The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has been named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Bridge Department, an honor recognizing the University's dedication to providing targeted support to students from historically marginalized groups who are pursuing graduate degrees in chemistry and biochemistry.

The designation is part of the ACS Bridge Program, which provides resources to both students and participating institutions. The resources include mentoring, academic support, and opportunities for hands-on research. The program is designed to bridge the gap between undergraduate and graduate studies, ensuring participants are well-prepared to excel in doctoral programs.

“We have structures in place so that if any of the ACS Bridge students decide to pursue their graduate studies at Notre Dame, they’ll be well-supported and will come into an ecosystem that’s going to allow them to thrive,” said Steven Corcelli, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Corcelli credits Brittany Morgan, the John V. O’Connor Assistant Professor in Cancer Drug Discovery, as well as students in the department’s Chemistry Graduate Student Organization (CGSO) association, with being instrumental in obtaining the ACS program’s designation.

“Our chemistry department has a strong commitment to supporting underrepresented students, and we believe that this program will provide unique opportunities for them,” said Avraz Anwar, president of the CGSO and a doctoral student in the laboratory of Juan Del Valle, the W.K. Warren Family Professor for the Warren Family Research Center for Drug Discovery and Development. “The current strengths from having a strong group of underrepresented students in the graduate program include strong mentorship connections, supportive work environments, and diverse perspectives that enable problem-solving.”

The ACS Bridge Program is part of the Inclusive Graduate Education Network (IGEN), a national effort to broaden access to graduate studies in the physical sciences. The program serves as a centralized clearinghouse, allowing underrepresented students to apply to multiple Bridge Departments through a single application. Some of the other 40 public and private schools in the program include Brown University, Yale University, Purdue University, University of California Berkeley, and others.

“Students can submit an application to the ACS Bridge Program, and by doing so, they are effectively applying to 50 departments all in one swoop … and that's going to help with expanding the diversity of our program even further,” Corcelli said.

Corcelli had made inclusion in the ACS Bridge Program a goal when he became department chair, in part because it highlights the hard work the department has already done to assure that chemistry graduate students come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.

“This endorsement from the ACS is tremendous validation for our sustained efforts to holistically support our graduate students and cultivate a diverse and inclusive program,” he said.

Originally published by Deanna Csomo Ferrell at science.nd.edu on January 10, 2025.