News
12/14/2021
Alexis Komor Wins Scialog Award
Research Corporation for Science Advancement and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announce awards to nine interdisciplinary teams in the final year of Scialog: Chemical Machinery of the Cell, an initiative launched in 2018 to spark collaborative research that could advance fundamental understanding of chemical machinery and reactions in the intact cell. The 24 individual awards will go to 21 researchers from a variety of institutions in the United States and Canada, including Alexis Komor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego.
11/30/2021
Keck Foundation Supports Innovative Strategy for Chemical Synthesis
Scientists at UC San Diego, including Joel Yuen-Zhou, believe a new technology they're developing--known as 'PASER', or polariton amplification of stimulated-enhacement of reactions--offers similar potential to unleash waves of innovation
11/18/2021
Seth Cohen Recognized As One Of This Years Most Highly Cited Researchers
The annual list identifies some 6,600 researchers from across the globe who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. The Highly Cited Researchers' names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science™ citation index, and the list identifies the research institutions and countries where they are based
11/01/2021
Our Commitment to Inclusive and Equitable Graduate Education
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is actively recruiting for our next class of graduate students to join our diverse and talented community of more than 400 M.S. and Ph.D. candidates! Throughout the academic life cycle – from admissions to degree completion - we aim to create a graduate student experience that is enriching, exciting, and supportive of the varied needs and career interests of our trainees. In addition to fundamental coursework and rigorous training in research, we strive to provide equitable access to financial resources (including fellowships and grants), peer and faculty mentorship, mental health and wellness advocacy, and professional development opportunities that provide exposure to and preparation for a myriad of career paths. Our department is one of four campus units (alongside Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Biological Sciences, and Physics) that together with Graduate Division comprise the UC San Diego team of the California Consortium for Inclusive Doctoral Education (C-CIDE). This National Science Foundation-funded initiative “aims to catalyze and support communities of practice who are committed to making STEM graduate education more equitable and inclusive.” Through C-CIDE and other training initiatives, many of our CHEM & BIOCHEM faculty have engaged in learning opportunities on campus and network-wide that have enabled them to expand their knowledge and skills in selecting and serving students, which in turn is motivating changes to our policies and practices that affect student access and success in our graduate programs. For example, our department has eliminated GRE requirements and instituted equity-based holistic reviews of all applicants. We recognize that there are many ways for graduate school candidates to demonstrate their potential to excel, allowing us to align our selection processes with recruitment of students who encompass a more diverse array of perspectives and competencies. Last year’s Admissions and Recruitment Committee had the monumental task of simulating the experience of visiting UC San Diego in a virtual environment. This effort resulted in a series of innovative events, including live and video tours, student life and research talks, and a virtual beach gathering with Departmental trivia (and a very real trophy for the winning team!). The online visit platform also gave us the ability to offer more individualized, in-depth information on important aspects of graduate life that were harder to emphasize previously such as family-friendly policies, healthcare services, departmental EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) initiatives, chemical education, and career-focused opportunities. We will continue to integrate use of online platforms as we re-institute much of our in-person programming this 2021-22 recruitment season. Once admitted, our first-year doctoral trainees can expect to participate in peer learning communities associated with inclusive teaching (CHEM 509) and equity-minded research (CHEM 250). The latter course serves as a bridge to teaching and mentoring roles, reinforcing the competencies that Ph.D. students will need to succeed as STEM researchers. Specifically, the CHEM 250 curriculum provides training in core topics related to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Research Ethics (RE), including Conflicts of Interest, Mentorship, Policies on Animal and Human Subjects, Rigor and Reproducibility, and others. Through a combination of thematic readings, individual reflections, and small group discussion of case studies or role-playing scenarios, students are prompted to apply their critical analytical skills in addressing philosophically challenging questions they may encounter in their careers as scientists and future leaders. In the most recent CHEM 250 course redesign cycle, course instructors Professors Valerie Schmidt and Nate Romero, introduced several new features. The weekly topic for class discussion and relevant reading materials were shared with all stakeholders in the department (students, postdocs, faculty, and staff), and the entire community was invited to take part in these important conversations alongside our first-year cohort. Department training grant faculty participated directly in the course as small group discussion facilitators, while many other faculty members volunteered their insights and thoughtful discussion prompts to help foster a thorough, well-rounded examination of each topic. Many of the readings and activities were intentionally designed to challenge students to consider how racist policies and practices produce barriers for non-majority scientists. As a final course assessment, students crafted a vision statement and individual action plan to realize a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive department. This year the CHEM 250 curriculum is being further refined as a project of the campus-wide Anti-Racist Pedagogy Learning Community. Within a framework that views responsible and ethical research practice (RCR and RE) as anti-racist, the goal is to center the experience of our minoritized students and scholars and examine the specific ways that racism and its many intersections lead to inequities in our field. Stay tuned for these exciting developments in future editions of the newsletter, and please check our department website for details regarding graduate school application deadlines and recruitment events. Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego is a vibrant and innovative environment to engage in research and we look forward to welcoming a new class of M.S. and Ph.D. students as integral members of our community!
09/22/2021
Welcome New Faculty, Erik Romero.
Dr. Erik Romero received his Ph.D. in chemistry from UC San Diego in 2018 and was granted the Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal and UC San Diego’s Chemistry & Biochemistry Outstanding Dissertation Award for his research on copper-hydride reactivity and nuclearity. Following graduation, Dr. Romero was subsequently a California Alliance Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Berkeley. At UC San Diego, Dr. Romero’s research group will focus on discovering new transition-metal-catalyzed transformations of C-H bonds into synthetically useful functional groups using visible light, rather than heat, as a sustainable energy source. They will also investigate the mechanisms of the reactions they discover in order to develop increasingly efficient next-generation processes. With respect to teaching, he will teach courses in organic chemistry including courses geared toward applying physical-organic methods to the elucidation of reaction mechanisms.
