Rachel Narehood Austin

Rachel Narehood Austin is the Diana T. and P. Roy Vagelos Professor of Chemistry at Barnard College, NYC. She leads a research group focused on environmental bioinorganic chemistry, C-H/C-O bond activation, and inorganic neurochemistry. Her work integrates enzymology, catalysis, and environmental remediation, with a major emphasis on alkane oxidation mechanisms and heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable chemistry. She joined Barnard in 2015 after 20 years at Bates College (ME).

Research & Grants: Her lab has received funding from NSF, NIH, HHMI, Dreyfus Foundation, and others. Projects include studying metalloenzymes (e.g., AlkB), metallothionein-3 neurochemistry, and TiO₂-based catalysts. She recently co-authored breakthrough studies on enzyme structures and sulfur-induced electron traps in titania.

Awards: Includes the 2024 ACS Award for Research at Undergraduate Institutions, Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2004), and Bates College Kroepsch Teaching Award (2001). She is a past chair of the Environmental Bioinorganic Chemistry Gordon Conference and currently serves on editorial boards (Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, Frontiers in Microbiological Chemistry).

Presentations: Recent invited lectures include topics like C-F bond catalysis (2024), AlkB structural insights (2023), and environmental lead exposure pedagogy (2021). She actively collaborates with institutions globally, including Stanford, Columbia, and European research centers.

Education & Mentorship: Teaches courses in inorganic chemistry, spectroscopy, and research methods. Co-developed curricula like 'Chemistry and Racism' to contextualize science education. Mentors undergraduates in lab-intensive projects, emphasizing diversity and safety in STEM.