WWU’s Jeanine Amacher named a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar

WWU Associate Professor of Chemistry Jeanine Amacher has received one of eight Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar awards presented by the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation for 2025.

Each year, the foundation honors young faculty in the chemical sciences with outstanding bodies of scholarship and a deep commitment to undergraduate education. Each scholar is awarded a $75,000 unrestricted research grant.  

Western is now tied for the highest number of Henry Dreyfus teacher-scholars in the nation, with 11 awardees within the chemistry department since the award's creation in 1994, and consecutive awardees in the past three years.

“The Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award is a special one. I say that because of the excellence of my colleagues and pride that I have in the chemistry department at WWU,” Amacher said.  “I am beyond honored to be a part of this rich and vibrant scientific community.”

The grant will go toward offering research opportunities to students in Amacher’s lab, which is focused on understanding protein-protein interactions that involve recognition of short sequences on a target protein, also called peptides or short linear motifs. In particular, Amacher is interested in bacterial sortase enzymes. Amacher has collaborated with numerous WWU chemistry faculty and 24 student co-authors to publish eight research papers on sortase projects over the last five years.

“We are proud to be able to support our excellent student trainees and to provide them with substantiative research experiences that directly facilitate their transitions into top-tier graduate schools, professional schools and/or competitiveness in the workforce,” she said.

In order to be eligible for the Henry Dreyfus award, faculty must have an independent academic career for more than four years but no more than twelve, work within an institution that does not grant doctoral degrees, and study within the chemical sciences. Chemical sciences include chemistry, biochemistry, materials chemistry and chemical engineering. 

“Jeanine was nominated based on her stellar record of achievement in teaching and research making her exceptionally qualified to receive this award,” Chemistry Department Chair Greg O’Neil said. “Being tied for the most awardees in the history of the Henry-Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, and doing so with three consecutive recipients, is incredible.  It speaks to the success this department has had over many years in fostering, supporting and sustaining a culture of excellence in teaching and research with undergraduates.”

Amacher came to Western in 2017 after postdoctoral work at University of California, Berkeley and completing her PhD in biochemistry at Dartmouth University. She was previously awarded a CAREER award by the National Science Foundation, the foundation’s most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty. 

To learn more about Amacher’s work, visit her lab website at https://jeanineamacher.wixsite.com/amacher-lab

Mikayla King (‘17) covers the College of Science and Engineering and Woodring College of Education for University Communications. Reach out to her with story ideas at kingm24@wwu.edu.