Department of Chemistry - School of Arts & Sciences

Chemistry is the study of matter and the transformations that occur in material things. It is one of the basic sciences, and it is fundamental to the study of all other basic sciences. The Department of Chemistry enthusiastically supports the University’s commitment to quality teaching, diversity, and research.

Feature Stories

University of Richmond Chemistry Professor Michael Leopold Receives National Award for Outstanding Mentorship

Chemistry professor Michael Leopold received the 2022 Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Chemistry Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research.

Four University of Richmond Students - the Most at One Time in the Institution's History - Named Goldwater Scholars

Four University of Richmond students have received Goldwater scholarships, the preeminent undergraduate award in science and math. Four Goldwater Scholars in a single year is the most in UR’s history, and it’s the maximum number of awards Goldwater extends at each competing school.

University of Richmond Students Awarded Prestigious Beckman Scholarships to Further Undergraduate Research in the Sciences

Junior Camryn Carter and sophomore Helen Xia have been awarded prestigious Beckman Foundation Scholarships, which support student research in the sciences.

UR Chemistry Professor Jonathan Dattelbaum Awarded NSF Funding to Support Biochemistry Research for Undergraduates

The National Science Foundation has awarded University of Richmond chemistry professor Jonathan Dattelbaum and colleagues nearly $2 million in support of advancing biochemistry research experiences for students.

UR Chemistry Professor Michael Leopold Receives Outstanding Faculty Award From State Council of Higher Education

Michael Leopold, University of Richmond Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, has been named an Outstanding Faculty Award recipient by the State Council of Higher Education.

UR Chemistry Professor Kelling Donald Receives $375K NSF Grant to Support Research & Underrepresented Groups in Sciences

Chemistry professor Kelling Donald has received more than $375K in grant support from the National Science Foundation for his research on chemical bonding.

University of Richmond Chemistry Professor Mike Leopold Receives Nearly $275K from NSF for Explosive Detection Research

Chemistry professor Michael Leopold has been awarded a nearly $275,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for research exploring the development of a nanoparticle-based sensor to be used for detecting explosives and other forensic-related molecules, including drugs or diseases.

UR Student Harry Dang Receives Beckman Scholarship to Further Research on Sensors Used to Screen for Explosives and Drugs

Sophomore Harry Dang, of Saigon, Vietnam, has been awarded a prestigious Beckman Foundation Scholarship to pursue research focused on the development of cost-effective and portable sensors used by law enforcement, health professionals, and consumers to screen for explosives, drugs, and disease biochemical indicators.

University of Richmond Science Colleagues Issued Patent for Gold Nanoparticle in Ceramic Glaze

Three science faculty colleagues at the University of Richmond have been issued a patent for a glaze process that is a safer and more cost-effective alternative to the current process of color ceramics.

Chemistry Professor Miles Johnson Receives $500,000 NSF CAREER Award to Further Chemical Compound Research

The National Science Foundation has awarded Miles Johnson, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Richmond, more than $500,000 in grant support through a CAREER award for his research on metal catalysts and developing new chemical compounds.

UR Chemistry Professor and Associate Provost Carol Parish Named to International Advisory Board for Science Journal

Carol Parish, professor of chemistry and associate provost for academic integration, has accepted a position on the international advisory board for WIREs: Computational Molecular Sciences, a journal focusing on cross-disciplinary research on the applications of theoretical chemistry and computer programming relevant to chemistry and biology.

Four University of Richmond Faculty Receive Jeffress Memorial Trust Grants to Support Research in Their Fields of Study

Four University of Richmond faculty, the most in UR’s history, have received Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust grants to support their research in chemical, medical, or other scientific fields.

University of Richmond Chemistry Professor Michael Norris Receives Jeffress Trust Award to Advance Fossil Fuel Research

Michael Norris, assistant professor of chemistry, has received a $104,500 award from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust for his research on using carbon dioxide to create useful fuels as part of a solution to the current global energy crisis.

University of Richmond Donates Thousands of Safety Gloves from Science Labs to Local Healthcare Workers to Assist with COVID Impact

University of Richmond faculty gathered up nearly 7,000 pairs of gloves to donate to local healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

University of Richmond Student Receives Beckman Scholarship to Research Catalysts Important in Pharmaceutical Industry

Sophomore Julia Vidlak, of Williamsburg, Virginia, has been awarded a prestigious Beckman Foundation Scholarship to pursue her research in organometallics.

Faculty Highlights

Leopold Selected
Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, received the 2022 Outstanding Mentorship Award from the Chemistry Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Johnson and Undergraduate Students Published
Miles Johnson, associate professor of chemistry, with undergraduates Julia Vidlak and Nihal Sriramaneni, published a paper "Synthesis of pyrrole-based PSiP pincer ligands and their palladium, rhodium, and platinum complexes" in Dalton Transactions. The work was conducted in collaboration with the Ozerov group at TAMU.
Norris, Pierce, and Undergraduates Published
Michael Norris, assistant professor of chemistry, and B. Daniel Pierce, assistant professor of biology, along with undergraduate students and former students, published "Mechanistic Analysis of the VirA Sensor Kinase in Agrobacterium tumefaciens Using Structural Models," in Frontiers in Microbiology.
Downey Published
Wade Downey, professor of chemistry, and undergraduate students published "Friedel–Crafts Addition of Indoles to Nitrones Promoted by Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate" in The Journal of Organic Chemistry.
Downey Published
Wade Downey, professor of chemistry, and undergraduate students published "One-Pot Synthesis of 2-Methylfurans from 3-(Trimethylsilyl)propargyl Acetates Promoted by Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate" in Tetrahedron Letters.
Leopold Published
Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, with undergraduates Quang Minh "Harry" Dang, Sam Gilmore, Karthik Lalwani, RJ Conk; and Dr. Jeff Simpson, director of NMR support, published a paper entitled "Monolayer-Protected Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized with Halogen Bonding Capability — An Avenue for Molecular Detection Schemes," in the journal Langmuir. The work was selected to be featured as the cover article for the journal.
Simpson Published
Jeff Simpson, director of NMR and Computational Support, and Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, with undergraduates Quang Minh "Harry" Dang, Sam Gilmore, Karthik Lalwani, RJ Conk; published a paper entitled "Monolayer-Protected Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized with Halogen Bonding Capability — An Avenue for Molecular Detection Schemes," in the journal Langmuir. The work was selected to be featured as the cover article for the journal.
Parish, Pollock, & UR Students Published
Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair in Chemistry, and Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, along with UR students and off-campus collaborators, published "Investigating Novel Thiazolyl-indazole Derivatives as Scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 MPro Inhibitors" in European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports.
Pollock, Parish, & UR Students Published
Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, and Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair in Chemistry, along with UR students and off-campus collaborators, published "Investigating Novel Thiazolyl-indazole Derivatives as Scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 MPro Inhibitors" in European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports.
Pollock & UR Students Published
Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, along with University of Richmond undergraduate research students and collaborators from High Point University published the article "Identification and evaluation of brominated carbazoles as a novel antibiotic adjuvant scaffold in MRSA" in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.