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Our Faculty & Staff
Full-Time Faculty | Part-Time Faculty | Emeritus Faculty | Staff Members
Full-Time Faculty
Steve Austen, Lecturer
Office: SC 447 / Phone: (859) 572-5406
E-mail: austens1@nku.edu
Dr. Steve Austen received his B.A. in chemistry from Wabash College, M.S. from Rice University, and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati. Afterwards, he worked for Aventis Pharmaceuticals (Cincinnati, OH) as a synthetic chemist. From there, he moved to Rohm and Haas (Reading, OH) as a research chemist and group leader. Before joining NKU he was a product development chemist at EMD Chemicals in Norwood, OH.
P.J. Ball, Lecturer
Office: SC 454 / Phone: (859) 572-6960
E-mail: ballp1@nku.edu
Dr. P. J. Ball joined the department in the fall of 2005 in a lecturer's position. She received her B.S. from the University of Cincinnati and her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 2005. She consistently receives among the highest ratings in the university on her student evaluations.
Heather Bullen, Associate Professor
Office: SC 349 / Phone: (859) 572-5411
E-mail: bullenh1@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~bullenh1
Dr. Heather Bullen is tenure-track analytical chemist who joined NKU in 2004. She received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University and was a postdoctoral research associate at Iowa State University, Ames Laboratory-Department of Energy.
Grant Edwards, Lecturer
Office: SC 443 / Phone: (859) 572-5407
E-mails: edwardsg1@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~edwardsg1
Dr. Grant Edwards completed his B.S. at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., where he completed two academic years of research and augmented his research experience with two summer positions at Texas A&M University. He then completed his Ph.D. at Iowa State University in 2006 before joining NKU as the Director of Instrument Facilities.
Gwen Fields, Lecturer
Office: SC 442 / Phone: (859) 572-6681
E-mail: fieldsg@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~fieldsg
Gwen Fields received her B.S. in chemistry from Thomas More College in 1991 and her M.S. from the University of Cincinnati in 1993. She is one of the department's most versatile lecturers, having taught nearly every course offered in the curriculum. She typically teaches both organic and general chemistry.
Kebede Gemene, Assistant Professor
Office: SC 447 / Phone: (859) 572-7543
E-mail: gemenek1@nku.edu
Dr. Kebede L. Gemene received his B. Sc. from Asmara University, Eritrea in 1988 and his M.Sc. from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia in 1997. He worked as a high school chemistry teacher and as a lecturer of chemistry before pursuing his study for PhD. He received his PhD from Purdue University in 2008 and worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Michigan for three years before joining NKU as an assistant professor of chemistry in fall 2011.
Patrick Hare, Assistant Professor
Office: SC 351 / (859) 572-1928
E-mail: harep1@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~harep1
Since August 2008 Patrick Hare has taught general and physical chemistry at NKU. He received his B.A. in chemistry in 2001 from Case Western Reserve University followed by a Ph. D. from The Ohio State University in 2007 where he used ultrafast laser spectroscopy to study nucleic acids. Prior to arriving at NKU, Hare was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Notre Dame Radiation Laboratory.
Isabelle Lagadic, Assistant Professor
Office: SC 449 / (859) 572-7785
E-mail: lagadici1@nku.edu
Dr. Isabelle Lagadic joined the department in August 2007. She received her doctorate in 1994 from the Universite of Paris-Sud (Orsay, France). She taught at both Oklahoma State University and the University of Connecticut and also worked for Nanoscale Materials, Inc., a start-up company located in Kansas. She teaches general chemistry lecture and lab and inorganic chemistry lab.
Lili Ma, Assistant Professor
Office: SC 448 / (859) 572-6961
E-mail: mal1@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~mal1
Dr. Lili Ma received her B.S. (1999) and M.S. (2002) from Nanjing University (China) and her Ph.D. (2007) from Brown University. After two years of postdoctoral research at the University of Texas Medical Branch, she joined the chemistry department at NKU in August 2009. She teaches organic chemistry lecture and lab.
Diana McGill, Professor and Chair
Office: SC 204G / (859) 572-6520
E-mail: mcgill@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~mcgill
Dr. Diana McGill graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 1984 with a double major in biology and chemistry and received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1991, completing postdoctoral work at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She returned to NKU in 1993 and joined her former professors as a colleague. She has been the department chair since 2003 and still teaches biochemistry and chemical writing and information.
