script

Chemistry & Physics

Drury University > Chemistry & Physics

Students in the Department of Chemistry and Physics are expected to integrate practical and theoretical knowledge, as well as to reach a deeper understanding of how the practice of science impacts society. Throughout the curriculum students learn to work cooperatively in teams that are independent of gender, race, or creed, where they solve problems together and take this life skill into their future careers.

Student Research Opportunities

All chemistry students are expected to participate in research and to present their research at regional or national meetings. In the past three years:

  • Over 70 students have participated in research
  • 40 students became co-authors in refereed journals
  • 35 presented their research at national meetings of the American Chemical Society

The research program at Drury University has been nationally recognized with one member of the department being awarded the 1998 ACS national award for excellence in undergraduate research.

Contact Us:

Dr. Madhuri Manpadi

Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair of Chemistry & Physics
Trustee Science Center 108
Office: (417) 873-7185
mmanpadi@drury.edu

Meet the Faculty

Chemistry

B.S. ACS MAJOR        B.A. MAJOR        MINOR

Biochemistry

MAJOR

Physics

MAJOR        MINOR

Pre-Engineering

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM        MINOR

Physics students working on robotic arm.

Chemistry Facilities

Our classrooms are well equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. More than $500,000 has been spent for equipment in recent years, including:
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
  • Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
  • High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC)
  • Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectrophotometer (FTIR)
  • Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AA)

Physics Facilities

Each teaching laboratory is equipped with computers interfaced with a wide variety of sensors for collecting and analyzing data in real time, from experiments involving motion, temperature, force, sound, electrical and magnetic and other phenomena. The department’s resources include:
  • high speed cameras
  • a suite of 8- to 14-inch telescopes with CCD cameras
  • computer control for color imaging
  • two LulzBot TAZ 3D printers
  • Lab equipment for modern physics experiments - e/m, magnetic torque, PE effect, x-ray phenomena, Geiger counters, Earth’s field NMR, Muon lifetime, Arduinos, etc.
  • Lab equipment for optics experiments - lasers, single and double-slit apparatus, gas discharge tubes, spectroscopes, interferometers, FLIR camera, He-Ne and solid-state lasers, etc.

Student Highlight

Briella Riley ’25, a senior majoring in Chemistry with minors in Pre-Engineering and Mathematics, won Second-Place Poster in the 2024 Undergraduate Student Poster Competition at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) Annual Student Conference in the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering section. Briella had this to say about Drury’s impact on her:

“Drury University has been instrumental in preparing me for such an incredible opportunity. The unwavering support from my research advisors Dr. Manpadi and Dr. Korir has allowed my intellectual curiosity to flourish. I am honored to represent Drury University and to be recognized for this exceptional research opportunity.”