National foundation recognizes Seann Mulcahy, Ph.D., with top awards in chemistry
By Martha Young
Seann Mulcahy, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry who has been a member of the Providence College faculty since 2012, has been awarded two grants from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, Inc. for his efforts to advance the chemical sciences.
Established in 1946 by chemist, inventor, and businessman Camille Dreyfus as a memorial to his brother, Henry, the foundation supports young faculty accomplished in research and teaching, recognizes exceptional and original research that has advanced the field, and funds lectureships at primarily undergraduate institutions.
Mulcahy was honored with two awards from the foundation: the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award and the Jean Dreyfus Lectureships for Undergraduate Institutions Award.
The Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award recognizes the research and teaching accomplishments of early-career faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions. Mulcahy is one of only nine faculty members nationwide to receive the award in 2024. The grant will provide support for undergraduate research at PC over the next five years — funding student stipends, lab equipment, and travel to scientific conferences — while enriching educational efforts within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected as one of this year’s Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholars,” Mulcahy said. “It is exciting to be recognized alongside an amazing cohort of teacher-scientists at some of the leading institutions in the country.”
Mulcahy’s research with students focuses on the study of molecules called beta-carbolines, which have implications for disease. He and his group are studying a feature of these molecules known as atropisomerism, which holds promise for future drug development. Since joining PC, Mulcahy has mentored more than 30 students, many of whom have co-authored professional publications and continued to Ph.D. programs in the chemical sciences.
“I am excited that our students will be exposed to such cutting-edge technology,” Mulcahy said. “We will be using interdisciplinary techniques in synthetic organic chemistry, chemical biology, biochemistry, and catalysis that will serve students of all interests and backgrounds.”
The Jean Dreyfus Lectureship for Undergraduate Institutions Award will support a visit and lectures by a leading researcher in the chemical sciences and fund summer research fellowships for two undergraduates.
For the 2025-26 academic year, Mulcahy has invited Leslie Sombers, Ph.D., professor of pharmacodynamics at the University of Florida, to spend a week at PC. Sombers’ reputation as an interdisciplinary researcher whose work spans chemistry, biology, neuroscience, engineering, and physics is intended to attract PC students and faculty from all STEM disciplines to her lectures and interactive sessions.
The Dreyfus Foundation awards are the latest achievements in a series of grants that Mulcahy has secured, including funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the American Chemical Society, and the Rhode Island IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence. Since joining PC, Mulcahy has earned more than $1.8 million in external funding, significantly enhancing research opportunities and resources at Providence College.
“Awards like these recognize the incredible impact that undergraduate research has at liberal arts colleges like PC. No matter what their career aspirations, students learn to solve problems, think deeply and critically, and communicate the impo rtance of their work to the community. It is why so many of our students find success on the job market or in advanced study,” Mulcahy said. “I could not be prouder of what my students have accomplished over the past 12 years and look forward to seeing how the next generation can impact society for the better.”