Kereen Monteyne, Assistant Professor
Office: SC 446 / (859) 572-5408
E-mail: monteynek1@nku.edu
Dr. Kereen Monteyne received her B.Sc. (1993) in chemistry and M.Sc. (1996) in theoretical chemistry from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She received her Ph.D. (2004) in chemistry, with a focus in chemical education, from The University of Montana. Prior to arriving at NKU in Fall 2009, Dr. Monteyne was an assistant professor at California State University Fullerton. She teaches general chemistry lecture and lab.
Laura Padolik, Lecturer
Office: SC 451 / (859) 572-6113
E-mail: padolikl@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~padolikl
Dr. Laura Padolik began teaching at NKU in 1993 after doing postdoctoral work at the University of Cincinnati. She received her B.S. from St. Louis University in 1985 and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1990. Although she mostly teaches general chemistry lecture and lab, she also teaches introduction to chemistry and chemistry and society.
Stefan Paula, Associate Professor
Office: SC 445 / (859) 572-6552
Email: paulas1@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~paulas1
Dr. Stefan Paula joined NKU in 2004 after a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He received his diploma in chemistry (equivalent to an M.S.) from the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 1992 and his Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Before coming to the Cincinnati area, he spent two years at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Munich as a postdoctoral research associate. Paula teaches biochemistry lecture and lab and physical chemistry lab.
K. C. Russell, Associate Professor
Office: SC 350 / (859) 572-6110
E-mail: russellk@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~russellk
Dr. K. C. Russell received his B.S. at Oregon State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. He then traveled to Strasbourg, France, to work under the tutelage of 1987 Nobel Laureate Jean-Marie Lehn. Russell returned to the U.S. to work as a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and began his academic career in 1995 at the University of Miami (Florida). Russell joined the faculty at NKU in 2001 and received the Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in 2004. He teaches organic chemistry, chemistry seminar and advanced organic chemistry.
Brad Sieve, Lecturer
Office: SC 452 / (859) 572-6547
E-mail: sieveb1@nku.edu
Dr. Brad Sieve obtained his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2002 and completed a postdoctoral position at Iowa State University and Ames Laboratory. Sieve teaches general chemistry, physiological chemistry, organic chemistry, introduction to chemistry and chemistry and society.
Keith Walters, Associate Professor
Office: SC 348 / (859) 572-5315
E-mail: walterske@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~walterske
Dr. Keith Walters came to NKU in 2002 after a two-year postdoctoral position at Northwestern University. He received his B.S. from Furman University in 1996 and his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2000. Walters teaches general chemistry, history of chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry and materials chemistry. He received the NKU Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in 2007.
Part-Time Faculty
Julia Yang Bedell
Office: SC 322 / (859) 572-5432
E-mail: bedell@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~bedell
Julia Bedell began teaching for the department in 1992 as a full-time lecturer. After six years she progressed to a permanent lecturer position and served in this capacity until going part-time in 2003. Bedell received her B.A. (1985) and M.S. (1987) from Duke University. In 1988, she became interested in chemical education, obtained a chemistry teacher’s certification and taught at the secondary level.
William Blewett
Office: SC 322 / (859) 572-5432
E-mail: blewettc1@nku.edu
Dr. C. William Blewett joined the department in the spring of 2004 as a part-time instructor to teach general chemistry labs. Blewett retired in 2001 after 33 years with Cognis Chemicals. He was also a part-time instructor at the University of Cincinnati from 1975 to 1992. Blewett received his B.S at Thomas More College in 1963. His graduate studies were carried out at MIT and the University of Cincinnati, and he received his Ph.D. from UC in 1969.
Dick Bloss
Office: SC 322 / (859) 572-5432
E-mail: blossre@hotmail.com
In 2007, Dick Bloss began his 25th year of teaching part time for the department. He was previously employed as a research chemist and data processing specialist with a local industrial chemical company and worked as an information technology manager for Fifth Third Processing Solutions. He received his B.S. (1977) and M.S. (1979) from Ball State University and has done additional graduate work at the University of Colorado.
David Ledden
Office: SC 322 / (859) 572-5432
E-mail: jdledden@insightBB.com
David Ledden has been teaching part time in the chemistry department since 1981. He has also taught high school chemistry for more than 30 years at Beechwood High School, Boone County High School and St. Henry District High School. Ledden received his B.S. from the University of Cincinnati (1967) and his M.S. from Xavier University (1974). He also holds the Rank I in Education from NKU (1982).
