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Focus on your future

Chemistry Convocation

May 2026 Convocation

Watch a recording of the May 17, 2026, Chemistry Convocation, celebrating graduates from the Department of Chemistry.

Chemistry News

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Jonathan Bajko receives 2026 Gary Schuster Mentoring Scholarship
Just over two years ago, graduate student Jonathan Bajko was one of the first Ph.D. students to join the research group of faculty member Joomyung “Vicky” Jun, who had just joined the Illinois Chemistry faculty.“From day one, he had to be a mentor,” Jun wrote in her nomination of Bajko for a...
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Jubyeong Chae receives 2026 Theron Standish Piper Award for Outstanding Inorganic Ph.D.
 When Jubyeong Chae decided to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, he said he wanted to do more research and take on new challenges with great faculty members and colleagues.Working under the advisement of Prof. Liviu Mirica, Chae has explored new challenges as a graduate student in his research...
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Seth Putnam receives 2026 Walter Klemperer Award for outstanding materials chemistry PhD
 Seth Putnam remembers putting the leads of a 9-volt battery in water and watching the bubbles form from splitting water, one of many simple experiments he did as a kid with his grandfather, Bradford Mundy, an organic chemistry professor at Montana State University.Still experimenting with...
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Seven graduates receive special awards at 2026 Convocation
Each year, the Department of Chemistry recognizes the exemplary achievements of seven graduating students during the May Convocation ceremony. All the awards were established by a gift to the department, and some are in memory of an individual. All of the awards include a $1,000 monetary gift to...
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Vito Failla looking forward to medical school
 An aspiring physician who wants to do Alzheimer’s research, Vito Failla describes graduating as bittersweet.“Being able to make my family proud by reaching this milestone in my life feels great. It does feel a little sad with this chapter closing in my life, but I am excited to see what the...
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Nobel laureate and alumnus Omar M. Yaghi (PhD, '90)

"Believe in the power of the experiment"

The 12th person from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to win the Nobel Prize, alumnus Omar M. Yaghi (PhD, '90) said it was as a graduate student at Illinois that he learned from his PhD advisor Walter Klemperer how to do rigorous science and become a scientist that can break new ground, not somebody who follows other people’s discoveries. 
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Chemistry at Illinois: #9 in the nation

The graduate program in Chemistry at Illinois is one of the top programs in the nation and specialty areas are ranked in the Top 10 as well — U.S. News and World Report rankings. Learn how you can pursue an advanced degree in this nationally ranked program and experience the thrill of working on some of the most challenging problems in the chemical sciences.

#4 Analytical / #7 Inorganic / #8 Organic / #9 Physical / #9 Theoretical

Research Areas in Chemistry

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Analytical Chemistry

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Chemical Biology

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Inorganic Chemistry

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Materials Chemistry

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Organic Chemistry

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Physical Chemistry
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Chemistry courses offer study abroad opportunities

Explore these two courses in the Department of Chemistry that offer short-term study abroad opportunities that will enrich what you learn in the classroom by applying your knowledge to real-world experiences while exploring another part of the world. 
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Chemistry Learning Center

The Chemistry Learning Center (CLC) is an opportunity for all undergraduates enrolled in general chemistry to receive help with homework, meet with teaching assistants and connect with other students taking the same courses. 

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