Erin Wachter

BIOGRAPHY 

Erin Wachter joined Centre’s faculty in 2016 as a visiting assistant professor of chemistry and was named an assistant professor of chemistry in 2018.  In 2024, she was named an associate professsor of chemistry. 

Wachter primarily teaches the general chemistry I and general chemistry II labs. She is interested in providing a lab experience that gets students excited about chemistry and incorporating opportunities for experimental design early in a student’s STEM career. She also teaches general chemistry II and biological chemistry on occasion.

Wachter’s research interests focus on transition metal complexes with an application in DNA sensing and chemotherapy. Transition metal polypyridyl complexes have many different properties that can be exploited. The ligands that bind to the metal can be easily modified, the complexes absorb visible light, can be luminescent and can bind DNA in different ways. Wachter’s research students are studying how different ligands influence the photoactivity and biological properties of ruthenium (II) polypyridyl complexes. If you are interested in working on this research project, you should schedule a meeting with Professor Wachter using Navigate.

Before coming to Centre, Wachter earned a B.S. in chemistry from Saint Vincent College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Kentucky. Her Ph.D. work was completed under Dr. Edith Glazer and focused on the design, synthesis, and physicochemical analysis of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes for application in phototherapy and nucleic acid sensing. 

AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

American Chemical Society

PUBLICATIONS

• L. T. Demoranville, J. E. Fieberg, S. Campbell, O. Kane, E. Wachter, K. J. Young, Adding a Climate Change Module to a Molecular Modeling Activity in General Chemistry, Journal of Chemical Education, 2023, 100(6), 2473-2477.
• A. Zamora, E. Wachter, M. Vera, D. K. Heidary, V. Rodríguez, V. Fernandez-Espín, C. Janiak, E. C. Glazer, G. Barone, J. Ruiz, Organoplatinum(II) Complexes Self-Assemble and Recognize AT-Rich Duplex DNA Sequences. Inorganic Chemistry, 2021, 60(4), 2178-2187.
• K. D. Fulfer, E. Wachter, J. L. Muzyka, L. T. Demoranville, J. E. Fieberg, J. D. Haile, D. Scott, Y. Song, J. M. Workman, K. J. Young, #StayCentred: Maintaining Personal Education at Centre College During COVID-19. Journal of Chemical Education, 2020, 97(9), 2783-2787.