NKU Chemistry Department Celebrates Donation From Waters Corporation

January 26, 2023 - The Northern Kentucky University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is celebrating a generous donation of three high-precision measuring instruments worth $350,000 from the Waters Corporation. The instruments will enhance undergraduate and graduate studies in the university’s teaching and research laboratories. 

“This donation demonstrates the advantages of the close ties between our NKU Chemistry and Biochemistry Department and local industries,” Dr. K.C. Russell, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said. “These instruments are offering our students hands-on experiences with cutting-edge technologies that can be used in their future careers.” 

The demonstration equipment and installation were donated to the department as part of a partnership with Waters Corporation, an analytical laboratory instrument and software company. The new instrumentation allows better separation and detection of chemicals in liquid mixtures under a variety of conditions. 

Stuart Oehrle, a Waters Corporation principal technical support specialist, NKU alumnus and part-time faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will also help train faculty and students on the use of the instruments. Dr. Catherin Shelton, assistant professor in the department, and her undergraduate research students are already employing the instruments to study biocatalysts for use in antibiotic development.

The instruments will also be incorporated into laboratory courses so that more students have a chance to use the state-of-the-art instrumentation. 

For more information on the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as the programs offered within, visit its website.