Nathan McElroy

Dr. Nathan McElroy is a Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Madia Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). He holds a BS from IUP (1994) and a PhD in Computational Chemistry from Penn State University (2003), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at AstraZeneca in France (2003-05). His research focuses on water quality analysis, particularly the environmental impact of Marcellus shale gas extraction and industrial activities in Western Pennsylvania.

Key research projects include the 11-year Beaver Run Reservoir monitoring initiative (2011-2022) and collaborations with local industries like LumiShield Technologies and Levity Brewing Co. He teaches courses such as CHEM 401 (Advanced Chemistry Lab) and CHEM 426 (Advanced Analytical Chemistry). His lab employs techniques like ICP-OES and GC for analyzing water, food, and beverage samples.

Dr. McElroy actively advises over 40 undergraduate and graduate students on projects ranging from caffeine analysis in coffee beans to metal leaching studies. His work has been funded through grants from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County and industry partnerships. He also contributes to pedagogical advancements, including workshops on teamwork-intensive course design.