Exciting Updates From the Chair
Dear Friends of BU Chemistry,
I am Sean Elliott and I am honored to serve as the new chair of the Department of Chemistry. I’m writing to share some exciting updates that reflect the incredible momentum in our department—and invite you to be part of what’s next.
Innovation and Growth
Our research and teaching spaces in Metcalf Science Center, the Life Sciences & Engineering Building, and the Photonics Center are buzzing with activity. We’ve welcomed four outstanding new assistant professors—Eric Cueny (inorganic), Joe Derosa (organic), Melissa Pergande (biological), and Minjung Son (physical)—each driving bold research at the frontiers of chemistry. From organometallic transformations to neurobiology insights and nanomaterials, these scholars are shaping the future and creating transformative learning experiences for our students.
State-of-the-Art Teaching Labs
Big changes are underway in Metcalf. We are preparing for a complete rebuild of our teaching labs. By Fall 2026, students will learn in modern spaces designed for hands-on discovery in quantitative analysis, inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and physical chemistry. This investment will elevate the BU Chemistry experience for generations to come.
A Vibrant Graduate Community
Our graduate students continue to lead with vision and heart. From navigating the pandemic to forming “ChemUnity,” a student-led group focused on culture and community, they’ve inspired us all. This fall, about 50 of us ran the Cambridge Fall Classic 5K as “BU Chemistry, Running Reactions”—a testament to the spirit that defines our department.
Your Impact Matters
While we celebrate these achievements, we also face real challenges: tightening federal research budgets and pressures on graduate student support. These factors could limit opportunities for undergraduate research and the personalized learning that makes BU Chemistry exceptional.
This is where you can make a profound difference. Your gift to our departmental fund can directly support undergraduate research, summer stipends, graduate student conference travel, and the hands-on experiences that shaped your own time on Comm Ave. Every contribution helps sustain the vibrant, collaborative community that defines BU Chemistry.
Join Us in Shaping the Future
Please consider making a gift today through the link below. And don’t be a stranger—I’d love to hear where your BU Chemistry degree has taken you. Reach out anytime!
Giving Day 2026
In BU Chemistry, students are discovering not only how science works, but where it can take them.
Beyond the classroom, Chemistry students pursue research, share their findings, and connect with alumni and professionals whose experiences help illuminate future paths in science, medicine, and industry.
Your Giving Day gift helps make those formative experiences possible. From student-led career programs to alumni panels and hands-on opportunities for learning and connection, donor support strengthens the community around Chemistry and helps students grow as scientists and scholars.
Recent student-led programming in the life sciences offers a strong example of this impact: when students are given opportunities to convene alumni and explore real-world pathways, they gain confidence, perspective, and meaningful professional connection.
On Giving Day, every gift makes a difference:
· $100: Funds resume workshops, ‘Alumni in Industry’ panels, and mock interview sessions specifically tailored for lab and research roles.
· $250: Supports networking mixers and ‘meet the recruiter’ events, helping students bridge the gap between the lab bench and their first job.
· $500: Subsidizes travel and lodging for students to present their findings at national ACS conferences, Gordon Research Conferences (GRCs), and international meetings.
· $750: Funds a speaker to visit BU, spend the day in the department, visit with students and faculty members.
· $1,000: Provides seed funding for undergraduate summer fellowships, when UROP and grant funding runs out.
· $1,000: Provides seed funding for graduate summer fellowships when there is limited TF funding available.
Support Chemistry on Giving Day and help open doors for the next generation of scientists.