Emily Pelton joins Department of Chemistry faculty as Assistant Professor

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (1/27/2023) – The Department of Chemistry welcomes long-time senior lecturer Emily Pelton to the core faculty as an Assistant Professor as of summer 2022. Pelton has been a member of the University of Minnesota Chemistry community since 2008.

Raised in Minnesota, Pelton completed her undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College. She went on to attend the UMN-TC Chemistry graduate program herself, earning her M.S. in 2010. Pelton earned her Ph.D. in 2013 and became a staff lecturer for the Chemistry department in the same year. She joined the core faculty in summer 2022 as an Assistant Professor. Her work is focused on undergraduate success in large-enrollment gateway chemistry courses and addressing grading disparities between student groups holding a variety of marginalized identities.

Pelton commonly teaches Introductory Chemistry and courses in the general chemistry sequence. She says she enjoys teaching chemistry because it gives her the opportunity to help students connect their individual interests to classroom topics. “What compounds can be used to make certain pigments for cosmetics? Why are some groundwater pollutants difficult to remediate? What concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium do I need for the best vegetable garden?” These are the questions Pelton is asking.

“Here at the U, I get to work alongside some of the best chemists, mentors, and educators around, and I get to share my passion for chemistry with talented students who are going to go on and change the world!” says Pelton when asked what’s kept her energized about the UMN Chemistry program over the years.

Pelton has won awards from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Educational Innovation to create and implement a hybrid version of Introductory Chemistry, develop online quiz banks for Introductory Chemistry, and develop intentional learning communities in General Chemistry I. When she’s not working, Pelton can be found going on hikes, hanging out with family and friends, attending concerts, and watching made-for-TV movies.

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