Department of Chemistry

Our students can explore many different areas of chemistry, all leading to a solid foundation for successful graduate study and/or a career in chemistry or a chemistry-related field.

Chemistry Department Highlights:

A rigorous and well-balanced curriculum
Strong and diverse undergraduate research programs
$3 million in grants to support teaching and research
Students acceptance in competitive graduate / professional schools

A Veteran’s Passion for Medicine

After serving in Afghanistan as a hospital corpsman during a seven year stint in the U.S Navy, Kellen Bertrand ’21 returned stateside and set his sights on getting a degree at SUNY Potsdam. He’s now in his final year at the College, and wrapping up a degree in biology and chemistry all while maintaining an impressive 4.0 GPA. In the spring he will be applying to medical school where he plans to parlay his success in into a lifelong career.

The Next Best Thing

Making solutions, preparing samples, and studying reactions and the formation of complex ions in the lab—the show must go on. Fitting chemistry challenges onto the flat face of a computer has become a sudden and unexpected specialty for John Proetta '09. An instructional support assistant at SUNY Potsdam, his forte has traditionally been lab chemicals. Now, he has been thrust into the role of crafting and facilitating a unified approach to the online delivery of chemistry lab instruction. In a world where the old playbook has been thrown out, Proetta finds himself on tight deadline, working one-on-one to help instructors in their scramble to present their materials through the screen.

Logan Running ’17

After transferring to SUNY Potsdam his junior year, Logan Running ’17 quickly found his path working on cutting-edge nanoparticle research in the chemistry department—research with the potential to treat cancer more effectively, and with less harmful side effects.

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Dr. Fadi Bou-Abdallah

SUNY Potsdam Professor of Chemistry Dr. Fadi Bou-Abdallah has been named a Cottrell Scholar by the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement.

Gold Nanoparticle Research

Ty Santiago's nanoparticle research was recently featured in a prestigious international science journal, Biosensors and Bioelectronics. The collaboration with Dr. Maria Hepel allowed Santiago to experience graduate level research in his undergraduate curriculum.

Heidi Kreckel ’19

Heidi Kreckel ’19 is heading to Colorado State University after graduation to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry. Kreckel will graduate with a B.S. in chemistry and a B.A. in mathematics, as well as minors in history and biology. In her research, she has worked with Associate Professor Clifford Rossiter on creating a probe used in a reaction–based indicator displacement assay. She has also studied the iron storage protein ferritin with Professor Fadi Bou–Abdallah, and in 2018 she presented her research at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.