09/20/2021
Mike Alves Awarded NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship
UC San Diego Chemistry and Biochemistry graduate student Michael Alves (Grassian Lab) has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) postdoctoral fellowship designed to support individuals who will broaden the participation of groups that are underrepresented in mathematical and physical sciences fields. Congratulations to Mike on this amazing accomplishment. in chemistry.
09/08/2021
Alexis Komor and Josh Figueroa Postdocs Receive Cottrell Fellowships
Congratulations to Josh Figueroa and Alexis Komor whose Postdocs have received Cottrell Fellowships from Research Corporation for Science Advancement! Joshua Figueroa (postdoc Shuai (Vincent) Wang) University of California, San Diego Synthesis and Exploration of Carbyne Complexes of the Late 3d Transition Metals Alexis Komor (postdoc Zsolt Bodai) University of California, San Diego Investigations of DNA Repair Genes' Involvement in Base Editing and Development of a Hands-On Undergraduate Course on Genome Editing at UCSD
09/02/2021
Congratulations to John Crowell on Retiring
We celebrate the professional contributions and achievements of John Crowell, who has just retired after 35 years of research, teaching, and service as a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and affiliate faculty of the Material Science and Engineering Program at UC San Diego. John received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1979 and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry under the guidance of Gabor A. Somorjai from the University of California at Berkeley in 1984. He joined our faculty after completing a 2-yr postdoctoral research position with John T. Yates, Jr., and David M. Hercules at the University of Pittsburgh. At UC San Diego, Prof. Crowell established a research program focused on the surface chemistry of semiconductor materials, using a variety of characterization techniques to study the formation, structure, and properties of thin films and interfaces, along with the kinetics of chemical reactions at such surfaces. His dedication to academic integrity and student development and welfare extended across research and teaching domains. In addition to directing undergraduates, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees in fundamental experimental research in physical chemistry, he has been an ardent supporter of our departmental Masters program and a highly respected member of many Ph.D. committees, recognized for his thoughtful and scientifically rigorous questions. John bestowed the same level of care and compassion on undergraduate students, whom he instructed in general and physical chemistry lectures, as well as analytical and physical chemistry laboratory courses. He was often seen in the undergraduate teaching laboratories talking with students, who appreciated his availability and attention to their learning. Outside of the classroom John was equally generous with his time and energy, using office hours to advise students on course material and other aspects of their academic careers, such as research and volunteer opportunities. During his career, John Crowell taught courses in the CHEM 6 series a total of 53 times (>15,600 students) and various Physical Chemistry courses (Chem 126, 127, 128, 105A/B, 209) over 36 times at the upper division and graduate level. Over the years John has been involved in a number of department committees, including as a member of the Department Council, Undergraduate Affairs Committee, Safety Committee, and MS Admissions and Advising Committees. Beyond campus, he was very active in organizing research symposia and serving on numerous committees for the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Institute of Physics (AIP), and the American Vacuum Society (AVS). His work with these professional societies spanned conferences, long-range projects, finance, and electronic publishing. Among his many roles, he served as Chair of the AIP Publishing Service Subcommittee, was elected to both the Electronic Materials and Surface Science Divisions AVS Executive Committees and appointed for a one-year term as Chair of the AVS Surface Science Division. Professor Judy Kim, Vice Chair of the Physical, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Section, offered the following words: “John has been a selfless team player. He contributed to and took on leadership roles in numerous department committees, including search committees that led to new hires. He agreed to teach courses to resolve urgent department needs. He shared excellent scientific ideas on an impressive range of topics. Perhaps most important, John was a kindhearted colleague who always had time for others.” Indeed, John Crowell’s legacy is shaped by the kindness and sharp intellect he has brought to bear upon his scholarly work and interactions. We wish him good health and much happiness in his retirement!
09/02/2021
Congratulations to Carl Hoeger on his retirment
We want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of Dr. Carl Hoeger to our chemistry undergraduate educational mission. At the end of the Spring 2021 academic quarter, Dr. Hoeger retired after 23 years as a teaching faculty in our department. During his tenure at UC San Diego, he instructed tens of thousands of undergraduate students in introductory, general, and organic chemistry. In 2004 he was awarded the Paul and Barbara Saltman Distinguished Teaching Award by the Academic Senate. Among many other memorable qualities, he was renowned amongst students for his infectious energy, entertaining chemistry narratives, and efforts to enhance teaching and learning through the integration of classroom technologies. See for example his 2013 interview as part of a campus iPad Pilot by Academic Computing & Media Services - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ItQ-AfovTM. Carl was always quick to share his knowledge and experiences with colleagues, serving regularly on curriculum committees and as a teaching mentor to many junior faculty and teaching assistants. He was dedicated to the success of students and the department, as noted by Amy Tran, Interim Director of Student Affairs, “As a staff member, I was really appreciative of Carl’s easy-going demeanor and flexibility ... Carl was always willing to take the steps necessary to work with/support the students, which in turn helped eased the stress for the SA office because we knew the students were in good hands." Carl earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1983) and completed a postdoctoral appointment at UC Riverside before joining the Peptide Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute in 1985. While conducting research at Salk he also pursued teaching opportunities at various San Diego community colleges (CCs). In transitioning to UC San Diego, Carl’s continued engagement as an adjunct faculty at local CCs brought him deeper insights into student learning and connections with our transfer student population. His ability to distill complex chemistry concepts into accessible and relatable descriptions and problems also earned him notoriety as a co-author of the popular textbook “Fundamentals of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry”, now in its 8th edition. As summarized by Professor Joe O’Connor, “Carl was an outstanding experimentalist and a master educator who inspired students by revealing the profound connections that exist between fundamental chemistry concepts and modern scientific advances within fields as diverse as biology and engineering. He will continue to be an inspiration to his colleagues.” Dr. Hoeger will be greatly missed by our faculty, staff, and students. We wish him all the best in his next adventures!