Stuart Oehrle
Office: SC 341 / (859) 572-6671
E-mail: oehrle@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~oehrle
Stuart Oehrle is a senior field chemist for Waters with more than 17 years of tenure there. He is the lab manager of the Waters field lab located at NKU, where he is also a part-time instructor in chemistry.
Betty Russell
Office: SC 322 / (859) 572-6363
E-mail: russellb2@nku.edu
Shane Talbott
Office: AHC 323 / (859) 572-5756E-mail: talbotte1@nku.edu
Shane Talbott joined the department in August 2010 as an adjunct faculty member. Talbott spent eight years at Somerset Community College as Associate Professor teaching everything from Introduction to General College Chemistry to Organic Chemistry. Currently, he is a full-time academic advisor in the College of Health Professions at NKU. He has a BS in Chemistry from Centre College (1991) and an MS in Chemistry from Auburn University (1999).
Emeritus Faculty
Vern Hicks, Professor Emeritus
E-mail: hicks@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~hicks
In 1972, Vern Hicks began his career as NKU’s first and only Physical Chemist and remained as such until his retirement in 2010. In addition to Physical Chemistry, Vern also taught general chemistry, chemistry and society, introduction to chemistry and his beloved quantum mechanics. He received his B.S. in 1965 from Emory and Henry College and his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt in 1974. Hicks was named 2008 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year by the Cincinnati section of the American Chemical Society. His other honors include: NKU Outstanding Professor Award in 1993, the KSTA Outstanding Science Teacher Award for Post-Secondary Teachers in 2000, and the prestigious Acorn Award in 2010.
Robert Kempton, Professor Emeritus
E-mail: kempton@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~kempton
Following two years as a postdoctoral student at University of Illinois, Dr. Robert Kempton started teaching organic chemistry at NKU in 1976. He received his Ph.D. from Fordham University in 1975, M.S. from Auburn in 1969 and B.S. from St. Peter's College in 1966. Kempton has been the leader in establishing undergraduate research on campus and still works with students. He taught organic chemistry, spectroscopy and advanced organic synthesis and received the honor of Regents Professor in 1993.
Vinay Kumar, Professor Emeritus
E-mail: kumar@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~kumar
Dr. Vinay Kumar began teaching general chemistry in the fall 1970 and holds the distinction of being the first chemistry faculty hired by NKU (then Northern Kentucky State College). Kumar received his M.S. from State University of New York at Oswego in 1967 and his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati in 1970. Kumar taught analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis, chemistry and society and introduction to chemistry.
James Niewahner, Professor Emeritus
E-mail: niewahnerj@nku.edu
Website: http://www.nku.edu/~niewahnerj
Dr. Jim Niewahner began his career at NKU in 1970 as an academic counselor and financial aid officer after receiving his Ph.D. from Colorado State University. He taught mostly general chemistry in addition to organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physiological chemistry and chemistry and society.
William Oliver, Professor Emeritus
E-mail: oliver@nku.edu
Dr. Bill Oliver joined NKU in 1972. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at Iowa State University in 1969 and worked at Procter and Gamble three years before moving to Northern. He taught organic chemistry, general chemistry, biochemistry, physical organic chemistry, physiological chemistry, and chemistry and society. He became the first chair of the chemistry department when it was formed in 1988 and served 16 years in that position. He retired in 2007.
Staff Members
Tiffany Freytag, Academic Coordinator
Office: SC 204F / (859) 572-5409
E-mail: freytagt1@nku.edu
Tiffany Freytag joined the department in August of 2007 as academic specialist. She has an Associate of Applied Science in Aviation Administration and a Bachelor of Organizational Studies from NKU.
Kris Mason, Stockroom/ Laboratory Manager
Office: SC 441 / (859) 572-6669
E-mail: masonk1@nku.edu
Kris Mason started working at NKU in August of 2006. Prior to coming to NKU, she was employed as the quality control supervisor for Univar USA Inc. and technical director of Green Industries. Her first job after graduating with a B.S. from Michigan State University was for Duramed Pharmaceuticals.
Jim Wilkinson, Freshman Lab Coordinator
Office SC 441 / (859) 572-6669
E-mail: wilkinsonj1@nku.edu
Jim Wilkinson joined the department in December of 2008. Prior to NKU, he worked at the College of Mount Saint Joseph where he was subject tutor for Project Excel for seven years. He received his B.S. degree in chemistry with a math minor from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and his M.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Minnesota.