Christina Colwell knew she wanted a college where friendships would grow beyond the classroom and professors felt more like mentors than voices at the front of a lecture hall. A campus visit with her father during Blue Devil Days made that vision a reality. “The faculty and students I met were so kind and accessible, and there was such a vibrant community spirit,” she recalls. “I remember calling my mom and telling her I needed to be here.” From her sophomore year in the… read more about Rewriting the Formula: How Christina Colwell Brought Her Path to Science, Language and Cameron Indoor »
Michael Kiel is a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, majoring in Environmental Sciences with minors in Biology and Chemistry. During his time at Duke, he participated in research through Bass Connections and completed a Graduation with Distinction honors thesis in the Levin Lab studying the effects of environmental exposures on neurobehavior. As he prepares to graduate, Kiel reflects on the academic opportunities and communities that shaped his Duke experience. This interview has been edited for clarity and… read more about Micheal Kiel '26: Discovering a Passion for Research »
Alexandria Calloway is a senior majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. In addition to serving as a Trinity Ambassador, she is a member of the Baldwin Scholars program, the Huang Fellows Program and the Iota Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Calloway is interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, and in her free time she enjoys playing tennis, cooking, spending time with family and relaxing near the water. As commencement draws near, we asked Calloway to reflect on her time at Duke, the… read more about Alexandria Calloway '26: Mentorship, Growth and Independence »
On April 16, over 100 Duke University students presented their research at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.Students presented posters, gave flash talks, shared their senior theses and attended lectures with Duke alumni. Discover some of the highlights of the day. read more about Discovery on Display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium »
Congratulations to Chemistry's six NSF Graduate Research Fellowship award recipients! These include Klaire Bradley (Becker Lab), Olivia Dube (Therien Lab), Emily Matas (Therien Lab), Alannah Miller (Hong Lab), Mallory Roberts (Njomen Lab) and Abigail Taylor (Becker Lab). The NSF-GRFP is a highly competitive program that supports over 100 subfields. This year's approximately 2400 fellowship winners were… read more about NSF Fellowships Abound! »
Chem Majors Daniel Levin and Anushka Peer have been honored as Barry M. Goldwater Scholars! This prestigious award recognizes accomplished sophomore and junior researchers who plan to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. Each Goldwater Scholar receives up to $7,500 annually toward the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board.A.B. Duke Scholar Daniel Levin plans to complete an honors thesis in both Chemistry and Biology before he graduates. Levin, a junior, has studied across… read more about Chem Majors Daniel Levin and Anushka Peer Honored as Barry M. Goldwater Scholars »
Duke University undergraduates Daniel Levin, Anushka Peer, Emily Song, and Caroline Zhang have been honored as Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. This prestigious award recognizes accomplished sophomore and junior researchers who plan to pursue careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics. Each Goldwater Scholar receives up to $7,500 annually toward the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board.“Congratulations to Duke’s newest Goldwater Scholars,” Provost Alec D. Gallimore said. “Duke is tremendously… read more about Three Trinity Undergraduates Named 2026 Goldwater Scholars »
Duke University has awarded distinguished professorships to 38 faculty and will recognize them in a ceremony at the Washington Duke Inn on May 18.“I am delighted to recognize these faculty members with distinguished professorships,” said President Vincent E. Price. “Their work reflects a deep commitment to excellence in research and education, advancing new ideas and discoveries that benefit society and inspire future generations.”Distinguished professorships honor faculty who are well-established members of the Duke… read more about Seven Trinity Faculty Members Among Duke's New Distinguished Professors »
The Bass Connection team, Duke iGEM: Synthetic Biology for Human Health and Society (Duke iGEM), earned a gold medal at the 2025 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Jamboree for its project RESPIRA: Responsive Engineered Strain for Polymicrobial Infection Recovery in Airways. Students from across Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and Pratt School of Engineering comprise the core of Duke iGEM. Cameron Kim, assistant professor of the practice in Biomedical Engineering explains that RESPIRA… read more about Duke iGEM Team Wins Gold at 2025 International Jamboree »
