RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Department is the home of three research centers: the Center for Integration of Modern Optoelectronic Materials on Demand (IMOD),the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center (MEM-C) and the South Asia International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (South Asia ICEMR).
Chemistry is also a key department in several campus initiatives which support fellowships, travel awards, unique research facilities, and broader educational and professional opportunities for Chemistry students, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars, such as the UW Clean Energy Institute (CEI), the UW Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute (MolES), and the joint UW-PNNL Northwest Institute for Materials Physics, Chemistry and Technology (NW IMPACT).
Faculty research highlights include:
- Design of the world’s most sensitive calorimeter for measuring the strength of chemical bonding on surfaces, then applied to clarify numerous surface chemical reactions of importance in catalysis and microelectronics fabrication.
- Development of a mass spectrometry technique for newborn screening of lysosomal storage diseases, which is being used in newborn screening labs worldwide.
- A new fundamental understanding of metal-mediated oxidation reactions, processes that play important roles from biological chemistry to large-scale industrial production.
Areas of Research
- Analytical chemistry
- Bioanalytical chemistry
- Bioinorganic chemistry
- Bioorganic chemistry
- Biophysical chemistry
- Catalysis
- Chemical biology
- Chemical data science
- Chemistry education
- Clean energy
- Computational chemistry
- Electronic spectroscopy
- Inorganic chemistry
- Laser spectroscopy
- Mass spectrometry
- Materials chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- NMR spectroscopy
- Opto-electronics
- Organic chemistry
- Organic materials
- Organic synthesis
- Photonics
- Physical chemistry
- Polymers
- Surface science
- Theoretical chemistry
SUPPORT CHEMISTRY
We rely on private support not only to maintain our high-quality educational and research programs, but also to make them more accessible for students wishing to study at this world-class institution.
We are grateful for our donors who provide annual support through the Friends of Chemistry Fund and endowment support used to fund activities and programs not covered by state-derived funding such as scholarships and awards to students, researchers, staff, and faculty; faculty support that helps us retain talented faculty being sought by other universities; support for student organizations; and events like our annual graduation ceremony.
While we invest most endowment-derived funds in our students and faculty, needs shift over time, so endowments that can be spent at the discretion of the chair are the most beneficial. We invite you to join our community of generous alumni and donors and support us with a tax-deductible gift, and please contact us if we can be of assistance.