Bernadette Donovan-Merkert

Bernadette Donovan-Merkert, Ph.D. serves as the dean of the Klein College of Science, comprised of four science and math departments (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Optical Science) plus the Botanical Gardens.

Prior to serving as dean, Donovan-Merkert was chair of the Department of Chemistry for over 18 years. She also led the design and implementation of the Nanoscale Science Ph.D. program and served as the program’s director. In these roles she worked with faculty, staff and students to promote a departmental culture that embraced excellence in research, teaching and engagement.

Donovan-Merkert earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont. She held postdoctoral research associate positions at Dartmouth College and the University of Texas at Austin prior to her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry at UNC Charlotte in 1992. She was promoted to associate professor in 1998 and to the rank of professor in 2003.

Donovan-Merkert’s research focuses on electrochemically induced reactions of organometallic complexes. She has held leadership positions in professional organizations and was a long-time advocate for construction of the science building that opened in 2021. She was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, was a finalist for the University’s highest teaching award, the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, and received the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award, among many internal and external honors.