Gayani

Wijegunawardena

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Gayani Wijegunawardena earned her B.Sc (Hons.) in Pharmacy from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She was awarded the Senaka Bibile medal for excellence in Pharmacology during her undergraduate studies. She received her PhD in Chemistry from Wichita State University, where she was awarded the Delano Mggard Jr. Research Grant. Her doctoral research focused on studying diagnostic and therapeutic targets associated with Alzheimer’s disease and on the synthesis of neuropeptides. Her research led to peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals and presentations at scientific conferences. She also earned a Higher Education Teaching Certificate from Harvard University. At Bethany College, she has taught organic chemistry, biochemistry, interdisciplinary, and science seminar courses. Her current scholarly interests include Green Chemistry education, biochemistry education, ethical frameworks in scientific disciplines, and barriers to effective science communication. Through her teaching and scholarship, she seeks to connect scientific knowledge with real-world challenges while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and ethical awareness. As a passionate educator, she is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

In her free time, she loves listening to music, dancing, and watching mystery movies.