Jeanne Pemberton is a Regents Professor and the John and Helen Schaefer Professor of Chemistry at the University of Arizona. She completed her undergraduate education at the University of Delaware where she received a B.S. with Distinction in Chemistry and a B.A. in Biology in 1977. She received her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and then started as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Arizona later that year, rising through the ranks to the level of Professor. She was appointed the John and Helen Schaefer Professor of Chemistry in 2001 and Regents Professor in 2005.

Her scientific research interests lie in the areas broadly defined as surface and interfacial chemistry. She is known for her efforts in the development and use of a variety of molecular spectroscopic probes to understand chemistry within complex interfaces. Her scientific research has resulted in over 250 scientific publications, 10 patents and patent applications, and the successful establishment of a small business, GlycoSurf. 

Her research has been recognized with multiple awards and honors, most notably the American Chemical Society Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal (2023), the American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry (2004), and the American Chemical Society Award in Spectrochemical Analysis (2021). She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2009), an inaugural Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2009), and a Galileo Circle Fellow of the UA College of Science. She currently serves as Executive Editor for the journal Analytical Chemistry and has served as co-Editor of the monograph series Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry.

In addition to her scientific interests, Dr. Pemberton has served on numerous scientific advisory committees and panels, having Chaired most notably the ACS Committee on Professional Training, The National Science Foundation Advisory Board to the Directorate for Mathematics and Physical Sciences, and the scientific review panel for early-stage career grants for the European Research Council. She is passionate about and has served at the national and international levels in numerous professional activities related to chemical and science education and women in chemistry. She is a dedicated educator at all levels, with almost 100 masters and doctoral degree recipients having received their training under her mentorship, and she has received multiple awards for teaching excellence and innovation while at the University of Arizona.