Zachary Hund, science department chair and chemistry teacher, received the Young Alumni Award from Elmhurst University for his accomplishments in research, service and teaching.

The award recognizes an Elmhurst alumnus age 22-32 for outstanding achievement in community service, career accomplishments and loyalty to Elmhurst University.

“It meant a lot to get something like this from Elmhurst, which led me to where I am today and got me interested in chemistry and in teaching,” Dr. Hund said. 

While Elmhurst University helped cultivate his love of teaching advanced chemistry, Dr. Hund has taken the initiative to establish new programs and engage more students, especially women. For a few years, he has been an adjunct chemistry teacher at Elmhurst. At the University of Chicago, he mentors graduate students interested in K-12 education at the Physical Sciences Division.

As much as Dr. Hund credits Elmhurst University for his achievements, he said he also recognizes the Laboratory Schools’ influence.

“Being here at Lab has been a huge part of not just my career but [also] my life, and a lot of the things that they recognized me for were really teaching accomplishments that have happened here,” Dr. Hund said. “I owe a lot to Lab and the opportunity to teach here and teach these students.”