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Chemistry News

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Chemistry undergraduate pursues summer research at Mayo Clinic
 This summer, rising senior Claire Skowron is participating in a summer program at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where she is exploring statistical approaches to studying population health trends while connecting data-driven research with patient care and disease...
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Ceremony to celebrate life of Theodore "Ted" Brown, professor emeritus of chemistry
 The life of Theodore “Ted” Brown, the founding director of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and professor emeritus of Chemistry at Illinois, will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at Copper Creek Church, 2202 W. Curtis Road, Champaign.The...
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Faculty, graduate students recognized for teaching excellence
The School of Chemical Sciences (SCS) and the Department of Chemistry have recognized a group of faculty members and graduate students for their commitment to excellence in the classroom in the 2024-25 academic year.Two chemistry faculty members and four graduate students in chemistry received the...
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Majed Fataftah awarded American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund grant
 Looking to nature for inspiration, professor Majed S. Fataftah is exploring new ways to turn carbon waste, like carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide, into chemical building blocks that can be used to make valuable materials.To...
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In the news: C&EN special features Prof. Martin Burke's blocc chemistry
 A Chemical & Engineering News feature about new synthetic approaches that are helping chemists build and reshape molecules in entirely new ways features Martin Burke, May and Ving Lee Professor for Chemical Innovation, and Professor of Chemistry, and the blocc chemistry approach developed...
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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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