We offer high-quality programs of study that provide our students with the background necessary to work as professional chemists or to prepare for graduate or professional school.  Chemistry is a "hands-on" science, and we place an emphasis on providing students with the best laboratory experience possible through access to state-of-the-art equipment and participation in active undergraduate research programs.  

Go to the links at the right for additional information about the department.  Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions about our programs, and we welcome visits by high school students and other members of the community.

Eight Students and Seven Faculty Present at the ACS Midwest Regional Meeting in Iowa City -- held October 21-23.  Click here for a listing of all UNK presentations.

Dedication Ceremony for the Renovated Bruner Hall of Science held on October 2 -- The extensive renovation to Bruner Hall is coming to a close.  On Friday, October 2, approximately 150 people attended a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Bob Rycek, Interim Dean of Natural & Social Sciences.  A complete redesign of the chemistry department areas on 4th and 2nd floors has afforded approximately 20% more teaching and research laboratory space with a layout that facilitates collaborative faculty-student chemistry research.  More on the dedication ceremony is found here.

Dr DeAnn Psota is the 2009 Don Fox Lecturer -- The department is pleased to announce that Dr. DeAnn Psota of Kearney was this year's Don Fox Lecturer.  Dr. Psota is a 1984 UNK graduate who majored in chemistry/biochemistry.  She earned her M.D. at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a 3-year residency in pediatrics at UNMC.  After residency, she returned to Kearney, where she practices pediatric medicine at Kearney Clinic.  Dr. Psota gave this year's Don Fox Lecture on Sunday, October 11 at the Ramada Inn.

New Faculty join the department -- We are pleased to announce two new tenure-track faculty members whose appointments in the department began in August.  Hector Palencia comes to UNK from Ball State University, where he held a full-time teaching faculty appointment.  Dr. Palencia's expertise is in organic chemistry and has research interests in the development of new biodiesel fuel compounds.  Cheri Barta is continuing her UNK faculty appointment that became tenure-track in August.  Prior to her 2008-2009 one-year appointment here at UNK, she completed her Ph.D. in bioinorganic chemistry at the University of British Columbia.  Dr. Barta's research interests center around the development of rare earth element complexes with medical applications.

Click here to access the annual department assessment reports.