Alakananda R. Chaudhuri, Ph.D.

Professor

Alaka Chaudhuri, Ph.D.Dr. Alaka Chaudhuri is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of the Incarnate Word. She joined the university in 1996, when it was Incarnate Word College. She earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Jadavpur University, India. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Division of the UT Health, San Antonio. Dr. Chaudhuri teaches Chemical Principles, Quantitative Analysis and Lab, Chemical Research, and has also taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in environmental sciences, science education, and integrated math and sciences. In addition to analytical chemistry research, Dr. Chaudhuri has been actively involved in developing middle and high school science teacher preparation programs for fifteen years and was the Principal Investigator of eighteen multi-year grant projects funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. She is passionate about educating and mentoring undergraduate students in research projects. Her current research interests are focused on Water Quality studies of rivers and springs for toxic metals using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy and science education research. Besides teaching, Dr. Chaudhuri enjoys traveling, cooking, classic movies, and reading.

Contact Information

  • Office Location: AT&T Science Center 128
  • Phone Number: (210) 829-3145
  • Email: alakanan@uiwtx.edu
  • Ph.D. Analytical Chemistry, Jadavpur University, India.
  • M.S. Chemistry, Calcutta University, India.
  • B.S. Chemistry, Calcutta University, India.
  • Professor of Chemistry, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, 2010- present.
  • Associate Professor and Chair of Chemistry, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, 2004-2007.
  • Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, 2001-2004.
  • Visiting Professor of Chemistry, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX, 1996-2001.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Health Science Center (UT Health), San Antonio, TX, 1994 1996.
  • Visiting Scientist, University of Veszprem, Department of Radiochemistry, Veszprem, Hungary. January, 1992 - July, 1992.
  • Scientist, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Analytical Chemistry Division, India, 1984 -1993.

Undergraduate Courses: 

  • Chemical Principles I and II and Laboratory
  • Quantitative Analysis and Laboratory
  • Instrumental Analysis
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Chemical Research
  • Integrated Math and Science for pre-service elementary teachers
  • Scientific Inquiry

Graduate Courses:

  • Chemistry for Biology Teachers
  • Matter, Properties, and Periodic Table for Middle and High School Teachers
  • Concepts of Physics and Chemistry for Middle and High School Teachers
  • Bio-organic and Environmental Chemistry for Middle and High School Teachers
  • Environmental Chemistry I and II for Middle and High School Teachers
  • Water Quality studies of rivers and springs for minor and trace metals using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy.
  • ICP analysis of heavy metals in food and beverages.
  • Development and validation of analytical methods.
  • In-Service Teacher Professional Development.
  • Science Education.
  • Technology in Teaching and Learning.
  • Problem-Based Active Learning.
  • Chaudhuri, A. R., Leverett, B., Brown, K., & Adrian, R. (2022). Learning through Writing: A Three-Phase Project to Improve the Performance of Student Lab Report Writing in Undergraduate Chemistry Lab Courses. 125th Annual Texas Academy of Science Annual Meeting, Clearlake-Houston.
  • Doan, V., Ibarra, S., Gonzalez, P., Gonzalez, E. E., & Chaudhuri, A. R. (2021). Assessment of the Metal Ion Content in the Surface Water of the Rio Grande River Basin of Texas by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). American Chemical Society Spring Meeting, Virtual.
  • Chaudhuri, A, McCormick, B, and Lewis, R. (2019). Standards-Based Science Institutes: Effective Professional Development that Meets Teacher and District Needs. Science Educator, 27(1), 15-23.
  • Evans, F., Bhattacharya, A., Shi, Y., Chaudhuri, A., & Chaudhuri, A. R. (2016). Moderate modulation of disease in the G93A model of ALS by the compound 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-benzoxazole (HBX). Neuroscience Letters, 624, 1-7.
  • Contreras, A., Williams, A., Gonzalez, P., Gonzalez, E., & Chaudhuri, A.(2016). Analysis of Metal Ions in Rivers at Texas State Parks using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy. 252nd American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • Williams, R.F., Siegle, R.L., Salman, M., Ollom, C.M., Cortinas, N.S., Simmons, A.M., Pierce, B.L., Orang-Khadivi, K., & Chaudhuri, A.R. (1996). Substrate modification of melanin polymers to increase effectiveness of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Academic Radiology, 3 Suppl 2, S365-9.