Rate My Professor Kathleen Kristian

Kathleen E. Kristian, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Chair of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department at Iona University, a role to which she was re-elected in September 2024. She joined the department in 2011. Dr. Kristian earned her BA from Swarthmore College in 2004, Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from Columbia University in 2009, and served as Postdoctoral Research Scientist at DOE Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University from 2009 to 2011. She teaches inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, instrumental analysis, and general chemistry, while mentoring undergraduate researchers, including Clare Boothe Luce scholars on projects involving synthesis and characterization of new water-soluble N-heterocyclic carbene ligands and other inorganic chemistry endeavors.

Dr. Kristian's research interests lie in organometallic and inorganic reaction mechanisms, specifically the synthesis and reactivity of transition metal complexes of nitrogen oxides, complemented by work in chemical education. As principal investigator, she leads the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program INSTRUCT, funded by a five-year $1.5 million grant awarded in 2023, which supports rising juniors and seniors in Iona's 4+1 BS/MST programs for biology, chemistry, and mathematics teaching certifications through scholarships, mentorship, experiential learning, and career preparation to serve high-need school districts. She has also contributed to Iona's NSF S-STEM program. For her extensive service, Dr. Kristian received the 2025 Outstanding Service Award from the New York Section of the American Chemical Society, recognizing over a decade of leadership in programming, outreach, education, and inclusion. As 2022 NYACS Chair, she steered the section to two national ChemLuminary Awards. She founded the Frontiers in Chemistry Symposium (2012-2019), hosts the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad laboratory exam at Iona since 2022, and co-led the Dr. Marie Daly Celebration, including an ACS National Historic Chemical Landmark dedication.