CU-Bloomsburg Chemistry Students Earn Top Marks in National Exam
Bloomsburg, PA (11/11/2026) — Four Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg chemistry students earned proficiency on the 2026 American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) national accreditation exam.
Tyler Houseknecht (Chemistry - Biochemistry), Kylie Liebersohn (Chemistry - PreMed), and Patrick McMenamy (Chemistry - Biochemistry) all earned Proficiency designation. Thomas Henry (Chemistry - PreMed) earned Advanced Proficiency designation (Top 11% nationwide). Liebersohn and McMenamy graduated in May 2026; Liebersohn is employed as a Research Technologist at the Penn State College of Medicine (Hershey), and McMenamy is employed as a Quality Control Specialist at Thermo Scientific. Houseknecht and Henry will graduate in May 2027.
ASBMB accreditation is the premier external program evaluation in biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB). There are 123 universities that currently hold the accreditation. Programs are evaluated on faculty expertise, curriculum that meets program-level standards of the ASBMB, impactful and hands-on lab experiences that complement classroom learning, and institutional resources that support student learning and the program. CU Bloomsburg was the first PA State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) institution to earn ASBMB accreditation. In the 2026 testing cycle, 26% of students nationally earned proficiency; CU had an 80% proficiency rate this year.
"I am proud of this exceptional group. They excelled through various challenges to become competent scientists ready to have positive impacts on the world," said Michael Borland, professor of biochemistry and ASBMB coordinator. "Our students continue to demonstrate that our thoughtfully designed curriculum prepares students for success on a national stage. It is amazing what our students can achieve when they are challenged and supported."
Borland thanked cognate areas (Physics, Mathematics, and Biology), as well as the current administration, for continued support of the Chemistry program. "It takes a village to make great STEM students, and I'm proud of the community we've built. I look forward to continuing institutional support to ensure similar student successes in the future," said Borland.
Media Attachments
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg chemistry majors who aced the ASBMB exam, clockwise from upper left: Thomas Henry, Patrick McMenay, Kylie Liebersohn, and Tyler Houseknecht.
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Eric Foster, Content and Production Specialist, efoster@commonwealthu.eduShare this Story
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