| Department of Chemistry

Remembering Alumnus Robert A. Stavenger (Ph.D., 99)

2026-06-26

The Department of Chemistry mourns the loss of alumnus Robert Allen Stavenger (Ph.D., '99), who passed away on June 14, 2026, from complications due to cystic fibrosis.Stavenger was a graduate...

Nature article features Luthey-Schulten's living cell simulation project

2026-06-22

A Nature article about ‘virtual cells’ that turn raw data into predictive models of biology features the work of several research teams, including the living cell simulation project led by Zaida Luthey-Schulten, Murchison-Mallory Endowed Chair in Chemistry....

Researchers develop new strategy for creating recyclable, high-performance polymers

2026-06-22

Three people standing side by side holding a laptop with image of a person

Many essential structural materials used in applications including electronics, civil infrastructure and aerospace must be especially strong and durable, but the same chemical properties that give these materials their ideal traits make them difficult to recycle. Wind turbine blades, for...

Alumna Stephanie Potisek Lee returns to campus as 2026 Sylvia Stoesser Lecturer

2026-06-10

Stephanie Potisek Lee standing at the front of a classroom talking

Drawing on over 15 years of industrial research and development experience at Dow, alumna Stephanie Potisek Lee (Ph.D., ’08) gave Illinois Chemistry graduate students an inside look at how research in industry translates into the development of new products....

Professor Xiaotang Lu selected as a 2026 Beckman Young Investigator

2026-06-09

Xiaotang Lu, assistant professor of chemistry, is among 12 researchers selected as Beckman Young Investigators by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.The 2026 class of awardees was announced June 9, 2026, and selected...

Department of Chemistry celebrates Class of 2026 at Convocation

2026-05-27

Christopher Cramer in graduation regalia speaking at a podium

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Tryon Festival Theatre in Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the Department of Chemistry celebrated students who graduated at the culmination of the 2025-26 academic year. The department conferred degrees to more than 180, including 60 who earned a...

Class of 2026 Graduate Spotlights

Read more about Class of 2026 Graduate Spotlights

Graduate student Gavin Hazen mixing it up

2026-06-02

Portrait of Gavin Hazen in front of arch entrance

Generally, water and electricity don’t mix well. But microdroplets of water – like 1/25,000th of an inch – have a surprisingly large degree of reactivity that makes them attractive for chemistry and electricity.“They can accelerate reactions to like significant degrees. But essentially, one...

In Memoriam: Richard M. Millberg led Mass Spec Lab for 20 years

2026-06-02

Richard Millberg sitting at a computer keyboard in a lab

Dr. Richard M. Milberg, who led the School of Chemical Sciences Mass Spectrometry Laboratory for more than 20 years, passed away on May 6, 2026. His leadership of the SCS Mass Spectrometry Laboratory left a significant mark on the field and helped countless researchers with his...

Don DeCoste can’t imagine anything better than teaching Chemistry at Illinois

2026-05-29

Don DeCoste sitting at a desk in his office

In his many years of teaching chemistry at Illinois, Don DeCoste has often shared his own story with students who are feeling uncertain about their major. As an Illinois senior in the Class of ‘88, DeCoste was on the pre-med track when he realized how much he enjoyed being a chemistry...

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