THOMAS J. MURPHY
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Director, Environmental Sciences Program

Thomas J. Murphy is retiring from DePaul after 36 years of dedicated teaching and faculty leadership. He came to DePaul in 1968 after earning his doctoral degree in chemistry from Iowa State University and serving as a national Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Ohio State University. Upon arriving at DePaul, Murphy began working to establish a vibrant and productive research program, involving undergraduate and graduate chemistry students. He was one of the first science faculty at DePaul to establish a research program supported by funding from state and federal research agencies. In his tenure at DePaul, Murphy has secured more than $750,000 in grant funds to support his research and students. Having taught organic chemistry since the beginning of his career, Murphy is noted for his exceptional talent as a teacher and mentor to students. Over the years, he developed a reputation for being a demanding teacher who sets high expectations – one who is willing to offer review sessions outside of class, even on weekends.

In 1986, along with Robert Andersen, a DePaul biology professor, Murphy created a new interdisciplinary science program focusing on the environment. He would serve as the first director of the Environmental Science Program (ESP) and take the helm again in 1991, during which time he marshaled the growth of the program from a small discipline with no faculty and a smattering of courses to a robust program of six full-time faculty members, state-of-the-art research and field equipment and 35 majors. The ESP offers a science-based curriculum leading to a bachelor of science degree; an urban forestry program; and a recently instituted minor in environmental science. As a faculty mentor, Murphy has been cited for consistently encouraging the development of new courses that match the interests of faculty and meet the needs of DePaul’s students. In addition, he has played a major role in helping faculty to get their research agendas on track, coaching them on the environmental conditions of the region and steering faculty research programs in that direction.

Murphy has made his mark in his field as well. He is considered among his peers to be a leading expert in Great lakes water quality issues. His primary research focuses on atmospheric deposition of phosphorous and organic compounds, known as PCBs, into the Great Lakes. At the time that Murphy began his research on PCBs, little was known about how they migrated from the atmosphere into the Great Lakes, or what their impacts were on aquatic food webs. Murphy’s research clarified the routes of PCBs and other chlorinated organics into the Great Lakes. He has received the Chandler-Meisener Award from the International Association of Great Lakes Research, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Quality Award.

Via Sapientiae Award Citation

You have served DePaul for nearly four decades as a professor of chemistry and director of the Environmental Science Program. You have shaped and guided the program to a point of regional distinction on issues of ecosystem restoration and management. An exemplary, dedicated teacher, you have inspired students to leap over perceived hurdles that stood between them and their envisioned careers. Your ability to mentor and influence faculty, in research and in the classroom, will continue to enhance DePaul for years to come. Your absolute commitment to your vocation is reflective of the university’s Vincentian philosophy. Thus, we are pleased to present to you the Via Sapientiae Award, the university’s highest faculty-staff honor.