College can easily become a straight line: pick a major, commit to a track, graduate and start a career. For many students, especially those in STEM, the pressure to stay the course can make exploring other interests feel risky (even irresponsible) and cast the humanities as an indulgence rather than a necessity. But at Trinity, students are encouraged to explore across disciplines, discovering new paths that enrich their education as much as challenge their curiosities. After… read more about Hailey Harmon '26: The Humanities Major She Didn’t See Coming »
The Wang Lab has developed a copper-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of β-alkylamino lactones by an umpolung amination strategy using O-acylhydroxylamines as alkylamine precursors. This enantioselective amino lactonization reaction shows a broad substrate scope and high functional group tolerance, offering rapid entry to a wide array of β-alkylamino lactones in high efficiency and enantioselectivity from unsaturated carboxylic acids. Furthermore, an atom-economic one-component reaction from unsaturated O… read more about Wang Lab Providing Direct Access to Enantioenriched 1,2-Alkylamino Alcohol Derivatives »
Professor Emily Derbyshire has been elected to the American Academy of Microbiology! The American Academy of Microbiology (the Academy) elected 63 new fellows to the Class of 2026. Fellows of the Academy are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. Over the last 50 years, more than 2,700 distinguished scientists have been elected… read more about Derbyshire Elected to American Academy of Microbiology »
Emily Derbyshire, Eads Family Professor of Chemistry, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Fellows of the Academy, the honorific leadership group and scientific think tank within the American Society for Microbiology, are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology. Over the last 50 years, more than 2,700 distinguished… read more about Emily Derbyshire Elected to American Academy of Microbiology »
Iridium oxide is one of the most important — and most problematic — materials in the global push toward clean energy. It is currently the most reliable catalyst used in the conversion of energy to chemicals by electrolysis, a process that uses electricity to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.But iridium is among the rarest non-radioactive elements in Earth’s crust, and not unlike metal rusting over time, iridium oxide catalysts slowly degrade under the harsh acidic and high-voltage conditions required for… read more about Watching a Critical Green-Energy Catalyst Dissolve, Atom by Atom »
Are you interested in independent Chemistry research? Would you love to expand your hands-on research in the lab this summer? Apply now to Chem-SURF! The Chemistry Undergraduate Summer Research Fellows (Chem-SURF) Program is a summer program designed to support students who are conducting research. All undergraduate researchers who are on campus during the summer are welcome to participate in program activities, including weekly professional development workshops, community-building events, and an undergraduate… read more about Duke Chem Researchers: Join for the Summer! »
An interdisciplinary team of Duke faculty is among the international recipients of a new grant from the Schmidt Sciences Humanities and Artificial Intelligence Virtual Institute (HAVI), a program designed to bridge the gap between AI technology and humanistic inquiry. Led by Martin Fischer, Research Professor of Chemistry and Physics; Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics from Bar-Ilan University (formerly of Duke); and John K. Delaney, from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the project… read more about Duke Researchers Awarded Grant to Reveal Hidden Histories of Artworks Through AI and Imaging »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Positive mentors are the reason I am pursuing graduate school today. As an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, I was eager to get involved in research but unsure where to begin. I hesitantly reached out to one of my professors about joining his lab, and to my surprise, he enthusiastically welcomed me as a mentee. Since that first experience, every interaction I’ve had with science professionals has reflected that same intentionality and excitement. It has been refreshing and motivating to encounter such genuine… read more about Three Qualities of Exceptional Mentors »
Many enzymes use radical chemistry to build essential molecules, but radicals are highly reactive and can easily cause damage if not tightly controlled. The study by the labs of Profs. Ken Yokoyama, Pei Zhou, and Weitao Yang of the Chemistry Department reveals how a radical-generating enzyme, MoaA, from the radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) superfamily, senses when its correct substrate is bound and safely triggers the radical reaction. Using a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron… read more about Chem & Biochem Collab: How a tiny enzyme helps build a big brain »
Congratulations to Avery Vigil! Avery has been selected as one of the 2026 Energy Technology Division Graduate Student Awardees! Formal recognition of this honor will take place during the 249th Electrochemical Society Meeting in Seattle, WA in May 2026. Avery will be presented with a certificate, a check for $1,000, and a ticket to the Division Business Meeting. As the Energy Technology Division Graduate Student Award sponsored by BioLogic winner, Avery will deliver an oral presentation of 40 minutes at the ECS… read more about Avery Vigil Receives 2026 Energy Technology Division Award »
