Meet our Faculty & Staff

Chair & Professor
Office: SA8448
Phone: (403) 329-2313
p.hayes@uleth.ca

Associate Chair & Instructor III
Office: SA8458
(403) 317-5044
susan.lait@uleth.ca

Executive and Administrative Support
Office: SA8464
(403) 329-2301
heather.weiler@uleth.ca

Professor
Office: SA9124
(403) 329-2047
demeler@uleth.ca

Instructor II
Office: SA8428
(403) 329-2343
fiscke@uleth.ca

Professor
Office: SA8436
(403) 329-2173
michael.gerken@uleth.ca

Assistant Professor
Office: SA9122
(403) 332-4368
dylan.girodat@uleth.ca

Assistant Professor
Office: SA8426
(403) 329-2686
jd.hamel@uleth.ca

Associate Professor
Office: SA8440
(403) 329-2657
paul.hazendonk@uleth.ca

Instructor II
Office: SA9112
(403) 332-4544
kefferwilkesl@uleth.ca

Technical Specialist
Office: SA9444
(403) 332-4049
jackson.knott@uleth.ca

Instructor III
Office: SA8454
(403) 329-2043
lippwk@uleth.ca

Instructor II
Office: SA6214
(403) 394-3927
tony.montina@uleth.ca

Associate Dean of Arts & Science

Instructor III
Office: SA8456
(403) 329-2310
greg.patenaude@uleth.ca

Assistant Professor
Office: SA9118
(403) 332-5274
vineet.rathod@uleth.ca

Research Associate
Office: SA9410
(403) 329-2306
rouscj@uleth.ca

Associate Dean Graduate Studies

Assistant Teaching Professor

Office: SA8452

(403) 329-2715

doug.turnbull@uleth.ca

MR Facility Technician IV
Office: SA6210
Phone: (403) 332-4526
vince.weiler@uleth.ca

Professor
Office: SA9416
(403) 329-2323
stacey.wetmore@uleth.ca

Assistant Professor
Office: SA9114
(403) 329-2349
jessica.willi@uleth.ca

Instructor III
Office: SA8430
(403) 317-2813
ying.zheng@uleth.ca

Professor Emeritus
Office: SA8444
(403) 329-2045
boere@uleth.ca

René was hired in 1988. His degrees are PhD Univ. of Western Ontario, 1984 and BSc Dalhousie Univ., 1979.  René became a Full Professor in 2000 and served as Dept Chair from 2003 – 2013. He is an Inorganic Chemist with a special interest in Materials Science applications of novel compounds. His background is in synthetic inorganic chemistry, with a strong understanding of structure-determination techniques including vibrational, ESR and multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and solution electrochemistry. 

René  has held a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC Canada) operating grant continuously for the past thirty-three years. He has over thirty-five years’ experience in lecturing undergraduates at all levels, including general chemistry, inorganic chemistry from second year to fourth year, as well as several courses in other disciplines (organic, physical, analytical and solid-state chemistry.) 

René was the main catalyst for a new Science building and his efforts were rewarded when the new Science building was built. The new building’s teaching and research labs are a huge improvement over the old labs, which had original the fume hoods in them.

In 2024 Dr. Boeré earned Speaker Research Award

Though René is retired from instructing he is still conducting research at the University of Lethbridge.

Associate Professor, Emeritus

Steve was an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Lethbridge from 2000-2024.He earned his degrees in Biochemistry, a PhD, 1995 and BSc, 1988 at the Univ. of Alberta while specializing in macromolecular single-crystal X-ray diffraction in the laboratory of Michael James. Following his PhD, he completed post-doctoral fellowships at the Univ. of Alberta, 1996 and the Univ. of British Columbia 1997-1999. 

He joined the UofL in 2000 and was awarded an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Position in 2001. Steve has established and maintained a nationally funded Protein Biophysics Lab studying the atomic resolution structure and function of biologically significant enzymes. 
 

Steve has been an active member of the Canadian Synchrotron User Group participating in multiple provincial and national initiatives leading to the establishment of the first synchrotron beamline stations at the Canadian Light Source (2005; 2008) and the development of the Ph.D. program (Sciences) at the UofL.  

Associate Professor

Peter, joined the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in 1990 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1998. Peter has a PhD and BSc from the Univ. of Waterloo. Peter has been an organic synthetic chemist since 1981. In the 1990’s he was the Editor in Chief of “The Chemistry and Biochemistry Chronicles”, a departmental newsletter. He served as Department Chair from 2016-2022. 

What he loves about organic synthesis was making molecules that no one else in the world had ever made. His research area was in the synthesis and chemistry of isobenzofurans and their application to the synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and cyclophanes. During his 36 years he has supervised over a hundred Independent Studies projects and four graduate students, he has enjoyed the classroom experience and working with students and particularly those who have worked in his lab.

Peter taught a variety of Chemistry classes, but his focus is organic chemistry. He was a strong advocate for many improvements to the University of Lethbridge, such as common exams for multiple sections of the same course (Chem 1000, 2000, 2500, 2600), instead of students writing separately at different times. It took 10 years but the Registrars office finally agreed to it. 

Peter's best achievement is the Living Periodic Table for the Science Building. He worked hard to fund raise for it, and have the installation of the table in Science Commons. It has become a major showcase for the building, and starting point for many school tours.

Teaching Chemistry Instructor

John has a BSc from Simon Fraser Univ. and was an instructor who taught Chem 0500 & 1000 classes and labs for 2000 and 2410. He was the coordinator for Chem 2000 & 2410 lab curriculum. Being the senior instructor in the department, John has taught almost every lab the department offers over his 37 years. He was Associate Chair from 2009-2015. 

John is part of the “Chem Guys.” with Wayne Lippa, Their outreach efforts have entertained and educated the public about chemistry and science in Southern Alberta through out the years, getting children excited about chemistry, it is tremendous “pHun”! With opportunities to work with MythBusters, Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci in February 2010 and legendary Bill Nye - the Science Guy in January 2012. With their last performance being in April 2026, to a sold out crowd at the University of Lethbridge Co-op Centre for Sport & Wellness.

John has been involved in sports and charitable organizations. He was a founding member of the Lethbridge Lacrosse and the Southern Alberta Lacrosse Association and had terms as president for both groups. He was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2011. The Alberta Lacrosse Association (ALA) recognized John with the Ekke Loo award in 2018, a lifetime membership and the James McFall trophy in 2019. John has coached hockey for numerous years and at all levels, with a highlight of coaching the Lethbridge Midget AAA at the Mac’s Midget tournament 2012.