Chemistry
Explore the Department of Chemistry
Welcome to the Department of Chemistry at the University of New Hampshire. We are dedicated to chemistry research and education at all levels. We have a long, proud tradition of providing a challenging and nurturing environment for our students.
Congratulations Professor Bauer!
We are pleased to share that Professor Bauer has received a 2025 ACS Award for Achievement in Research for the Teaching and Learning of Chemistry.
This award acknowledges substantial contributions for conducting research concerning the teaching and learning of chemistry. This is based on Professor Bauer’s record of continual publication of research in professional journals and presentation of research results at national conferences. Some work is accomplished by students earning their PhD in Chemistry Education under Professor Bauer’s mentorship. Other work involves collaborations with scientists at other universities. The work includes fundamental studies of how students visualize atoms and molecules, types of chemical bonding, and to what extent student concepts grow (or not) over time. He is also well known for research, development, and promulgation of active-learning approaches for large and small class settings, including undergraduate peer instructional leaders (Peer-Led Team Learning, PLTL), student-team learning (Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, POGIL), and the inquiry-based demonstration course “Fire & Ice”, linked here:
Windows on the STEM Inquiry Class – A STEM Education Project, PI Prof. Chris Bauer, UNH (usnh.edu)
Information for Users | Fire and Ice | University of New Hampshire (unh.edu)
See the full article on UNH Today: https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2024/09/bauer-recognized-research-achievem…
2026 Poster Session and Award Ceremony
May 1st, 2026
NEACT Fall 2025
New England Association of Chemistry Teachers!
What a great time supporting and inspiring Teachers in our labs.
These teachers will now bring the experiments they learned back to their students who will learn about the exciting things happening in the UNH Chemistry Department.
Current UNH Chemistry students talk about their experiences:
CJ Wilson is a Ph.D. student studying here in the Chemistry Department. His research includes combating climate change with hybrid photocatalytic systems and electrocatalytic systems that turn elements such as sunlight or CO2 into clean fuel.
-
We are pleased to share that Assistant Professor Nate Oldenhuis has received the National Institutes of Health R35 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award! His project is entitled: Using DNA hydrogels to mimic, exploit, and fundamentally investigate extracellular matrices. His research program aims to demonstrate the broad utility of DNA-based hydrogels as ECM…Learn More -
Dr. Aylin Aykanat has been working in the Chemistry Department for the past few years as a Postdoctoral Diversity and Innovation Scholar. We are so happy to announce that she has now been hired on as our newest Assistant Professor! Prof. Aykanat studies…Learn More -
Congratulations to UNH Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nate Oldenhuis on his National Science Foundation CAREER Award! His research project is entitled "Sustainable DNA Hydrogel Production via Bioreactor-Derived Plasmid DNA". Read on for a description of the project. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, exhibits unique properties extending beyond its central role as…Learn More -
Chemistry graduate student Ian Ferraro (Anyin Li Group) working with collaborators Nancy Fernandes and Roger Connolly from Lonza Biologics on the analysis of therapeutic proteins using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.Learn More -
Chemistry Professor Chris Bauer is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Professor Award! His dedication to serving chemistry and education extends well beyond UNH, and has been especially impactful here in New Hampshire. After more than four decades of service at the University of New Hampshire, Chris remains among the most effective, energetic and productive Chemistry…Learn More
Upcoming Events
Programs of Study
Recent Stories
First-Year Students Win Holloway Competition with Virtual Reality Gaming Venture
First-Year Students Win Holloway Competition with Virtual Reality Gaming Venture
Armored Pig Studios earned the $15,000 grand prize at UNH’s premier business plan competition
Article
Federally Funded Research Generates Significant Economic Benefit to N.H.
Federally Funded Research Generates Significant Economic Benefit to N.H.
Every $100 in federal research dollars produces additional $77 in economic activity
Article
Students Receive Prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
Students Receive Prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
Two current students, three alumni honored for research excellence and promise
Article