C. Pendleton Hutchinson, PhD

Dr. Hutchinson is currently an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Hamilton College. They are a first-generation student and academic who comes from a rural area. These experiences have significantly shaped their teaching, research, and outreach.

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They are originally from Goldvein, Virginia, an "unincorporated hamlet" with a population of approximately 200 people. They received their B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Latin Classical Studies from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia in 2011. They then went on to earn their Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. While studying at ISU under Dr. Young-Jin Lee, their research utilized high resolution mass spectrometry to investigate molecular-level processes during bio-oil formation. However, they wanted to make a departure from the area of fuels after their Ph.D., so they pursued more environmentally-focused opportunities after successfully defending their dissertation. This, along with a passion for teaching undergraduates, landed them in a very unique postdoctoral appointment at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon under Dr. David Griffith. In fact, Dr. Hutchinson was the first ever postdoc in the Chemistry Department at Willamette University! While at Willamette, they conducted research alongside undergraduates looking into the quantities and fates of estrogens in wastewater and surface water as well as identifying photolysis products of a halogenated estrogen using tandem mass spectrometry.  After their postdoc, they took a position as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas and were an Assistant Professor at St. Bonaventure University.

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Dr. Hutchinson is a passionate instructor who loves inspiring a love for science, especially analytical and environmental chemistry, in the next generation of scientists. They are also an advocate for inclusive and accessible learning environments. During graduate school, they gained a strong foundation in student-led active learning as well as tools for advocacy for LGBTQIA+, first-generation, and rural students. In 2019, they were featured as part of the Queer Perspectives Speakers Series at Stanford University.

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Pronouns: they/them/theirs