Dear Carroll College Chemistry Alumni and Supporters:
There is a lot happening in chemistry at Carroll, and we’re excited to share some of it with you in this fall newsletter. From faculty and student research reaching well beyond Helena to new opportunities for alumni to connect with and mentor today’s students, our department continues to build on the strong tradition of hands-on learning and close faculty-student collaboration that has long defined chemistry at Carroll.
SAVE THE DATE: Academic Scholarship Program at Carroll College | October 30 and November 20, 2026
This fall, Carroll College will continue the incredibly successful Academic Scholarship Program where admitted students with at least a 3.0 GPA have the chance to receive additional scholarship dollars. The event will have two faculty-led activities: 1) a microclass with a collaborative group project, and 2) an individual interview. All participating students will receive some additional scholarship dollars based on faculty recommendations. Scholarships will include tiered awards between $1,000 - $9,000 all the way up to a 100% tuition scholarship.
Students must complete their application and be admitted to Carroll College two weeks prior to ensure they qualify for this scholarship event.
In addition to the Academic Scholarship Program, the Pell Promise will expand nationwide. The nationwide Pell Promise will fully cover tuition for qualifying Pell-eligible first-time, first-year and transfer students.
The Academic Scholarship Program and nationwide Pell Promise represent Carroll College’s commitment to making our world-class education more accessible to students. Please share these two new amazing opportunities with any prospective student who would be interested in additional academic scholarship dollars.
Chemistry Faculty Share Research with Alumni Groups
In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), the Carroll College chemistry faculty shared research highlights with Spokane area alumni. On January 22, 2026, over 50 alumni joined Professor John Rowley to learn about undergraduate research projects occurring in the Chemistry Department.
Please reach out to the Chemistry Department or the Alumni Office if your alumni group is interested in hosting a chemistry faculty speaker.
Carroll College Lowers Undergraduate Tuition by 40%
Hitt Research Group
Beginning in fall 2027, Carroll College will lower its published undergraduate tuition by 40%, from $43,260 to $26,800, and eliminate general undergraduate fees. The new price reflects Carroll’s commitment to making the cost of a Carroll education clearer, more transparent, and more accessible to students and families. Carroll will also continue to provide scholarships and need-based financial aid to help make a Carroll education affordable for students from a wide range of backgrounds.
What isn’t changing is the education at the heart of Carroll: the same rigorous academics, close faculty mentorship, and transformative student experience that generations of Carroll alumni know and value.
We invite you to share this exciting news with family and friends who may be considering Carroll.
Share Your Knowledge and Experience!
Share your knowledge and experience with this cohort of Carroll College Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology students! The Chemistry faculty are seeking alumni and supporters who are eager to speak with our current students and share:
- Emerging trends from your employment sector
- Guidance and recommendations on career and vocation
- Employment & internship opportunities
- Networking tips
We have had and are looking for more alumni as guest speakers in courses, in evening lectures, and providing one-on-one informational interview sessions.
Please consider sharing what you have learned with our current students.
Moscow Mule and IL ACS CUREs Chapter
Professors John Rowley and Caroline Pharr have recently published a chapter to the upcoming ACS book titled, "CUREs Across the Chemistry Disciplines: Engaging Undergraduates in Research-Based Learning."
CUREs are course-based undergraduate research experiences. Carroll College is an incubator of innovative pedagogy. Starting in 2014, the chemistry faculty incorporated CUREs into our curriculum because it equips all of our students with the knowledge and skills to tackle the real-world challenges they will face after graduating. The quality of our CUREs is a distinctive feature of the Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology program at Carroll College.
In their chapter, titled, "Course-based research experience: from student learning to peer-reviewed publication," Professors Rowley and Pharr describe the structure of the Integrated Lab. Additionally, they share the experimental and intellectual contributions provided by each of the nine undergraduate coauthors who contributed to the 2022 publication titled, “Quantifying the Rate Copper Leaches From a Copper Drinking Vessel Into Simulated Beverages Under Conditions of Consumer Use.” The ACS book chapter provides the lessons learned on how to collect and organize the contributions of students over multiple semesters into a cohesive manuscript for peer-reviewed publication.
Opportunity for Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Alumni to Help Support Our New Physicians Assistant (PA) Program
Are you interested in giving back by helping educate the next generation of healthcare providers? The developing Carroll College Physician Assistant (PA) Program plans to welcome its first cohort of 34 students in May 2028.
After 15 months of classroom, laboratory, and simulation-based learning, students will begin 12 months of clinical training in fall 2029. As Carroll prepares for accreditation and builds the partnerships needed to support these students, we are seeking alumni clinicians who want to get involved. There are several ways you can contribute:
- Precept a student in your clinical setting.
- Teach or mentor as a guest lecturer, adjunct instructor, skills lab instructor, or professional mentor.
- Support the student experience through admissions activities, standardized patient experiences, or hosting students during clinical rotations.
- Stay connected through program updates and future engagement opportunities.
- Carroll's PA Program is being built around the college's mission of service, leadership, and care for others. By sharing your expertise, you can help prepare clinicians who will serve patients and communities throughout Montana and beyond for years to come.
If you would like to learn more, please contact the Program Director Richard Bennett, PhD, PA-C.
Thank you for all you do and for continuing to represent the best of Carroll College through your work and service.
Elemental Extravaganza
The second annual Elemental Extravaganza Chemistry Demonstration show was hosted by Dr. Becky Coates and Dr. Caroline Pharr this past May. Dr. Coates and Dr. Pharr put on three shows: one for a local elementary school and two for the general public. All tickets for the general public shows were reserved a week before the event and over 350 students and community members got to see the magic of chemistry in action!
Elemental Extravaganza is a free Chemistry demonstration show. If you would like to support the chemistry department in continuing to offer free opportunities to engage the community in the wonder of chemistry, you can donate here! Your donation will help pay for buses to bring elementary students onto campus and fund the purchase of supplies for the show.
From the Himalayas to Helena: Coates Co-Authors International Study
Dr. Becky Coates has co-authored, “Biogeochemical Controls on C, N, and P Stoichiometry and Nutrient Cycling in Bedkot Lake, Chure Region or Far-Western Nepal” published in the Journal of Environmental Protection (Vol. 17, August 2026).
The project brought together researchers across four countries, led by Dr. Maya P. Bhatt of Texas A&M International University. The Texas A&M-Carroll connection was set up by Dr. Bassam Saif, last year’s Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Carroll.
Dr. Coates ran the ICP-OES trace-element analysis here at Carroll examining arsenic, cadmium, iron, zinc, and other metals in surface water samples from Bedkot Lake in far-western Nepal. The team found the lake’s water quality was safe for domestic and agricultural use, with phosphorus, not nitrogen, as the key nutrient limiting the ecosystem. DOI: 10.4236/jep.2026.178042
