Ralph A. Wheeler graduated with a BS in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College in 1982 and earned a PhD in Applied Theoretical Chemistry from Cornell University in 1988. After working as an NIH postdoctoral fellow with Professor Andy McCammon at the University of Houston, he taught in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma for 20 years. During that time, he earned multiple awards, including two outstanding service awards from the American Chemical Society. In 2010, he was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and also moved to Duquesne University, where he serves as Chair of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department.