Professor Gounev began his journey in chemistry at the Sofia University in Bulgaria. He attended graduate school at the University of South Carolina, where he earned a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry.
Professor Gounev joined the Chemistry Department at UMKC in 1995 as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Spectroscopy Lab. His research involved the vibrational and rotational spectra, structure, and conformational stability of various model compounds. He was later promoted and currently serves as a Teaching Professor of Chemistry and a Coordinator of the General Chemistry Laboratories.