ECU Department of Chemistry

10/01/2026

🧬 💊 Discover Your Future at PharmaFest! 💊 🧬

Join PharmaFest on October 8, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ECU Main Campus Student Center!

Presented by ECU Career Services, the Eastern Region Pharma Center, and the ECU Office of Continuing and Professional Education, PharmaFest connects students with pharmaceutical industry professionals, ECU alumni, and regional employers while showcasing the many career opportunities available in the growing biopharmaceutical industry.

✅ Meet employers and industry professionals
✅ Connect with ECU alumni working in pharma
✅ Discover how your degree can lead to a career in biopharma
✅ Bring your resume and explore internship and career opportunities

📅 October 8, 2026
🕙 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
📍 ECU Main Campus Student Center
🔗 Learn more and register: https://cpe.ecu.edu/pharmafest/

09/28/2026

✨ Student Highlight: Max Washington ✨

🧪 Meet Max Washington, an ECU senior triple-majoring in Biochemistry (Chemistry Concentration), Chemistry (ACS-Certified), and Mathematics.

🔬 Max serves as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the Organic Chemistry CURE labs and conducts research in Dr. Lim’s lab. His research involves expressing and purifying pathogenic variants of transthyretin (TTR) to study the mechanisms underlying the formation of prefibrillar amyloids.

🎓 After graduation, Max plans to pursue a master’s degree in chemistry and continue developing his research interests.

💡 His advice to fellow students: “Reach out early if you feel you need extra assistance in understanding a topic; office hours aren’t as intimidating as they may seem. Be patient with yourself while you define what you want to dedicate yourself to.”

📖 Read Max's full story here: https://chemistry.ecu.edu/2026/09/01/student-spotlight-max-washington/

09/24/2026

🌟 Dr. Anne Spuches Featured in the Provost's First Monday September Announcement 🌟

We are excited to see Dr. Anne Spuches, THCAS Advancement Council Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics, featured in the Provost's First Monday September announcement!

In May, Dr. Spuches facilitated the Introduction to College Teaching Mini-Course, a program that gives participants a fresh perspective on teaching in today's college environment. Faculty members in the Summer 2026 cohort had the opportunity to network with colleagues, explore their personal teaching styles and philosophies, examine the nature of today's students, and brainstorm ideas for creating effective learning environments.

Congratulations, Dr. Spuches, on leading this impactful professional development opportunity and supporting excellence in teaching across ECU! 💜💛

09/22/2026

🔬✨ Meet Arnajhia Fant, a junior chemistry major at East Carolina University and U.S. Air Force veteran whose journey to science has been shaped by curiosity, resilience and a desire to make a difference. Today, she's pursuing a future in chemistry while bringing the discipline and innovation she developed through military service and her time at ECU.

Read her story below. ⬇️

Years of unexplained pain and a curiosity about ingredients inspired this ECU student to pursue a career in cosmetic science.

09/16/2026

📣 Chemical Bonds: Fall 2026 Has Arrived! 🍂🔬💜

The latest issue of Chemical Bonds is here, highlighting the people, accomplishments, research, and events shaping the ECU Department of Chemistry!

Inside this issue:

📝 A message from Department Chair Dr. Andrew Morehead
🎓 Celebrating our Spring 2026 graduates
🏆 Recognizing faculty and student award winners
🧪 Showcasing student research at RCAW and SURS
🌟 Faculty, staff, student, and alumni spotlights
📚 Recent grants, publications, and presentations
🏴‍☠️ Chemistry at Pirates Aboard!
🎉 Homecoming 2026 details and how to join us
💼 Introducing ECU Chemistry on LinkedIn and our new "Where Are They Now?" alumni series

We also remember longtime ECU Chemistry friend and alumnus Phil Hodges, celebrating the lasting impact he had on our department, students, and community. 💜

💌 Read the Fall 2026 issue:
🔗 https://t.e2ma.net/webview/arse8m/947abd84c0a13f5edb3a67051f312b04

✨ Subscribe to Chemical Bonds:
🔗 https://chemistry.ecu.edu/chemical-bonds-newsletter-signup/

☠️💜 We're proud of our Pirate Chemists and all they continue to accomplish. More great stories are on the way!

09/11/2026

🎉 Homecoming season is almost here! 🎉

Join the ECU Department of Chemistry for our Annual Chemistry Homecoming Celebration and Student Research Poster Session on Friday, October 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the 3rd-Floor Atrium of the Science and Technology Building.

Enjoy delicious Parker's BBQ, connect with fellow Pirates, and explore the exciting research being conducted by our talented students during the poster session. Whether you're a student, alumnus, faculty member, staff member, or friend of the department, we'd love to celebrate with you!

📅 RSVP by October 6: chemistry.ecu.edu/homecoming/

💜 Support ECU Chemistry: https://give.ecu.edu/

08/24/2026

🔬⚗️ The Department of Chemistry kicked off its Fall Seminar Series on August 21 with our annual Chemistry Lightning Talks!

More than 45 undergraduate and graduate students got a glimpse into the exciting research happening across the department as Drs. Morehead, Hughes, Kennedy, Pajski, and Offenbacher shared highlights from their labs.

We're excited to continue the series on Friday, August 28, with special guest Dr. Jared Keever (BA CHEM ’17, MS CHEM ’19), a proud two-time alumnus of ECU Chemistry. We look forward to welcoming him back to campus to share his journey and expertise with our students.

💜💛 Stay tuned for more seminars and opportunities to connect with researchers throughout the semester!

08/19/2026

ECU Chemistry welcomes one of our largest-ever cohorts of new graduate students for the 2026-27 academic year. Pictured here with returning M.S. and Ph.D. students, along with faculty members Dr. Colin Burns, Dr. Robert Hughes, Dr. Felicia Jaimes, and Department Chair Dr. Andrew Morehead.

Best of luck to everyone! 💜

08/17/2026

🧪💜 Welcome Back, Pirates!

The Department of Chemistry is excited to welcome our students back for another semester of learning, discovery, and research! Whether you’re taking your first chemistry course or returning to continue your research, we’re looking forward to all the opportunities and accomplishments this semester will bring.

Wishing everyone a fantastic first day of classes and a successful semester ahead! ⚗️💜🏴‍☠️

07/24/2026

Ryan Pepperman and Ayden Buechler of the Morehead Group presented a poster showcasing their organometallic catalysis research at the 5th Annual ECU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium (SURS)! 🎉

The symposium celebrated the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors from across the university, and Ryan and Ayden were proud to represent ECU Chemistry.

Congratulations on a great presentation and an excellent representation of our department! 🧪👏