Alvan Hengge

College of Science

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Alvan Hengge is a professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Utah State University. Hengge grew up, completed his bachelor’s and began his career in Cincinnati, Ohio. He spent the first seven years after his undergraduate degree teaching high school chemistry and physics. Over time, Hengge continued his training, which included undergraduate chemical engineering, organic chemistry in graduate school and biochemistry as a postdoctoral fellow. His current research focuses on the field of phosphoryl transfer, a process that’s of major biological importance. Hengge has consistently generated important insights into the mechanisms of enzyme function, which has led to the development of a strong international reputation. Hengge is recognized as one of the leaders in his field worldwide, with a well-cited body of literature to his credit. He has had some 121 peer-reviewed articles published, which have been cited 2,600 times. He has received invitations to present his research from prestigious universities that include Albert Einstein, UC-Davis, the Mayo Foundation, McMaster, Utah and Case Western. His recognition has international aspects as well, with invitations to speak from Spain, Australia, UK, Brazil and China, most recently. Hengge has been asked to review articles submitted for publication to more than 20 journals, some of them the most prestigious in chemistry, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Inorganic Chemistry,Chemical Reviews and Protein Science. He has also received nearly $3 million in research grants throughout his career. He is the only professor in USU’s College of Science to receive all three annual awards for outstanding researcher, teacher and undergraduate research mentor.