Education

B.Sc. Gettysburg College, 2002
Ph.D. University of Virginia, 2007

Biography

Professor Kevin Welch is interested in developing curricula for undergraduate instruction in general chemistry and organic chemistry.  In particular, his focus is on updating these courses to accommodate the diverse educational background in chemistry of the students enrolling in chemistry at the University of Virginia, as well as providing a strong chemical foundation for the students as they continue on in their educational and post-educational careers in a variety of fields.  In the past, he has taught undergraduate courses in general chemistry, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, environmental chemistry, and scientific writing.

In addition to a focus on undergraduate education, Kevin’s interests in chemistry involve research investigating metal-ligand bonding interactions and the use of transition metal complexes to address challenges in fuel generation and energy storage.

A native of northern Virginia, Kevin received his B.S. in chemistry from Gettysburg College in 2002, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia in 2007, where he focused on synthetic organometallic chemistry. He spent three years in central Washington as a Department of Energy Postdoctoral Researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, working on the development of transition metal catalysts for energy storage and fuel cell technology. From 2010 to 2016, Kevin was a visiting assistant professor at Swarthmore College outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he taught and conducted research with undergraduate students. He returned to the University of Virginia in the fall of 2016 and currently teaches courses in general chemistry and laboratories for organic chemistry.