Why Give?

The Chemistry Department is a vibrant community committed to the discovery of knowledge and the training of the next generation of scientists. Our faculty, students and alumni are international leaders making advances in the molecular sciences with lasting impact on foundational knowledge and critical global challenges including sustainability, health, and quality of life.   

We have a passion for excellence in research and education and an open, collegial environment that supports creativity and initiative. We seek to address worthwhile problems through fundamental research, translational efforts, and entrepreneurial activities while fostering an inclusive atmosphere that values and supports faculty, staff, and students in achieving their ambitions.

Your gift to the Chemistry Department expresses your commitment to this vision. Every gift, large and small, makes an impact not just on the Chemistry Department, but on the world at large as our students and faculty share their knowledge and skills.

We encourage you to direct your gift to one of three priority funds:

• Chemistry Department Enrichment Fund – Provides general support for the Department's educational, research and outreach programs.
• Undergraduate Education Fund – Gifts to this fund provide a wide set of important programs & activities for our undergraduates including travel to conferences and meetings, summer research opportunities, and clubs and special events.
• Graduate Education Fund – Gifts to this fund provide support for community-building graduate student activities, research, and travel to conferences and meetings.
• John A. Pople Lecture Fund – In honor of Nobel Laureate and Professor John A. Pople’s immense contributions to CMU and the field of quantum chemistry, the Department of Chemistry launched the inaugural John A. Pople Lecture in Theoretical & Computational Chemistry in 2009. The lecture offers students, faculty and the general public the valuable opportunity to learn from a leader in the fields of theoretical and computational chemistry. Subsequent lectures were held in 2011, 2013 and 2024, and the Department’s vision is to make the lecture permanent through establishing an endowed fund.
• Marcel Bruchez Cloud Lab Inspirational Fund – This fund promotes training and research in the use of automated, cloud-lab based resources in MCS. The initial gift was made by a donor in memory of Chemistry and Biological Sciences faculty member Marcel Bruchez, who was a pioneer in the use of automated science in education and research.