09/01/2021
New Chemistry & Biochemistry Pilot Program on Inclusive Mentoring
Mentoring relationships are important for all student’s academic, professional and personal development. This summer, mentors and mentees in chemistry and biochemistry were presented with a new opportunity to learn how to effectively engage as partners in research. Launched by Professor Galia Debelouchina in collaboration with her research group, the Chemistry & Biochemistry Mentorship Program has two goals: 1) to improve the mentoring skills of graduate students who are assigned to train and mentor undergraduates in the research laboratory; and 2) to introduce undergraduate student mentees to effective research strategies, ethics and responsibility while creating a supportive and welcoming community for them. This new professional development program was inspired by the HHMI “Entering Mentoring” seminar yet incorporates other interactive sessions and topics that reflect the interests and needs of the students in the Department. This includes workshops for graduate student mentors on defining project goals and expectations, communicating effectively, evaluating progress, establishing a mentoring philosophy, and discussing issues related to diversity and overcoming mentoring challenges. Undergraduate mentees are provided additional programing: a workshop on how to read scientific literature, a career panel with faculty and industry participants, and an exciting lightning talk session. In its first offering, the Chemistry & Biochemistry Mentorship Program had 24 participants (12 graduate student mentors and 12 undergraduate student mentees) from 7 different research groups. The Debelouchina research group hopes to expand the program next year and to maybe also develop a similar workshop targeted for postdoctoral research fellows. Credit goes to Raymond Berkeley, Bryce Ackermann, Nesreen Elathram, Lannah Abasi (graduate) and Evan Clark (undergraduate) for developing the topics and content, and for facilitating the sessions.
09/01/2021
Eureka! Discovery in the Lab and in Life – The Summer Research Experience
Undergraduate research is a transformative experience for many students as they participate in scientific discovery and knowledge generation, take risks, explore interests, and develop new skills, understandings, and self-awareness. Despite restrictions put in place because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many of our faculty-directed labs in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry were able to host summer research scholars from UC San Diego and other U.S. and international institutions. Many of our chemistry and biochemistry majors also secured positions in research laboratories outside the department, whether on campus or at other research sites in industry and academia. All of these undergraduate students were fully immersed in ongoing projects across a wide range of research foci, yet all of the appropriate scale and substance to enable them to make a real and significant contribution to the field during a typically 8-10 week span.
08/27/2021
Building Communities of Engagement and Support: Two New Undergraduate Student Initiatives
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego has one of the largest undergraduate programs in the United States. As we strive to build leaders in the chemical sciences, we recognize the importance of community and well-designed systems of support in attracting and graduating such a large and diverse group of students. Recently, our faculty have launched two new programs that aim to enhance students’ sense of belonging in the discipline, our department, and on our campus through inclusion, connectedness and integration into social and academic elements. These programs focus separately on first-year and transfer students, both new arrivals to UC San Diego and our department, yet at different stages in their academic careers. Fall 2021 will see the launch of a new pilot <span style='font-weight: bold; color:blue'>Division of Physical Sciences Cohort Bridge Program </span>, thanks to the tremendous efforts of Chemistry & Biochemistry Professor Dontaire Stallings. The program will provide incoming first year students majoring in Chemistry & Biochemistry, Physics, and Mathematics an opportunity to build community and foundational knowledge simultaneously through their first two years of study. In addition to carefully tailored cohort learning environments in CHEM 6A-6B-6C, MATH 20A-20B-20C and Physics Seminar, participating students will be supported through a continuous mentorship model that includes near-peer and graduate student mentors, along with professional guidance from faculty and industrial scientists on research, co-curricular opportunities and careers. The <span style='font-weight: bold; color: blue'>CHEM & BIOCHEM Transfer Student Success Initiative</span> involves both summer and academic year programming, designed and delivered by Professors Stacey Brydges and Thomas Bussey in collaboration with Student Affairs staff. To foster early connections, incoming transfer students were invited to participate in the virtual 2021 Summer Transfer Research Series, featuring informal presentations and discussions with Professors Mike Burkart, Alexis Komor, Kimberly Prather, Rommie Amaro and Mike Sailor. The opportunity to meet some of our Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty and learn about research and educational opportunities in their new majors department at UC San Diego was transformative. When asked about the experience, Dina Chehada, an incoming transfer student and Regents Scholar from Cerritos Community College in Norwalk, CA, expressed the following: “I really enjoyed meeting the faculty members a lot and I think this series will definitely have a huge impact on my experience at UCSD, especially on my participation in research. Coming from a community college and always hearing stories about how hard it was to actually get to talk/learn about a professor's research, I now definitely think that it is not as hard as long as you show enough interest in their research. All of the faculty members were really inspiring and I loved the fact that they have undergraduate students working in their labs. Also, It definitely helped a lot to hear about the specific classes taught by those professors, it definitely provides an insight into what classes we could look for as electives! An active participant in several of the sessions and a chemistry major transferring from Glendale Community College in Glendale, CA, Talar Zaki shared: “After joining the Summer Transfer Research Series meetings, I felt very motivated and cannot wait to start the fall quarter. Meeting with the Professors prepared us for the new journey. These meetings made me, as a transfer student, feel welcomed and supported.” This Fall, we will be hosting a separate Orientation for our transfer Students, followed by a series of 1.5-hr interactive workshops focused on academic planning, information literacy, and career development. These sessions will introduce participants to our academic advisors, subject-specific librarian, services of the Commons, and consultants from Career Services as well as the Student Success Center. Additional efforts will be made to link transfer students with existing mentorship programs within the department and division, along with undergraduate research opportunities.
08/26/2021
Susan Taylor named ASBMB 2022 Award Winner
The winners of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual awards were nominated by colleagues and other leaders in their fields for making significant contributions to biochemistry and molecular biology and the training of emerging scientists. The recipients will give talks about their work at the society’s 2022 annual meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the Experimental Biology conference April 2-5 in Philadelphia.
