For decades, Kim Dunbar has helped further the international scientific community’s knowledge of inorganic chemistry, receiving several honors and titles acknowledging her contributions. From Texas A&M University, she leads the Dunbar Research Group, making strides in the field of chemistry for current and future applications.

Dr. Kim Dunbar ’s career in chemistry extends back decades where she has contributed with groundbreaking research and application, especially in the field of inorganic chemistry. She is a leading chemistry professor and department head at Texas A&M University where she also leads a student-based research team.

In a span of a few years, the Dunbar Research Group has improved the scientific understanding of multiple topics in inorganic chemistry, having earned high recognition in the scientific community. Today, they are backed by several major institutions that ensure Dr. Kim Dunbar and her team can continue adding to our understanding of critical elements in chemistry.  Among their memorable contributors are the United States Department of Energy, the American Chemical Society, the Welch Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation.

The research she and her team have conducted continues to help develop projects that aid humanity through stronger materials, disease treatments, novel compounds, and plenty more.

The Dunbar Group focuses on topics in inorganic chemistry with a special focus on coordination chemistry. In their research, they attempt to understand and be more equipped to explain relationships between molecular structure and physical properties to the masses. Dr. Kim Dunbar oversees research on topics like molecular magnetism, anti-cancer compounds, and multifunctional materials with organic radicals.

The students that Dunbar invites into the research group have the benefit of adding to their chemical knowledge outside the boundaries of their individual degrees and are able to serve as an instrumental component of an internationally-recognized scientific research group. While involved, they gain experience in several state-of-the-art techniques and instrumentation, which include air-free synthesis (glovebox and Schlenk-line), X-ray crystallography, SQUID magnetometry, mass spectrometry, computational chemistry, cell viability assays, electrochemistry, and electronic, EPR, infrared, and NMR Spectroscopies. In addition to their degrees, this exclusive experience prepares them for careers in chemistry, providing a launchpad for continued education.

Dr. Kim Dunbar is a proven leader and is well respected by her team, her university, and the larger scientific community. She was honored as a Davidson Professor of Science in 2004 and achieved the distinction of being the first female chair-holder of the Davidson Chair in Science. Dunbar has also been named a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Texas A&M University’s highest academic faculty rank, and received the ACS Award for Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Inorganic Chemistry among a range of other accreditations. Leading the Dunbar Research Group, she contributes to the knowledge of inorganic chemistry in labs, facilities, and educational institutions all over the globe.