News – Chemistry & Biochemistry

We are hiring!

Kevin Blackburn — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:09:27 +0000

We are hiring a Research Services Manager of our Mass Spectrometry Facility, which houses nine mass spectrometers ranging from GC-MS, LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, QTOF, Orbitrap, MALDI, and ICP-MS instruments from Shimadzu and Thermo Fisher. The facility provides comprehensive mass spectrometry services, including sample preparation, method development, qualitative and quantitative analysis, high-resolution MS, structural elucidation, and both targeted and untargeted analysis of small molecules, metal ions and biomolecular analysis. These services are available to both campus and external users. In addition, we offer hands-on training to scientists who prefer to conduct their own analyses using our instruments available for hourly fees. Candidates are required to hold a PhD degree in Analytical Chemistry or equivalent with hands-on experience in mass spectrometry.

If you want to join our team, please apply at the following link:

The post We are hiring! appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Chancellor Gibson Greets with Biochemistry Major Shaun Harrington

Kevin Blackburn — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 20:30:20 +0000

Chancellor Thomas Gibson meets with biochemistry major Shaun Harrington in the Arnold research lab on campus, in the latest installment of the Chancellor Gibson Greets video series. Harrington found his passion for research at 51��. Hear how he got started in the lab — and why opportunities like the Support for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program make a big difference for students. Check out all three episodes!

The post Chancellor Gibson Greets with Biochemistry Major Shaun Harrington appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Prof. Leggy Arnold Awarded Grant by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science

blhewitt@uwm.edu — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 14:30:01 +0000

Congratulations to Prof. Alexander (Leggy) Arnold who was awarded an R21 award for $416,696 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science for their project “Medical countermeasures to chlorine exposure based on GABA(A) receptor targeting”. The proposed research will demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of one or more gamma aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABA(A)R) modulators in reducing acute lung injury (ALI) caused by inhaled chlorine. The research is significant because it supports the mission of the Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP) to address the nation’s medical response capabilities during chemical emergencies. Deliberate or accidental release of chlorine represents a serious threat for civilians, chemical industry workers and people involved in transport and distribution of chemicals. Medical countermeasures for chlorine exposure can be employed early in a disaster situation when medical support does not exist. To address this need, we propose to investigate inhaled and injected GABA(A)R ligands that have been shown to reduce lung inflammation and bronchospasm. These compounds act selectively on GABA(A)Rs expressed on peripheral (non-CNS) tissues due to their inability to cross the blood brain barrier.

The post Prof. Leggy Arnold Awarded Grant by the National Institute of Environmental Health Science appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

2025 51�� University Staff Outstanding Service in a Single Year Award

Kevin Blackburn — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:16:02 +0000

Chemistry & Biochemistry’s Department Administrator, Kevin Blackburn, has been selected to receive the 2025 51�� University Staff Outstanding Service in a Single Year Award. Kevin, along with other faculty, academic staff, university staff, and retired faculty and staff, will be honored with their special recognition at the 2025 51�� Employee Excellence Awards ceremony. The ceremony will be held Wednesday, October 15th at 3pm in the Union Ballroom.

The post 2025 51�� University Staff Outstanding Service in a Single Year Award appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Chemistry Building honored in 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards

Kevin Blackburn — Thu, 22 May 2025 15:33:12 +0000

UW-Milwaukee’s new Chemistry building was honored in 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards. Read the full 51�� Report article.

The post Chemistry Building honored in 2025 Mayor’s Design Awards appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Profs. Blecking and Murphy selected for Spring 2025 Student Success Collaborative

blhewitt@uwm.edu — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 20:17:48 +0000

Profs. Blecking and Murphy were selected to participate in the Spring 2025 Student Success Collaborative advancing student success in the classroom. Their focus will be on Chemistry 100 and 102 with opportunities to increase student engagement and success. Only a select group of courses were invited to be part of this initiative. Read more here.

The post Profs. Blecking and Murphy selected for Spring 2025 Student Success Collaborative appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Congratulations to our outstanding 51�� Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry students!