08/12/2021
<b>How long have you been in the Chemistry & Biochemistry PhD program and when are you planning to defend/graduate?</b> I started in the UCSD Chemistry and Biochemistry Program in the fall of 2017 and I have been in the program for just under four years. I recently defended my thesis in April of 2021! <b>What drew you into your current field of research?</b> As an undergraduate, I conducted fundamental inorganic chemistry research. I was fascinated by this research but in graduate school I wanted to work on more applicable inorganic research. Thus, I chose to join the Cohen Lab and work on Metal-Organic Frameworks or MOFs for short. MOFs are crystalline and typically porous three-dimensional materials with exceptional absorption, catalytic, and separation properties. In my research, I use MOFs as catalysts to degrade chemical warfare agents. I also have worked on combining MOFs with stretchy polymers in an effort to form a hybrid material that contains the flexibility of the polymer and the desired properties of the MOFs. <b>What scientific accomplishment are you most proud of since arriving at UCSD? </b> There are a number of achievements I am very proud of during my graduate career, but I would have to say the one I am most proud of is winning the 2021 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award. This was something that came as a complete shock and I am very honored to join a long list of very successful current and former winners (i.e. UCSD Chem Biochem Prof. Alina Schimpf and Prof. Jeffrey Rinehart) of this award. <b>What advice would you give new PhD students arriving in Fall? </b> The best advice that I could give new students in the fall is to find a lab that has a great leader and a good group dynamic. Yes, finding a group that does the chemistry that you like is obviously important as well, but I think that finding a lab with a healthy environment and a supportive team is the secret to graduate school. <b>Greatest memory (so far) from your time at UCSD? </b> My greatest memory at UCSD is meeting my now wife (Brianna Kalaj – Burkart Lab) during the Chemistry and Biochemistry Orientation in the fall of 2017. We were recently married in June of 2021 and I can truly say it has been wonderful going through graduate school step by step with someone who understands both the struggles and triumphs at every step of the way.
08/12/2021
Senior Send Off: Recognizing the Academic Milestones of our Senior Undergraduates
Senior Send Off - Recognizing the Academic Milestones of our Senior Undergraduates Congratulations class of 2021! A virtual recognition and awards ceremony for graduating CHEM majors and minors was held on Thursday, June 10th in advance of UC San Diego Commencement, where 215 students were awarded their bachelor's degree. We are immensely proud of each student’s accomplishments and the wide range of careers for which their UC San Diego degrees have prepared them! We also want to acknowledge our 2020-21 Undergraduate Award Recipients. In recognition of outstanding work in the field, Tommy Lee (Tatiana Mishanina Lab) has received the Martin D. Kamen Award. For outstanding achievement in undergraduate research, the Joseph E. Mayer Award has been earned by Calvin Huang (Colleen McHugh Lab) and Amalia Villagram-Suarez (Elizabeth Komives Lab). Nine graduates are celebrated for their exceptional academic achievement with the Harold C. Urey Award: Serena Huang, Julie Thanh Huynh, Nhuan Duc Vu, Ella Lee, Xuanhe Jiang, Adrian Jordi De Almenara, Helen Than, Sara Rew, Siavash Moghadami. New this year, six Undergraduate Inclusive Excellence Awards were granted in the name of distinguished emerita faculty. The honorees are: Marc Zepeda - Marjorie Caserio UG Excellence Award; Kunyang Sun - Katja Lindenberg UG Excellence Award; Ryan Welsh - Roger Tsien UG Excellence Award; John Brown - Marye Anne Fox UG Excellence Award; Chloe Wohlenberg - Mario Molina UG Excellence Award; Immanuel Tjahjadi - Joseph Watson UG Excellence Award. Additionally, twelve Chemistry and Biochemistry students have been recognized with the 2020-2021 UC San Diego Physical Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Award for Excellence: Alberto Castanedo, Andres De La Rosa, Calvin Huang, Tommy Le, Alina Luk, Jori Mills, Anthony Rodriguez, Sarah Schwab, Kunyang Sun, Vanessa Tian, Nga (Swan) Van, and Amalia Villagram-Suarez. Sarah Schwab, one of our many remarkable community college transfer students, was also a Silagi Awardee in honor of her extraordinary distinction in academics and commitment to the pursuit of postgraduate research.
08/12/2021
Celebrating our Undergraduate Student's Achievements in 2020-21
On Thursday, May 27th, our department convened to celebrate the outstanding research and academic achievements of our undergraduate majors in the chemical sciences at the 15th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The event is the key platform for undergraduate researchers to present their work to our academic community at UC San Diego. It is planned and hosted by our award-winning American Chemical Society pre-professional student organization (ACSSA), in collaboration with the amazing staff of our Student Affairs Office (Director Erica Lennard and Advisors Hanna Foley, Selaina Mansheim, and Gelsey Thomas). For the second consecutive year, the Symposium was held virtually as result of COVID-19 restrictions. Twenty-seven students delivered digital poster presentations in individually assigned breakout rooms, to which attendees and judges could visit. A number of other students submitted videos describing a research project of interest to a new Symposium Video Competition that was intended to reinforce creativity, communication skills, and chemistry connections for those students not yet engaged in research. The final awards ceremony was launched with a live keynote address by Prof. Dontaire Stallings, who emphasized the importance of mindset and resilience. Teri Vogel, who has been a steadfast supporter of student’s development of information literacy as the UCSD Library Subject Specialist for Chemistry and Biochemistry, presented Taylor Wenquian Yang with the Annual Library Award. Six faculty and 14 graduate students donated their time and expertise to judging posters within discipline-specific categories. In Biochemistry, the awardees were: Minh Le (Faculty Research PI: Mark Herzik), Eleanor Sievers (Faculty Research PI: Galia Debelouchina) and Amalia Villagran Suarez (Faculty Research PI: Betsy Komives). Recipients of the Organic/Inorganic Chemistry and Analytical/Physical Poster Awards were Nicole Nolan (Faculty Research PI: Jeremy Klosterman) and Christopher Nowak (Faculty Research PI: Vicki Grassian), respectively. Overall, we are very proud of all our undergraduate students for their commitments to and progress in research. We are also grateful for our faculty and their research lab members who work to create an inclusive and supportive mentoring environment for these trainees. Undergraduate research is one of the high impact educational practices our department strives to make accessible to all our majors, recognizing its potential to deepen learning, increase belonging, cultivate transferrable skills and clarify career pathways. The fact that students were able to engage in this exciting activity in the midst of a global pandemic is a testament to the dedication, persistence and creativity of all involved. As noted by Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education Prof. Thomas Bussey, “This year was really innovative and a truly great showcase of the talents and accomplishments of [our undergraduate students].”
