & Sciences. In addition, A&S student Nora Sypkens received a Jerry D. Claiborne Scholarship.

The Maurice A. Clay award was created over 30 years ago to recognize the outstanding graduating senior in each academic college. Winners are selected by the college and are expected to be exceptional leaders who have provided service to their college while maintaining a strong academic record. Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character. The Maurice A. Clay

By Lindsay Travis 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 18, 2023) — Researchers at the University of Kentucky are studying how the chemical reactions in the air after wildfires contribute to changes in the color of aerosol particles.

Marcelo Guzman is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College and Arts and Sciences. He leads the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory.

Guzman, principal investigator, worked with graduate student Sohel Rana on the study funded by the National Science Foundation. Their findings have been published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Guzman and Rana study how chemicals in atmosphere smoke

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sharique Khan, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences, has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy Graduate Research fellowship program at the Oak Ridge National Lab.

The program allows graduate students to pursue collaborative research projects working with experts at two of the Department of Energy’s neutron sources: the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source.

“This program allows me to deploy neutron scattering, a highly specialized technique that is only possible in a very few specially equipped facilities,” Khan said. “I feel fortunate to have this experience and excited to contribute at the forefront of the evolving field of flavin based electron bifurcation, a fundamental mechanism of energy conservation."

Sharique Khan’s adviser is Anne-

By Jesi Jones-Bowman 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 23, 2023) — Two undergraduates have been selected as recipients of the University of Kentucky’s Beckman Scholars Program, titled Scholars United by Chemistry: Cultivating Excellence through Science Stewardship.

The Beckman Scholars — Kaitlyn Brock, a neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College, and Hena Kachroo, a chemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Maine Alumni Association will honor D. Allan Butterfield, the University of Kentucky Alumni Association Endowed Professor of Biological Chemistry, with its 2023 Alumni Career Award. 

The award is given to a University of Maine graduate whose life’s work is marked by outstanding achievements in professional, business, civic or other public service areas. 

“Butterfield has been credited with numerous breakthroughs regarding the study of Alzheimer’s disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment, the precursor to Alzheimer’s,” the alumni association’s website states. 

Butterfield has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, which President Bill Clinton gave to him in 1998, and an

Dr. Elizabeth Thomas starts her career as chemistry professor at Morehead State University.

B.S.-Science Education, Chemistry, University of Kentucky (U-Grad Research, Arthur Cammers); M.S.-Chemistry Organic Synthesis, University of Louisville; Ph.D.-Chemistry Nucleic Acids, University of Kentucky (Stephen Testa).

This interview is part of a series conducted by the department called, "UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now." This interview was coordinated by Dr. Arthur Cammers.

Arthur Cammers: In early September (2022) running around UK Arboretum, I met a former student running in the other direction. She turned around and ran with me, we talked, and at some point, we decided to do one of these Student Spotlights. UK A&S Chemistry publishes these

By Erin Wickey

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 18, 2022) — University of Kentucky Research Communications has partnered with UK’s Office of Technology Commercialization to feature faculty innovators  in “I am a UK Innovator,” a four-video series. The Office of Technology Commercailization works with innovators to assess, protect and license early-stage technologies and create new technology startups. In this Q&A, Chad Risko discusses the innovation ExpFlow, which could help the research community confirm results by repeating experiments, an activity fundamental to scientific progress. Risko is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and

By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Richard Mitchell,left, and Austin Hachey, graduate students in the Glazer and Heidary Labs of the Department of Chemistry in the University of Kentucky’s College of Arts & Sciences, each have received an Outstanding Research Poster Prize at the 2022 Metals in Medicine Gordon Research Conference in Andover, New Hampshire. Their work was selected from more than 80 presentations. 

Mitchell, co-advised by Professor Jason DeRouchey, presented his work on the synthesis and characterization of a ruthenium complex, which induces ribosome biogenesis stress. This compound mimics oxaliplatin, a chemotherapeutic that is commonly used in the treatment of colorectal cancer.  

Few compounds can prevent the biosynthesis of

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2022) ­— The Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Kentucky is honored to announce that 22 students have been selected for the 2022-23 Undergraduate Research Ambassador program.

The program’s mission is to increase awareness and create opportunities for students to actively engage in research and creative scholarship. Ambassadors must demonstrate academic excellence and  leadership potential and be involved in mentored research. This year’s ambassadors represent six colleges, 15 disciplines and 18 research areas.

The student leaders’ goal is to make undergraduate research more accessible. Ambassadors promote undergraduate research involvement and opportunities through student

UK Chemistry Doctoral Student Receives U.S. Department of Energy Stipend By Richard LeComte 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Henry Pruett, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences, has received a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Graduate Student Research fellowship, which provides a stipend of $3,600 a month.  

The program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their graduate thesis research at a department laboratory or facility in areas that address scientific challenges. Pruett is researching at a National Renewable Energy Laboratory near Denver. 

