Labs and facilities
Creating a community of game-changers
Research is at the center of our department, exhibited not only in our expert faculty but our future expert students.
Faculty research
Analytical chemistry
- Jani Ingram Dr. Ingram investigates environmental contaminants with respect to their impact on health. A major part of her research is focused on characterizing elemental contaminants in water, soil, plants and livestock.
Read more about Dr. Ingram’s research Accordion Closed
A critical aspect of Dr. Ingram’s research is to foster collaborations with the Native American community and leaders to build trust, obtain access to field samples and gain insights into their health concerns. Recruiting Native American students to work with her as a Navajo principal investigator on the project and building an interdisciplinary, collaborative team of scientists with expertise in analytical chemistry, geoscience, cancer biology, and social sciences are also important to her research. She is a member of the Navajo Nation (born to the Náneesht’ézhi clan) and is involved in outreach activities for Native American students in undergraduate and graduate research. She was named the 2018 recipient of the American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences.
Links: Partnership for Native American Cancer Research (NACP)
- Laura Wasylenki Wasylenki group website: https://geochemlaura.wordpress.com/
Biochemistry
- Andrew Koppisch
- Naomi Lee: Dr. Lee uses self-assembling peptide and virus-like particles as platforms to develop vaccines. Primary vaccine targets are sexually transmitted infections including human papillomavirus (HPV), Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and HIV. For more information see the Lee Group website.
Chemical Education
Environmental chemistry
- Jani Ingram Dr. Ingram investigates environmental contaminants with respect to their impact on health. A major part of her research is focused on characterizing elemental contaminants in water, soil, plants and livestock.
Read more about Dr. Ingram’s research Accordion Closed
A critical aspect of Dr. Ingram’s research is to foster collaborations with the Native American community and leaders to build trust, obtain access to field samples and gain insights into their health concerns. Recruiting Native American students to work with her as a Navajo principal investigator on the project and building an interdisciplinary, collaborative team of scientists with expertise in analytical chemistry, geoscience, cancer biology, and social sciences are also important to her research. She is a member of the Navajo Nation (born to the Náneesht’ézhi clan) and is involved in outreach activities for Native American students in undergraduate and graduate research. She was named the 2018 recipient of the American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences.
Links: Partnership for Native American Cancer Research (NACP)
- Laura Wasylenki Wasylenki group website: https://geochemlaura.wordpress.com/
Inorganic chemistry
- Stephanie Hurst (Graduate Coordinator) Hurst Lab website
Organic chemistry
- Cindy Browder: Dr. Browder is involved in organic synthesis (development of new organic reactions, heterocycle chemistry, drug design) and polymer & materials chemistry (polymers for applications in power storage). Browder Group website LinkedIn
Physical chemistry
Student research
Ciarra Greene, chemistry major – Ciarra led a three-year research study aiming to alleviate the harmful effects of uranium mines on the nearby Navajo reservation.
Research opportunities
Information coming soon.