07/19/2021
Congratulations to our 2020-21 Teddy Traylor Award recipients, Ruben Elias (Deshmukh Lab), Jessica Geisenhoff (Schimpf Lab), Kenneth Han (Tezcan Lab), Mariam Salib (Molinski Lab), and Ryjul Stokes (Cohen Lab)! Like many of our founding faculty members, Teddy Traylor, a pioneer in organometallic chemistry, has a remarkable history. He was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, but never graduated from high school. He briefly worked at Dow Chemical Co. before becoming the first assistant professor at UCSD in 1961. Professor Traylor taught organic chemistry courses, and incorporated innovative teaching methods, such as using a banjo to illustrate the wave-like properties of electrons.
07/19/2021
Congratulations to Ray Berkeley (Debelouchina Lab), recipient of the 2020-21 Bruno Zimm Award! The Bruno Zimm Graduate Award is named for UC San Diego Professor of Chemistry Bruno Zimm, a pioneer in the study of the biophysical properties of nucleic acids and proteins. The award is given to a full-time Ph.D. student whose research is in the area of physical chemistry, planetary chemistry, or cosmo-chemistry, and whose research is exceptionally meritorious and particularly deserving of recognition. The award is made possible through a gift from Larry S. Millstein, Ph.D. (Chemistry, '87), and his wife Robin Taylor.
06/24/2021
Kimberly Prather selected as 2022 Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Awardee
This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions toward: - the development of new scientific technology/capabilities, - the commercialization of new scientific technology/capabilities, and - Teaching
06/21/2021
Lalit Deshmukh selected as 2021-22 Fellow of the Society of Hellman Fellows
The Hellman family began the Hellman Fellows Program in 1994, making grants to colleges and universities in support of junior faculty research. The Hellman's made an educated guess that junior faculty could greatly benefit from early career funding. It seems they were right. Over the years, the Hellman Fellows program has supported more than 1,500 junior faculty members, who are now chairs and heads of departments, MacArthur Geniuses and tenured faculty with long track records of successful research.
06/17/2021
Alexis Komor, Itay Budin and Alina Schimpf awarded NSF CAREER Awards
Awards from the highly competitive NSF CAREER program support early career development activities for those who most effectively integrate research and education. They are the “most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization,” according to the NSF. Activities pursued by early-career faculty should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership through education and research integration.
06/16/2021
The Staff Who Champion Our Students
The Staff Who Champion Our Students As we emerge from this extended period of remote operations, the Department is even more appreciative of the expertise and commitment of our incredible Student Affairs team, who work tirelessly to support chemistry undergraduate and graduate student success and well-being. The team of nine professional staff is led by Student Affairs Director Erica Lennard. She has dedicated more than 10 years to building and sustaining a creative suite of student-centered resources and collaborative approaches that connect with our faculty and units across campus. On an annual basis, these serve more than 1,600 undergraduate majors and minors and 350+ M.S./Ph.D. students, in addition to over 23,000 students campus-wide who enroll in chemistry courses! What a feat! “As part of our student-centered mission, we are always striving to cultivate an inclusive community and positive experience within the department, and to ensure students have the support, resources, and opportunities to succeed!” -Erica Lennard Helping undergraduate students to clarify and realize their educational goals is at the heart of the work of our Academic Advisors Hanna Foley (Manager), Selaina Mansheim, Gelsey Thomas, and Katie Schmaltz. In addition to online and in-person advising, they frequently partner with our pre-professional student organization, the ACS Student Affiliates, to foster connections and encourage student learning outside the classroom. These efforts are buoyed by a diverse group of CHEM Peer Advisors (student employees funded by the Division of Physical Science’s Student Success Center), whose unique insights into the academic experience at UC San Diego promote the intellectual and personal growth of new and seasoned students. You can read more about each of them here. "My favorite part of my role as Undergraduate Advising Manager has to be my one-on-one interaction with students during advising appointments. During these sessions, students often share their stories with me – this can be as simple as why they decided to pursue a chemistry degree to their individual and personal struggles with their family or mental health. Sometimes I am just an ear, other times I am able to help problem solve or get them connected to other campus resources. Regardless, it is always so rewarding to learn about our amazing undergrads, along with the challenges they have gone through and overcome, and to be able to assist them however possible. I also have a major soft spot for working with transfer students, having been one myself (way back in the day!). - Hanna Foley At the graduate level, all aspects of Ph.D. student advising are overseen by Graduate Program Manager Amy Tran. Under her portfolio is a Grad Mentoring Program that links current with incoming doctoral students, establishing a vital peer network that eases the transition to graduate school. M.S. Advising is the responsibility of Graduate Admissions Coordinator Jeff Rances, who has been with the Student Affairs Office for over 13 years. A Diversity Coordinator with the Graduate Division and a member of the department’s EDIC Council, Jeff is attuned to opportunities that can improve belonging for all graduate students. Amy and Jeff work alongside Kristin Itahara and Asmaa Khatib, Training Grant & ACS Bridge Program Coordinator and Grad Funding & TA Coordinator, respectively. Their efforts round off the graduate school experience, emphasizing professional development in interdisciplinary research skills, teaching, and more. The holistic and inclusive mindset of our Student Affairs staff is echoed in the sentiments expressed by Jeff Rances: “I would say my favorite part of my job is meeting new people, especially at a stage where a lot of milestones are happening in their lives. I help them apply for our program, let them know they’ve been accepted, welcome them at orientation, introduce them to future colleagues/friends, serve as a resource for them while they work through a tough program, celebrate with them at commencement, and then keep in touch with them as they move all over the world and do great things! Some of them are in industry, some are now professors with labs of their own, some have gotten married and are now raising kids. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a ambitious and supportive community!”
