Johannes Schoeneberg

Johannes (Joh) Schöeneberg is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Pharmacology and Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California San Diego. The goal of his newly formed research group at UCSD is to arrive at a complete quantitative description of a cell in its native tissue environment. To that end, the group combines stem cell-derived organoids, 5D (x,y,z,t,channels) adaptive optics lattice light-sheet microscopy, and high performance computing and machine learning. Specifically, the group is interested in the link between mitochondrial dynamics and neurological diseases that are caused by mitochondrial dysfunction such as Parkinson’s Disease and epilepsy. 

Joh received his B.Sc. in Bioinformatics from Saarland University and his PhD in Computer Science and Biophysics from the Free University Berlin and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. Before joining UCSD, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was also a Berkeley Institute for Data Science (BIDS) fellow and a Siebel Fellow of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center. 

Kimberly Schurmeier

Kimberly Schurmeier received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Georgia in 2009. Her doctoral coursework centered around inorganic chemistry; while her scholarship focused on assessment. Post-graduation Dr. Schurmeier taught at Georgia Southern University where she developed an assessment plan for the chemistry and biochemistry undergraduate degrees —as well as teaching general, environmental, and inorganic chemistry. In 2013 Kimberly joined Georgia Institute of Technology as the associate director of freshman chemistry.  During her 7 years at Georgia Tech, Kimberly was promoted to Director of Advising and Assessment in the Chemistry & Biochemistry Program and was awarded the 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Academic Advising Award for advising undergraduate students. At Georgia Tech Dr. Schurmeier developed and then directed the assessment program for the chemistry and biochemistry degrees while teaching and coordinating general chemistry courses. During her time at both institutions, Dr. Schurmeier directed and developed assessment programs for their respective undergraduate degrees and secured accreditation for their programs. Dr. Schurmeier’s research focuses on the process and challenges of the development and cyclical nature of programmatic assessment. In addition, Dr. Schurmeier will collaborate with individuals and organizations to assess programs with respect to teaching, learning, and accreditation.   

Nathan Romero

Dr. Nathan Romero received his PhD in chemistry in 2017 from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, where he carried out research in photoredox catalysis as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow under the supervision of Prof. David Nicewicz. Nathan went on to conduct postdoctoral research in polymer science with Prof. Timothy Swager at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a NIH-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow. Nathan joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego as Assistant Professor in 2020. The goal of Prof. Romero’s research at UC San Diego will be to create polymeric materials with unique electrical, optical, and mechanical properties which can leveraged in applications ranging from additive manufacturing to energy harvesting and storage. Research in Prof. Romero’s group will aim to develop new synthetic tools that enable access to these unique polymers, which they will do using a variety of techniques, including electrochemistry, photochemistry, and organometallic catalysis. Prof. Romero is an enthusiastic educator and will teach courses in organic chemistry and polymer science. A central mission of Prof. Romero’s activities at UC San Diego is to cultivate inclusive spaces that empower scientists from all backgrounds to flourish. To advance this commitment, Prof. Romero’s research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach efforts will actively seek to amplify the voices of underrepresented scientists and address barriers to their entry into STEM fields. 

Shaowei Li received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Irvine in 2017. Before joining UC San Diego, he was a postdoc fellow at Northwestern University, and later a Heising-Simons Junior Fellow at UC Berkeley. Shaowei’s research interest lies in probing the novel quantum behaviors of low dimensional systems including atoms, molecules, quantum dots and layered materials. In UC San Diego, he will combine the ultra-high spatial resolution of scanning tunneling microscopy and the femtosecond scale temporal resolution of ultra-fast laser to study the light-matter interaction at the single molecule level. Shaowei is the recipient of the OCPA Outstanding Dissertation Award, ACS PHYS Young Investigator Award, and APS FWS Margaret Burbidge Award. Shaowei also serves as the chair-elect of APS Forum for Early Career Scientists, where he works consistently to improve the diversity, wellness, and inclusion for young scientists. Shaowei is also a passionate instructor, he will teach courses related to physical chemistry in UC San Diego.  

Shaowei Li