Congratulations to Professor Julie Pollock! Julie, a Duke Chemistry graduate, has received a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award! The award honors young faculty in the chemical sciences who have created an outstanding independent body of scholarship and are deeply committed to education with undergraduates. Julie completed her PhD with Prof. Dewey McCafferty in 2011 and departed for an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship with Prof. John Katzenellenbogen at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She began her… read more about Congrats to Alumna Julie Pollock! »
Professor Kenichi Yokoyama and team have showed that a newly discovered enzyme is sufficient to make azetidine, an organic compound and a building block of a wide range of therapeutics, including antibiotics, antiviral drugs, and cancer treatments. Rather than relying on harsh solvents and toxic chemicals, the team discovered enzymes, PolF and PolE, that produce azetidine from an inexpensive precursor compound in water. “The two enzymes that we discovered are functionally and structurally… read more about Changing Drug Manufacturing One Enzyme at a Time »
Electrocatalysts can produce valuable chemicals with electricity, but current electrocatalysts suffer from slow reaction kinetics. The chemical composition of electrocatalysts is known to have a big impact on catalyst activity, but exactly why certain compositions lead to a better catalyst is not known. In this work, the Moreno-Hernandez laboratory developed electrochemical methods to determine thermodynamic and kinetic information about reaction intermediates involved in electrocatalysis. These methods were applied… read more about Understanding the Reaction Energetics of Oxygen-evolving Electrocatalysts »
Edwin Alfonzo, assistant professor of Chemistry, really wanted to make molecules. He discovered this passion in an organic chemistry class at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. “I was a sophomore, and I remember sitting in that classroom, putting together chemical routes to target the molecules the professor assigned to us, and thinking with amazement, ‘Wow, we humans really have an incredible level of control.’” Deeply moved by the realization that chemistry allows us to control matter to such a high level… read more about Edwin Alfonzo Uses Biology to Tackle Chemistry’s Hard Problems »
Evert Njomen doesn’t want to waste time. The new assistant professor of Chemistry and HHMI Hanna Gray Faculty Fellow identifies potential drug targets by employing a time-saving method and proteome-wide approach pioneered by her postdoc supervisor, Benjamin Cravatt at the Scripps Research Institute. The approach the Njomen Lab uses allows drugs to be discovered in native systems, like cell cultures or animal models, as opposed to the traditional method of purifying a single protein target and screening millions of… read more about Evert Njomen Wants to Speed Up Drug Discovery »
In a recently published study available in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Yokoyama lab characterized the mechanism of oxidative C-C bond cleavage reaction catalyzed by Fe and 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)-dependent oxidase, PolD. This enzyme diverges the biosynthetic pathways between C6 and C7-sugar nucleoside antifungals, and therefore, its mechanistic and structural understanding is important for the future genome-mining discovery of novel antifungals. Most significantly, they found that the… read more about Yokoyama Lab Found the Novel Reactivity of an Fe-dependent Oxidase in Antifungal Biosynthesis »
Prof. Dorian Canelas was featured on classcentral.com for teaching one of the best chemistry courses available online! Her Coursera course, Introduction to Chemistry: Reactions and Ratios prepares students for further study in chemistry as needed for many science, health, and policy professions by emphasizing chemical problem solving. When not providing online lectures, Dori can be found in-person this Fall leading Organic Chemistry on Duke's west campus! read more about Canelas' Intro to Chem Featured on ClassCentral! »
The Malcolmson Lab has developed an enantio- and diastereoselective copper-catalyzed method for assembling chiral 1,4-diamines, nitrogen-containing molecules with broad applications in pharmaceuticals and ligand design for which there are few direct synthetic approaches. A research team led by former postdoc, Pengfei Zhou (now an assistant professor at Chongqing Medical University) and graduate student, Jiaqi Zhu, discovered the novel carbon–carbon bond-forming strategy that proceeds through reductive… read more about New Catalytic Enantioselective Approach to 1,4-Diamines »
Developing clean energy technologies that are affordable and sustainable are key to reducing our dependence of fossil fuels and the resulting negative climate impacts.Four faculty in the Department of Chemistry — David Beratan, Jie Liu, Ivan Moreno-Hernandez and Michael Therien — are exploring promising new directions in renewable energy research. From finding cost-effective ways to transport hydrogen to investigating biological models of energy conversion, these professors are moving us closer to… read more about New Directions in Renewable Energy »