Dr. Kenneth E. Walsh

I was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland.  I attended the University Of Bristol in the UK and graduated from there with a M.Sci. in Chemistry in 1998.  During my undergraduate studies I did undergraduate research with Professor Guy Lloyd-Jones and Professor Tim Gallagher. I stayed on at Bristol for my Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry working on the synthesis of C-glycosides with Professor Tim Gallagher.  After completing my Ph.D. studies I made the leap over the pond and did a post-doctoral fellowship with Professor David Lynn at Emory University in Atlanta working in the area of DNA-templated synthesis and the Origins of Life.

Walsh Academic Family Tree

From there I took a two year Visiting Assistant Professor position at Sewanee: The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.  After two great years at Sewanee, teaching Organic Chemistry and some General Chemistry,  I came to USI in August 2006.   Here at USI I teach mainly the sophomore Organic Chemistry sequence as well as the Advanced Organic Chemistry class on rotation.  I am the coordinator for the BMD program and teach a medical seminar class every spring.

My research interests are in carbohydrate chemistry, general organic synthesis and the development of new lab experiments for organic chemistry.

Outside of chemistry, I am an avid fan of football (and also like American throwball) and support two teams: Bohemians and Bristol City. 

Teaching

I am motivated to teach because I wish to share my enthusiasm for science and discovery with my students. I was first exposed to the challenges and rewards of undergraduate instruction when, as a Howard Hughes Teaching Fellow, I was given the opportunity to introduce freshmen science majors to my post-doctoral research topic: molecular self-assembly and its relationship to the origins of life. At the end of this fellowship, I decided to pursue a posting at a primarily
undergraduate institution. Since I started at USI, I have spent a considerable portion of my time developing my approach to teaching and course materials in order to address my students’ needs.

Another rewarding aspect of my occupation is advising students and I have been active in developing my advising skills.