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Wenqing Zhu receives 2026 Dr. Sandra Murawski Award for Mentoring Excellence
 As a chemistry major at Nanjing University in China, Wenqing Zhu was mentored by a Ph.D. student who helped her develop technical research skills but also taught Zhu how to manage her time, how to consistently read scientific literature and how to network with others.“I benefited so much from...
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RSC undergraduate excellence awards: Jacob Strand and Yi Yang
Two senior undergraduates in chemistry, Jacob Strand and Yi Yang, have been selected as the 2026 recipients of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC, United Kingdom) Certificate of Undergraduate Excellence Award.The RSC awards recognize students who have excelled in the chemical sciences and...
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Jonathan Bajko, the 2026 Gary Schuster Mentoring Scholarship recipient
Graduate student Jonathan Bajko was one of the first Ph.D. students to join the research group of Joomyung “Vicky” Jun, who joined the Illinois Chemistry faculty in August 2024.“From day one, he had to be a mentor,” Jun wrote in her nomination of Bajko for a mentoring award. “Johnny has played a...
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T.S. Piper Award goes to Jubyeong Chae for Outstanding Inorganic Ph.D.
 When Jubyeong Chae decided to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, he said he wanted to do more research and take on new challenges with great faculty members and colleagues.Working under the advisement of Prof. Liviu Mirica, Chae has explored new challenges as a graduate student in his research...
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Walter Klemperer Award goes to Seth Putnam for outstanding materials chemistry Ph.D.
 Seth Putnam remembers putting the leads of a 9-volt battery in water and watching the bubbles form from splitting water, one of many simple experiments he did as a kid with his grandfather, Bradford Mundy, an organic chemistry professor at Montana State University.Still experimenting with...
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Chemistry May 2026 Convocation

Watch a recording of the May 17, 2026, Chemistry Convocation, celebrating graduates from the Department of Chemistry.

Convocation Recording  May 2026 Chemistry Graduates

Research Areas in Chemistry

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Analytical Chemistry

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Chemical Biology

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Inorganic Chemistry

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Materials Chemistry

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Organic Chemistry

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Physical Chemistry
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Chemistry at Illinois: #9 in the nation

The graduate program in Chemistry at Illinois is one of the top programs in the nation and specialty areas are ranked in the Top 10 as well — U.S. News and World Report rankings. Learn how you can pursue an advanced degree in this nationally ranked program and experience the thrill of working on some of the most challenging problems in the chemical sciences.

#4 Analytical / #7 Inorganic / #8 Organic / #9 Physical / #9 Theoretical

 

 

 
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Nobel laureate and alumnus Omar M. Yaghi (PhD, '90)

"Believe in the power of the experiment"

The 12th person from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to win the Nobel Prize, alumnus Omar M. Yaghi (PhD, '90) said it was as a graduate student at Illinois that he learned from his PhD advisor Walter Klemperer how to do rigorous science and become a scientist that can break new ground, not somebody who follows other people’s discoveries. 
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Chemistry courses offer study abroad opportunities

Explore these two courses in the Department of Chemistry that offer short-term study abroad opportunities that will enrich what you learn in the classroom by applying your knowledge to real-world experiences while exploring another part of the world. 
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Chemistry Learning Center

The Chemistry Learning Center (CLC) is an opportunity for all undergraduates enrolled in general chemistry to receive help with homework, meet with teaching assistants and connect with other students taking the same courses. 

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