Lou received her B.S. from Haverford College then Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry at Duke University under the mentorship of Professor Kathy Franz. As a postdoctoral scholar in Professor Chaitan Khosla’s Lab at Stanford University, she developed an entirely new skillset focused on the concepts and techniques of bioorganic chemistry and chemical engineering. Lou returned to Haverford College in 2013 at a member of the faculty and was recently promoted to Professor of Chemistry. Lou spends her time in lab collaborating with undergraduate students to understand how bacteria biosynthesize structurally complex and medicinally relevant molecules such as polyketides. Lou is also passionate about integrating original research opportunities for undergraduates into the classroom, exploring how interpersonal factors can be leveraged to build more inclusive and accessible STEM courses and training opportunities, and developing symbiotic community engagement activities. She is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award, Cottrell Scholars Award, Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the Council for Undergraduate Research Innovative Mentor Award, and ACS Rising Star Award, amongst others.
Email: lcharkou@haverford.edu