06/16/2021
Teaching and Learning Chemistry via Zoom
Teaching and Learning Chemistry via Zoom Over the past 16 months, people around the world experienced an unprecedented shift in education, with schools at all levels (pre-K, K-12, college/university, professional) either closing or moving classes to online settings. At UC San Diego and in our Department specifically, emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic demanded that we rather abruptly reimagine the teaching and learning of all aspects of chemistry, from the theoretical to the practical, hands-on elements. Zoom became the primary means by which classroom communities were forged, bringing together students on campus and from across the continents for small seminars, large lectures and instructional labs. Instructional teams of chemistry faculty, graduate TAs and staff scrambled to set up makeshift offices as they navigated crash courses in video editing and a new online course management system. Freed of physical spaces and time limitations (owing to asynchronous modes), instructors could experiment with new teaching strategies and assessment models. Among other innovations, chemistry demonstrations were conducted live from faculty’s home kitchens, guest speakers joined from distant industry locations as part of Scientist Spotlight series, students watched experiments remotely and worked through individualized data sets, and lower stakes surveys, frequent (even oral!) quizzes with flexible deadlines and creative projects replaced traditional tests. Through it all, we remained committed to excellence in teaching and mentoring. As expressed by Prof. Joshua Figueroa, who taught both undergraduate and graduate courses during this period: “Despite the challenges of a new medium, it was fun to find ways to inspire the students like you would in an in-person class.” From March 2020 to June 2021, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offered 196 remote or hybrid undergraduate courses serving 32,820 students. This is truly an incredible feat. In striving to create equitable and inclusive learning environments that would support our students, we discovered new ways to connect through online ‘office hours’, Discord channels, and suites of other technologies. As we re-enter classrooms at UC San Diego this next academic year, we hope to maintain and build upon those practices that have increased accessibility and removed barriers to participation in the chemical sciences. We will also bring with us the mutual empathy and understanding that we’ve developed as students, faculty, and staff’s lived experiences came more clearly into focus during this period of great challenges and ingenuity.
06/16/2021
Celebrating Our Undergraduate Student's Engagement in Research
Celebrating Our Undergraduate Student’s Engagement in Research On Thursday, May 27th, our department convened to celebrate the outstanding research and academic achievements of our undergraduate majors in the chemical sciences at the 15th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. The event is the key platform for undergraduate researchers to present their work to our academic community at UC San Diego. It is planned and hosted by our award-winning American Chemical Society pre-professional student organization (ACSSA), in collaboration with the amazing staff of our Student Affairs Office (Director Erica Lennard and Advisors Hanna Foley, Selaina Mansheim, and Gelsey Thomas). For the second consecutive year, the Symposium was held virtually as result of COVID-19 restrictions. Twenty-seven students delivered digital poster presentations in individually assigned breakout rooms, to which attendees and judges could visit. A number of other students submitted videos describing a research project of interest to a new Symposium Video Competition that was intended to reinforce creativity, communication skills, and chemistry connections for those students not yet engaged in research. The final awards ceremony was launched with a live keynote address by Prof. Dontaire Stallings, who emphasized the importance of mindset and resilience. Teri Vogel, who has been a steadfast supporter of student’s development of information literacy as the UCSD Library Subject Specialist for Chemistry and Biochemistry, presented Taylor Wenquian Yang with the Annual Library Award. Six faculty and 14 graduate students donated their time and expertise to judging posters within discipline-specific categories. In Biochemistry, the awardees were: Minh Le (Faculty Research PI: Mark Herzik), Eleanor Sievers (Faculty Research PI: Galia Debelouchina) and Amalia Villagran Suarez (Faculty Research PI: Betsy Komives). Recipients of the Organic/Inorganic Chemistry and Analytical/Physical Poster Awards were Nicole Nolan (Faculty Research PI: Jeremy Klosterman) and Christopher Nowak (Faculty Research PI: Vicki Grassian), respectively. Overall, we are very proud of all our undergraduate students for their commitments to and progress in research. We are also grateful for our faculty and their research lab members who work to create an inclusive and supportive mentoring environment for these trainees. Undergraduate research is one of the high impact educational practices our department strives to make accessible to all our majors, recognizing its potential to deepen learning, increase belonging, cultivate transferrable skills and clarify career pathways. The fact that students were able to engage in this exciting activity in the midst of a global pandemic is a testament to the dedication, persistence and creativity of all involved. As noted by Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education Prof. Thomas Bussey, “This year was really innovative and a truly great showcase of the talents and accomplishments of [our undergraduate students].”
05/24/2021
2021 Chancellor's Dissertation Medal Recipient: Jesse Peltier!
Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen based upon the quality of academic research as determined by the impact of the research to the field and/or department; the insight, originality, and creativity shown by the author; the effectiveness of the writing, clarity, and organization of the thesis; and the soundness of the methodology and quality of the data (when applicable). Congratulations to Jesse Peltier (Bertrand lab) on receiving the 2021 Chancellor's Dissertation Medal award!
