Center for Photochemical Sciences
Message from the director:
Welcome to the Center for Photochemical Sciences at Bowling Green State University.
Since founded in 1985 by Prof. Douglas Neckers and colleagues, the Center and the research of faculty members and their students have been at the forefront of research and education in the field of photochemical sciences, photochemistry, and materials chemistry, training generations of scholars, business leaders, and experts from all corners of the world. Today, we continue to offer a wide range of opportunities for students to explore and learn about photo-related research and become highly educated experts across a wide array of related chemistry and physics disciplines.
The Center is BGSU's gateway to the world of a rich array of research endeavors for graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, serving the University as a Public Institution for the Public Good and the local and international community.
The Center endeavors to further the understanding, knowledge, and technologies in photo-related research, which we define as studies of the interaction of light and matter. We are an integral part of both a liberal arts education for undergraduates and research and professional training for graduate students and postdocs. We strive to help students learn and inform the communities and collaborate with private enterprises to further their endeavors. The scholars and faculty at the Center have made tremendous contributions to the knowledge in photo-chemistry, photo-physics, and materials-related research and have trained generations of students, many of whom are now at the top of their fields.
The Center's unique doctoral program awards PhD degrees in Photochemical Sciences. Currently, we have 47 PhD students, and following recent changes in our funding (and stipends) we hope to increase this number significantly. Extramural funding of the Center members, whether from federal or industrial sources, has also increased considerably. Part of these efforts is also the recent acquisition of another HiRes mass spectrometer in 2024, a 3-channel 600 MHz NMR spectrometer to be installed in summer 2025, or a new Helium recycling system for our three NMR instruments (summer 2025). In the coming years, the Center is set to be an important hub for innovative, cutting-edge, and collaborative research that transforms people's lives through nurturing new generations of scientists and new scientific discoveries.
We welcome collaborations and partnerships with local institutions, global research organizations, local and international businesses to further research and education and make a meaningful and practical impact.
On a personal level, I am honored to follow in the line of illustrious colleagues-directors, Douglas Neckers, R. Marshall Willson, Felix (Phil) Castellano, and Malcolm Forbes, and I believe my 25 years as a Center member gives me experience and understanding to successfully serve our community and lead it to its new chapter.
I hope that all students, whether in graduate and undergraduate programs, and research collaborators, will find the Center for Photochemical Science a hospitable, vibrant community of students and scholars, brimming with new and exciting research ideas, one that strives to be welcoming and inclusive to all. We welcome suggestions and feedback to improve and deepen our mission.
Dr. Pavel Anzenbacher, Jr.
Center for Photochemical Sciences, director
Professor of Chemistry
Value Statement
In the Center for Photochemical Sciences, we value creating a safe, accepting, unprejudiced, working environment consisting of a culturally, ethnically, and socially broad group. We respect everyone’s individuality and promise that everyone’s personal identity and experiences will not alter your learning experience or your ability to work in the Center and our laboratories, and that we will do everything in our powers to foster a climate of excellence in learning and research.
As a group, the Center faculty believe that contrasting opinions from individuals of unique backgrounds is key for the creative science, and that acceptance is essential for creating a safe environment for all people to be successful. As researchers, colleagues, and mentors we strive to maintain a fair and impartial learning and working environment that allows all people to reach their fullest potential as scientists.
Goals and Objectives
- To conduct world-class research investigating and applying interactions between light and matter
- To educate and prepare students and professionals for careers in industry and academia
- To serve as a knowledge hub for educators, scientists, businesses, and government in the field of photo-sciences
- To support the development of businesses in the arena of photo-sciences
- To advocate for photo-science solutions to global problemsTo advocate for photo-science solutions to global problems
Updated: 10/23/2026 06:04PM