Kevin Blackburn — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 16:23:56 +0000

We are thrilled to announce that three of our students have excelled in the campus-wide competition for the prestigious Graduate School Fellowships:

Md Nazmul Hasan – Winner of the Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship (DGSF)

Stephen Nkwocha – Honored with the Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship (DDF)

Frederick Adom – Recipient of the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOP)

Congratulations to all. Your hard work, dedication, and excellence have truly shone through. The Department is proud of your achievements and we look forward to your continued success!

The post Congratulations to our outstanding 51�� Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry students! appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Announcing the winners of the 2025 James Krogh Memorial Graduate Student Support Awards

Kevin Blackburn — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 16:22:36 +0000

We are honored to recognize the legacy of James A. “Jim” Krogh, a brilliant mind who deeply valued education and lifelong learning. Jim earned his B.S. in Chemistry in three years from Dominican College in Racine. He continued his academic journey at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where he obtained his M.S. in Organic Chemistry with Professor George Sosnovsky. His thesis was titled, “In Search of New Methods for Synthetic Organic Chemistry: The Reactions of Selected Organic and Inorganic Sulfur and Selenium Reagents with Nitrogen-Containing Compounds.” A total of six publications accrued from his research with Professor Sosnovsky. Jim’s subsequent career was a testament to his dedication to chemistry and research. He began at PPG in Illinois, then moved to Exxon in Janesville, and eventually co-founded Tomah Products. In memory of James Krogh, the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry proudly presents the inaugural James Krogh Memorial Graduate Student Support Awards to Faija Akter��Ի��Mujidat Shittu. Faija and Mujidat both embody Jim’s spirit of curiosity, excellence, and commitment to the field of chemistry. The generosity of the Krogh family will enable Faija to focus on developing pyranopterin-mimetic ligands for application to studies of artificial metalloenzymes, and Mujidat to continue investigating the enzyme NUDT2 as a potential target for breast cancer treatment. The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is excited to see the results of Faija’s and Mujidat’s work in the laboratory, and we are deeply grateful to the Krogh family for their support.

#JamesKroghMemorial #GraduateStudentSupport #51�� #Chemistry #GraduateSchool

The post Announcing the winners of the 2025 James Krogh Memorial Graduate Student Support Awards appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

UW Innovation Grant Award is awarded to Prof. Anja Blecking, Prof. Alexander Arnold, and Dr. Anna Benko

Kevin Blackburn — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 22:34:31 +0000

Prof. Anja Blecking, Prof. Alexander (Leggy) Arnold, and Dr. Anna Benko were awarded the UW Innovation Grant for their proposal, CHARGE STEM – Creating a new, equitable pathway for high school graduates and students who discontinue a STEM program to enter the local STEM workforce.

“Of the grant applicants, the review teams and I feel that your grant has significant potential to advance human knowledge and economic prosperity in the state of Wisconsin, key elements of the Universities of Wisconsin Strategic Plan.” ~ Jay Rothman, Universities of Wisconsin President

The proposal seed funding totaling up to $175,0000 over two years and will be submitting to be a finalist and be eligible for the “bid idea” to receive additional funding totaling up to $400,000.

Congratulations to Prof. Anja Blecking, Prof. Alexander (Leggy) Arnold, and Dr. Anna Benko!

The post UW Innovation Grant Award is awarded to Prof. Anja Blecking, Prof. Alexander Arnold, and Dr. Anna Benko appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.

MIDD-MACC 2024 – Artificial Intelligence in Analytical Chemistry & Drug Discovery

blhewitt@uwm.edu — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 21:08:13 +0000

The annual MACC conference “MIDD-MACC 2024 – Artificial Intelligence in Analytical Chemistry & Drug Discovery” will be held in the new Chemistry building lobby and lecture hall CHEM 110 Friday, December 6th – Saturday, December 7th. The conference agenda will include workshops from Millipore and Shimadzu as well as presentations from Abhiskek Pandey, Prasenjit Guptasarma, and more. Full agenda can be found here.

Please register for the event here.

The post MIDD-MACC 2024 – Artificial Intelligence in Analytical Chemistry & Drug Discovery appeared first on Chemistry & Biochemistry.