Two centuries of chemistry

Carolina chemistry is celebrating its 200^th birthday.

A key secret to reaching this venerable milestone and achieving an international reputation has been to invest in generations of promising young scientists and to provide them with the tools they need to thrive. Today, young scholars continue to work alongside foundational members of the department.

Two centuries forever young

As the chemistry department turns 200 years old, the College of Arts and Sciences looks back on how the department became the powerhouse it is today.

Chemistry milestones

1818 Denison Olmsted becomes Carolina’s first professor of chemistry and mineralogy
1852 Smith Hall, the first chemistry building (which included a teaching lab), opens
1880 Francis P. Venable becomes sixth professor of chemistry and first faculty member with an earned Ph.D.
1909 Daisy Burrows Allen is the first woman to graduate with a bachelor's degree in chemistry
1925 Venable Hall is dedicated
1927 Lillie Fielding Poisson Cutlar is the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry
1965 Eddie Lee Hoover is the first African-American student to earn a bachelor's degree in chemistry
1971 Kenan Laboratories opens
1974 Slayton A. Evans Jr. becomes the department’s first African-American faculty member
1976 Linda L. Spremulli becomes the first female faculty member
1985 Morehead Laboratories open
2007 W. Lowry and Susan S. Caudill Laboratories open
2010 Murray and New Venable halls open

Creating breakthroughs

As the chemistry department became a booming research enterprise, it also turned into a hotbed for entrepreneurship. From the discovery of calcium carbide to reimaging 3-D printing, the department's work has left a lasting mark on the world.

158patents issued
22startup companies founded
$908million startup capital raised

Past, present and future

Kings of Chemistry
How an unexpected discovery transformed the world and made Morehead, Venable, and Kenan household names at UNC-Chapel Hill.
‘That fearless spirit of innovation’
Chemistry professor Joseph DeSimone’s years of innovative and beneficial work in material science was honored in 2016 by then President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
Stopping abnormal clotting and saving lives
Junior Ling Lin is an undergraduate researcher double-majoring in chemistry and Asian studies. Her research focuses on developing novel antiplatelet therapeutics to inhibit blood clot formation and prevent the risk of heart attack and stroke.