Welcome from the Department Chair |
Hello again to all our students, alumni, faculty and friends! Welcome to the Fall 2026 newsletter from the East Carolina University Department of Chemistry.
As you can see from the content of this newsletter, exciting things are happening in Chemistry. We had multiple faculty members recognized for their teaching and research excellence, and a wonderful group of student award winners and graduates. Profiles of some of those students, faculty, and alumni are also included.
I want to draw your attention to the invitation below to our annual homecoming celebration. One of my favorite events, with a student poster session, returning alumni, and faculty in an informal setting, we all get to enjoy each other’s company and catch up.
I don’t like ending on a down note, but I would be remiss if I didn’t write about an old friend taken from us far too soon. Phil Hodges was a two-time alumnus of the department, and a wonderful and generous friend to the department and all who knew him. He supported, advised, and advocated for our students and ECU. The company he helped found and lead for years (Metrics, later Mayne, and now Catalent) was full of ECU alumni and he took care of all his employees like family. His support of many civic institutions like the Scouts, Bear Grass Charter School, and Rose of Sharon OFWB Church touched many more peoples’ lives. We will keep his wife Lisa and his extended family in our hearts.
- ATM
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Click the image above to read more about our graduation recognition ceremony.
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| Celebrating Our Spring Graduates! |
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Teaching and Research Awards for ECU Chemistry Faculty! |
Several faculty members of the Chemistry Department were recognized in the month of April for their outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and innovation.
Dr. Adam Offenbacher received the Five-Year Research Award in recognition of his impactful research at ECU. Dr. Colin Burns and former Dean Allison Danell were named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors, honoring their significant contributions to innovation and research.
The department also celebrates Dr. Eli Hvastkovs, who was recognized with the Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award. This prestigious honor highlights his exceptional dedication to teaching excellence.
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Check out the chemistry students that presented their research at RCAW and SURs!
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| Undergraduate Researchers Present Work at Spring and Summer Events
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Many of our undergraduate and graduate students presented their research at events happening in the spring and summer terms, including ECU's Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) and the 5th Annual ECU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS).
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| Chemistry Represented at PIRATES ABOARD! |
ECU Faculty and students (including Professors Toby Allen, Felicia Jaimes, Jim Collins, and Tom Shoopman) represented the department at the Pirates Aboard! recruiting event for prospective majors.
Read more here!
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Chemistry Student Awards! |
On April 29, 2026, members of the chemistry department gathered to congratulate student award winners. Many of our hardworking students were recognized for their success in chemistry courses and as teaching and learning assistants. Congrats to all!
Department of Chemistry Student Awards 2026
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| HOMECOMING 2026 CELEBRATION - Friday October 9th. |
Mark your calendars for our annual homecoming celebration. Enjoy a barbecue dinner with all the trimmings! Reunite with faculty, staff, and alumni while meeting our current undergraduate and graduate students at the poster session!
RSVP for Homecoming 2026 here.
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Chemistry Department now on LinkedIn! |
In addition to Facebook, you can now keep up with the department on LinkedIn! Please follow to keep up with chemistry happenings and a riveting Where Are They Now? series for updates on recent alumni.
Link Out to LinkedIn!
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Professor Jim Collins has been at ECU since 1998 and has taught chemistry courses ranging from general to organic to inorganic chemistry. Read more about Dr. Collins' passion for chemistry (and on campus activities like basketball at the SRC and SRAPAS performances in Wright Auditorium!) here:
Seven Questions with Jim Collins, PhD
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Professor Felicia Jaimes joined ECU Chemistry in Fall 2025 and loves teaching students in the classroom and in the lab. Learn more about Professor Jaimes, her PhD work in protein crystallography, and her budding guitar chops at the link below!
Seven Questions with Felicia Jaimes, PhD
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| Meet Max Washington, whose passion for understanding the world at the molecular level has led to performing research and serving as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant.
Read Max's story
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Alumni Profile - Stephanie Winstead, BS, MEd, MS |
Catch up with Stephanie Winstead (ECU BS, CSU MEd, GCU MS), Executive Director of the BEST Center of NC at Wilson Community College, and see how her ECU Chemistry experience led to an exciting career in the pharmaceutical industry and in science education.
ECU Reflections with Stephanie Winstead
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| Alumni Profile - Jordan Stanley, BS, MS, PhD |
Catch up with Dr. Jordan Stanley (ECU BS (2016)/MS (2018)/PhD (2026)) and see how her ECU Chemistry experiences as an undergraduate and graduate student led to her new position as a Laboratory Manager in our department:
ECU Reflections with Jordan Stanley
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A Sample of Recent Grants, Publications, and Presentations from the Department of Chemistry:
Grants:
NIH R-15 Award to Dr. Hughes.
Publications:
Alex Kockler, Katherine Ray, Jordan King, Eric Anderson, Joi Walker, Nathan Gilbert, Patrick Horn, and Adam Offenbacher in Protein Science.
Tiffany Tang, Detlef Knappe, and Pingping Meng in AWWA Water Science.
Presentations:
Cameron Taylor (Spuches Lab) presented a poster at the Fall 2026 ACS conference in Chicago.
Adam Offenbacher gave an invited talk in the Department of Microbiology.
Hun Lim had an oral presentation at the 31st International Conference on Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems.
Alex Kockler, Brooke Farrell and Mia Verdugo (MS students in the Offenbacher lab) each presented posters at the Southeast Enzyme Conference in Atlanta.
Adam Offenbacher gave an invited talk at Georgia Tech Spring Symposium.
Jack Pender gave an invited talk at Waters INFORM 2026 about “Empowering Chemistry Students for a Career In Pharma”.
Jack Pender and his team organized the 7th annual ECU Spring Pharma Conference.
Sharon Ermolowich gave a talk at the Spring Pharma Conference entitled “History, Law and FDA Enforcement”.
Greyson Sanchez (MS student in the Meng group) gave a lightning talk at the NC WRRI Annual Conference in Raleigh
Christopher East and Katelyn Varnell (undergraduate students in the Meng group) presented their Signature Honors Project at the Research and Creative Achievement Week.
Ayden Buechler (Morehead Group); Sydney Coll and Hayley Williams (Allen Group); Ariana Collins, Leanna Dover & Katherine DeFeo (Offenbacher Group); and Sy Duke (Lim Group) presented at Research and Creative Achievement Week.
Leanna Dover & Katherine DeFeo (Offenbacher Group) presented posters at the 12th Symposium on Hemostasis at UNC.
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Fall Chemistry Seminars (Fridays at 2 PM in Bate Building)
8/21: Lightning Talks with ECU Faculty
8/28: Jared Keever, PhD (ECU Environmental Health & Safety)
9/4: Alexus Wilson, ECU Department of Chemistry
9/11: Brooke Farrell, ECU Department of Chemistry
9/11: Amy Cooley, ECU Joyner Library
12/4: Rebecca Barlow from UNC-CH (hosted by Hun Lim)
3rd Annual Protein Biophysics Workshop
10/16: LSBB Room 1006; noon until 4:50 pm.
Register here: https://ecu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b701cOTnKfFlPwi
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300 Science and Technology Building
Mail Stop 552
East Carolina University®
Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-328-9700 • chemistry.ecu.edu | C.S.25-0901
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