05/10/2021
In Memoriam: Chancellor Emerita Marye Anne Fox
It is with great sorrow that I announce the passing of Chancellor Emerita Marye Anne Fox on May 9, 2021. She was 73. As UC San Diego’s seventh chancellor, Fox was the first woman to be appointed as permanent chancellor. She led the university during a historic era of extraordinary campus growth and through unprecedented financial challenges. Under her leadership, UC San Diego successfully completed a billion-dollar capital campaign, celebrated its 50th anniversary, and expanded the campus at a record pace to accommodate student growth and a billion-dollar research enterprise. Chancellor Fox was also an internationally renowned chemist. Her pivotal research advanced the world’s understanding of renewable energy and environmental chemistry. For her groundbreaking work, she received the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award from the American Chemical Society and the prestigious Othmer Gold Medal, jointly awarded by the Science History Institute, the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, The Chemists' Club, and the American section of the Société de Chimie Industrielle. In 2010, Fox received the National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama. Among her many prestigious appointments and honors, she was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, and to fellowships both in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association of Advancement of Science. She also received honorary degrees from 12 institutions in the United States and abroad. Chancellor Fox was also a gifted administrative leader who advocated for lasting change on complex issues. Because of her vision, UC San Diego became one of the greenest campuses in the nation and is now a living laboratory for climate change research and solutions. Fox also instituted systemic changes in leadership, visibility and funding to improve diversity and enhance UC San Diego’s campus climate. Her dedication paved the way for the university to establish a Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and laid the foundation for continuous learning and improvement. In addition to her service to UC San Diego, Chancellor Fox served on the Council on Competitiveness, Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST), the Association of American Universities (AAU), National Security – Higher Education Advisory Board and the World Universities Network (WUN), amongst other distinguished committees. Marye Anne was extremely gracious during the transition period and upon my arrival at UC San Diego. She left the campus in a very strong position—ready for growth, poised for continuous innovation, and valued for its contributions to the region, state and world. We would not be where we are today without her visionary leadership and steady hand. She is survived by her husband James K. Whitesell, UC San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as three sons and two stepsons.
05/07/2021
Congratulations to the 2021 Friends Fellowship Recipients!
We proudly announce the 2021 recipients of the Friends of the International Center (Friends) Fellowship: Lisa Liang (Corbett, Devaraj and Yeo Labs), Stella Seo (Cohen Lab), and Anand Ojha (Amaro Lab).
05/03/2021
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry highlighted in Triton Magazine
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is to be highlighted in the upcoming edition of the Triton Magazine. Both in a Women in STEM article (https://tritonmag.com/women-in-stem/) and a Physical Sciences at 60 story (http://tritonmag.com/physical-sciences-at-60/)
04/30/2021
In Memoriam: Eminent UC San Diego Leader Marjorie Caserio
It is with great sorrow that we announce former Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Marjorie Caserio passed away on April 13. Her distinguished career included notable contributions as an eminent researcher, educator, author and academic administrator. She was 92 years old. Caserio joined UC San Diego in 1990 and served as vice chancellor of academic affairs until August 1995. In October 1995 she was appointed interim chancellor of UC San Diego. Prior to joining UC San Diego, Caserio was a founding member of the faculty of UC Irvine. Starting in 1965, she progressed through the UC Irvine tenure ranks over 25 years, with service that included roles in the academic senate (1982-1986) and as chair of the Department of Chemistry (1987-1990). She also served from 1984 to 1986 as the faculty representative to the UC Board of Regents. Born in London, Caserio received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Chelsea College at the University of London in 1950. She earned her master’s and doctorate in organic chemistry from Bryn Mawr College. She served at Caltech for eight years, two as a postdoctoral research fellow and six as a senior research fellow, before joining the University of California. As an educator, Caserio will always be recognized for excellence in teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. During the 1960s and 1970s, her book “Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry” was the most widely used undergraduate organic chemistry textbook in the nation. As a researcher, she published more than 70 research articles primarily in the area of organic reaction mechanisms. Caserio’s accomplishments had a tremendously positive impact across the UC San Diego campus. During her tenure as vice chancellor, she raised more than $1 million for graduate student fellowships. She also headed efforts to establish an undergraduate major in connection with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, a new major in women’s studies, a department of ethnic studies and a new doctorate program in mathematics and science education. The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2021 launched the Marjorie Caserio Undergraduate Excellence Award, which recognizes undergraduate students who have demonstrated outstanding academic performance and dedication to advancing the professional community, through community involvement, contributions to diversity, leadership, overcoming adversity and research accomplishments. Among her many honors, Caserio in 2019 received the Revelle Medal, the highest honor given by the Chancellor to a retired or emeriti UC San Diego faculty member. She was named a recipient of the American Chemical Society’s “Service Through Chemistry” award that honors those who have made significant contributions in applying chemistry to solve problems of interest in Southern California. She was awarded the Garvan Medal from the American Chemical Society, which recognizes women in chemistry for their distinguished scientific accomplishments, leadership and service. She also received the Dickson Award from UC San Diego in 2012. After her retirement in 1997, Caserio continued making valuable contributions to UC San Diego and to the University of California system through various outlets, including: UC San Diego Emeriti Association vice president, 1999-2000; Emeriti Association president, 2000-2001; Emeriti Association immediate past president; Council of UC Emeriti Associations (CUCEA) chair in 1999-2000, immediate past chair in 2000-01, CUCEA information officer from 2003-04 to 2008-09 and CUCEA webmaster until her passing; she also wrote the CUCEA Newsletter for each biannual meeting from 2011-2018. Caserio was an active participant in the UC San Diego Emeriti Mentor program and participated in Chancellor’s Scholars meetings, providing helpful feedback to students with their presentations. She remained active in the American Chemical Society and helped to form and oversee the ACS’s first Graduate Education Office. Her advice and persistence were critical in helping the ACS understand the need to make graduate education a priority alongside K-12 and undergraduate education. Caserio is survived by her husband Fred and sons Alan and Brian. Donations in Caserio’s memory can be made to the Duke Cancer Institute, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego.