“This program will allow me to perform some experiments I would other not be able to,” he said. “I’ll also get the chance to work with some of the people at the forefront of the

By Marci Adams

University of Kentucky Information Technology Services has recognized employees who celebrated milestone years of service during the year 2021. These 49 employees, ranging from seven different ITS divisions, combined for a total of 760 years of service at UK. ITS also honored student workers who have worked with ITS for two or more semesters.  

Dr. Susan Odom, faculty member of Chemistry Department in UK's College of Arts & Sciences served on the IT Advisory Council. Odom was committed to mentoring and supporting women in STEM fields. She co-founded a group to encourage girls to pursue their academic goals and served on the Kentucky ACE Women’s Network. ITS presented the faculty Customer Excellence award to Dr. Odom’s family in memoriam this spring, as she died in April 2021.   

See a complete list of ITS employees, student

By Jesi Jones-Bowman

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 23, 2022) — The Office of Undergraduate Research has selected 16 undergraduates for the 2022 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience Fellowship program.

The new CURE Fellowships, sponsored by UK Office of Undergraduate Research and the Office of the Vice President for Research, empowers undergraduates to become leaders for their communities by providing opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills through research within UK’s seven research priority areas: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes & obesity, diversity and inclusion, energy, neuroscience and substance use disorder.

“Conducting summer research will provide me with

By Jenny Wells-Hosley

The University of Kentucky Office of Nationally Competitive Awards has announced that 10 students and recent graduates have been selected to receive government-funded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. In addition, a UK doctoral student and two alumni received honorable mention recognition from the NSF. 

As part of the five-year fellowship, NSF Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees for a research-based master's or doctoral degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field. In 2022, the NSF awarded approximately 

By Lindsey Piercy

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 13, 2022) — Three graduate students at the University of Kentucky have been selected for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

Austin Nelsen, Manh Tien Nguyen and Henry Pruett are among 80 graduate students nationwide to receive supplemental funds to conduct part of their thesis research at a host DOE laboratory in collaboration with a DOE scientist. 

“For decades, the DOE has cultivated the expertise to meet the nation’s greatest scientific challenges," said Geraldine Richmond, under secretary of science and innovation at the DOE. "Now more than ever, we need to invest in a diverse, talented pipeline of

Byron Hempel Chemistry Biological-Chemistry BS 2014 Teaches Environmental Engineering at University of Arizona and Climbs Mount Lemmon. 

This interview is part of a series conducted by the department called, "UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now." This interview was coordinated by Dr. Arthur Cammers.

Summer 2014, Arthur Cammers and Byron Hempel, after success on the iconic traditional rock climbing route, The Quest, in a light rain at Red River Gorge, Middle Small Wall!

Arthur: You bounced back to visit the family?

Byron: I did! It's great to get back into town after being away for so long.  I currently live in Tucson, AZ, and enjoy coming back to the Lexington area around two times a year.  I am also catching up with a few friends from undergrad as well! 

This interview is part of a series conducted by the department called, "UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now." This interview was coordinated by Dr. Arthur Cammers.

Arthur Cammers: Steven, remind me again when you graduated ... I remember that I was DUS at the time. 

Steven Chapman: I graduated from UK in 2016 with a chemistry major. During undergrad I worked in Susan Odom’s lab for about 3 years studying two-electron donating electrolytes for redox flow batteries.

Arthur Cammers: What have you been doing since? I guess I should call you Dr. Chapman now, or you should call me Art.

Steven Chapman: I went to grad school! I followed in your footsteps Art and went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for my PhD. I worked with Tehshik Yoon and studied enantioselective

By Olaoluwapo Onitiri  

Many in the world emigrate from their homes due to hardships caused by wars. This was no different for Ghady Kanaan, who emigrated from Lebanon to the United States. He is graduating this May with a degree in chemistry, has already published research as an undergraduate with Mark Watson, associate professor of chemistry, and is working on another with Folami Ladipo, associate professor of chemistry.  

“I met Ghady as he was enrolled in our CHE 533 Advanced O-Chem laboratory in Spring ’21,” Watson said. “He was one of an outstanding group of students who all stood out for various reasons, and all seemed to seize the opportunity to carry out novel research. Ghady has that really refreshing combination of seriousness and maturity, while also loving the life he’s in and taking full advantage of the

Arthur Cammers: I know you love the great outdoors ... and I know you are super curious about science. What's the back story? What influences created the current Anna? 

Anna Fatta: I’ve loved chemistry since I first saw the periodic table in elementary school. I loved the idea of atoms and even made a lab bench out of concrete blocks and plywood in the backyard. I might as well have picked my major right then in the fifth grade. My passion for the great outdoors came a little later, though. I was a dancer for thirteen years until I came to college. When I started at UK, I needed a new way to exercise, and I was enrolled in WRD 112. Those two may seem unrelated, but my final project in that class was a multimedia assignment on an issue of public concern, and my group decided to work on outdoor recreation in the