Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics

03/10/2026

We are saddened to report the passing of Judy (Somonick) Kovell, who passed on Sat Mar 20, 2026. Judy was the secretary for the Chemistry Department for many years (1980s to early 2000s) and was the first person many students met when visiting the department - always providing a smile and great advice!

Celebrate the life of Judith Kovell and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

01/22/2026

Visit the 2nd floor of Kopchick Hall this semester to see our display on Carnival glass manufactured in Indiana.

As you would expect, Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s John J. and Char Kopchick Hall, home to IUP’s Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, has laboratories with sophisticated equipment and state-of-the-art classroom technology.

12/01/2025

The award honors Thor’s Hammer, a breakthrough technology that increases the sensitivity of any mass spectrometer by roughly 100-fold. This dramatic improvement makes it possible to accurately measure chemicals from extremely small amounts of blood—enabling the use of Quantitative Dried Blood Cards (QDBC) as a practical alternative to traditional blood draws. Demonstrations of the technology took place in IUP’s Kopchick Hall in 2024 and 2025 and will appear in upcoming joint publications with the Eden Project in the UK and IUP researchers.

Howard M. “Skip” Kingston ’73, M’75—an IUP distinguished alumnus and scholar in residence in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics—has earned his fourth R&D 100 Award, one of the world’s most prestigious recognitions for technological innovation. This achievement...

11/10/2025

https://www.iup.edu/cbp/news/2025/11/belinda-lin-xu-shares-summer-cancer-research-experience-at-md-anderson-cancer-center.html

Undergraduate student Belinda Lin Xu presented her summer research at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she investigated the role of the protein NONO in enhancing oncolytic virus therapies for glioblastoma. Her work highlights the strong research foundation provided by the Madia Department of Che...

10/17/2025

https://www.iup.edu/cbp/news/2025/10/pothen-varughese-retired-chemistry-professor-wins-fifth-national-pickleball-title.html

Retired chemistry professor Pothen Varughese turned his passion into five gold medals in National Senior Games men’s doubles pickleball. Combining his love of science, sport, and community, he helped build Indiana’s thriving pickleball scene and continues to inspire others to stay active, connec...

10/10/2025

Congratulations to chemistry major Parker Bradley on his recent publication!

Congratulations to Parker Bradley, an undergraduate student in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, on publishing his research article titled “Intercalation of antibacterial photoactive ruthenium (II) polypyridyl complex onto montmorillonite clay” in Inorganic Chemistry ...

10/07/2025

https://www.iup.edu/cbp/news/2025/10/iup-graduate-shares-insights-on-securing-competitive-reu-opportunities.html

Organized by the Physics Club, the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics welcomed back alumnus Gregory Kenning Jr. (’24) on Friday, October 3, now a student in the University of Pittsburgh’s materials science and engineering program, to present “REUs: What They Are and How ...

09/30/2025

https://www.iup.edu/cbp/news/2025/09/from-iup-physics-to-aerospace-futures-the-journey-of-danijel-babic.html

The path of Danijel “Dan” Babić ’24 to aerospace science began in an unexpected place: a physics classroom in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

09/30/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Kingston for his 4th R&D 100 Award! We are very happy to have his research team working with us in the Department to offer unique research experiences for our students.

Howard M. “Skip” Kingston, a scholar in residence at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, IUP, and the IUP Research Institute has won a 2025 R&D 100 Award for a breakthrough that has the potential to advance precision medicine and rural...

09/10/2025

Congrats to our own Drs. Bradshaw and Maicaneanu on their recent promotions!

09/08/2025

Kudos to Dr. Zhou!

Andrew Zhou, professor in the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics, is the guest editor of a new special issue in the international journal Molecules (Impact Factor 4.6), titled “Novel Nanomaterials: Sensing Development and Applications.” The issue highlights cutting-edge res...