04/27/2021
Edward Dennis and Susan Taylor named to the inaugural class of ASBMB Fellows
Selection as a Fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is an honor bestowed on our most distinguished members. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance the molecular life sciences through sustained outstanding accomplishments in areas such as scientific research, education, mentorship, commitment to diversity and service to the society and scientific community.
04/08/2021
Akif Tezcan awarded Guggenheim Fellowship
Today, the Board of Trustees of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation approved the awarding for Guggenheim Fellowships to a diverse group of 184 artists, writers, scholars, and scientists. These exceptional candidates were chosen through a rigorous peer-review process from almost 3,000 applicants. The great range of backgrounds, fields of study, and accomplishments of Guggenheim Fellows is a unique characteristic of the Fellowship program. In all, 49 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 73 different academic institutions, 28 states and 2 Canadian provinces are represented in this year’s class of Fellows, who range in age from 31 to 85. Close to 60 Fellows have no full-time college or university affiliation.
04/01/2021
Johannes Schoneberg receives 2020 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award
The 2020 award-winning proposals represent early-stage, innovative and cutting-edge technology in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, covering research areas that include Cancer, Diagnostic Imaging, Infectious Disease, Medical Diagnostics, Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Tissue Engineering. The Hartwell Foundation is pleased to provide financial support to these exceptional scientists who are pursuing biomedical research to advance children’s health.
03/29/2021
Professor Emeritus Leigh Clark dies, age 86
It is with regret that I share the news that Emeritus Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Leigh Clark passed away February 15, 2021 from cardiovascular complications; he was 86 years old. Bob Fahey has written an obituary that captures Leigh’s research and teaching excellence as well as his many interesting hobbies and the overall richness of his life. Vicki Grassian Professor and Chair -------- Professor Clark was born in Washington state on September 9, 1934. He grew up in Mill Valley California and attended the University of California, Berkeley where he was a member of and resident of the professional chemistry fraternity Alpha Chi Sigma. He obtained a B.S. degree in chemistry in 1957. He continued his studies with William T. Simpson at the University of Washington, where he obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1963. He then spent a postdoctoral year with Ignacio Tinoco, Jr. at UC Berkeley. In 1964 he joined the dozen founding members of the Chemistry Department at UC San Diego, now Chemistry and Biochemistry. Clark's research involved the measurement and detailed analysis of the electronic spectroscopy of organic molecules. Nearly all of his research involved vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy, an experimentally difficult undertaking to which he brought novel experimental approaches and careful attention to detailed analysis of the results. At UC San Diego he pioneered the use of vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy and reflection spectroscopy of crystals to obtain otherwise difficult to obtain data. A central focus of his studies was the determination of the dipole directions of the individual transitions for the nucleic acid and protein components of important biopolymers. Such data are needed to interpret the circular dichroism spectra of nucleic acids and can be used to distinguish the A, B and Z forms of DNA. Clark also pursued analogous work on proteins. He was most creative and happiest when he was in the laboratory conducting a new experiment. His publications, though limited in quantity, were characterized by his selection of important scientific problems, his success with difficult experimental measurements, and his careful and thorough analysis of the results he obtained. Professor Clark was popular with students who appreciated his wry sense of humor and he received several awards for outstanding teaching. His goal was to mystify and inspire first year chemistry students to develop their passion for chemistry. He devoted great attention to the Departmental laboratory courses. He wrote the manual for the Department's course on quantitative chemical analysis. Clark taught the upper division physical chemistry laboratory courses for many years, revising the curriculum to include new spectroscopic and related experiments. Dr. Clark's favorite pastimes included gardening, skiing, photography and mountain climbing. He served as the group videographer on his most ambitious climb, up Mount Denali (20,308 feet, formerly Mount McKinley) in Alaska. He was also part of a group that was the first to ascend two smaller mountains in the Yukon. Clark was great in the kitchen, as well as the lab, and loved to prepare gourmet cuisine for family and guests. Clark is survived by his son Adam, his grandsons William, Lawrence and Mitchell Clark, his stepdaughter Nikki Slocum-Bradley and his step-grandsons Arthur Leigh, Andrew and Alistair Bradley. Alice Clark, Leigh's wife of 21 years, passed away in 2003.
03/29/2021
Congratulations to Ke'La Kimble, a recipient of the 2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship!
We proudly announce that the National Science Foundation has selected Ke’la Kimble (Prather Lab) from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as a recipient of the 2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship! Congratulations also to the NSF-GRFP Honorable Mentions: Lannah Abasi, Adarsh Balaji, Krista Balto, Sally Burke, Alysia Kohlbrand, Dylan Mills, Conor O'Herin, Emily Pool.
03/29/2021
2021 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award Winner- Mark Kalaj!
Congratulations to Mark Kalaj (Cohen Lab) for winning the 2021 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award!
03/19/2021
Neal Devaraj appointed to the Murray Goodman Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry
Based on the recommendation of a departmental ad hoc committee composed of distinguished and chaired faculty across our three sections, I am pleased to announce that Professor Neal Devaraj has been appointed to the Murray Goodman Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry for a three-year term
03/19/2021
Congratulations to the 2020-21 DGSF Recipients!
We proudly announce our 20/21 Distinguished Graduate Student Fellowship recipients; Kyle Angle (Grassian Lab), Abigail Dommer (Amaro Lab), Matthew Du (Yuen Zhou Lab), Madison Edwards (Joseph Lab), Chris Miller (Kubiak Lab), Kartik Rallapalli (Paesani Lab), Hannah Rutledge (Tezcan Lab), Ryjul Stokes (Cohen Lab).
03/16/2021
Brian Leigh awarded Annual Integrity Award
The annual Integrity Awards program recognizes outstanding contributions by UC San Diego faculty, staff and students in support of integrity and ethics - two of our university’s core commitment
02/23/2021
Faculty Interview: Dontarie Stallings
New to this edition of the The Periodical and moving forward, we will be featuring a different Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty member in each issue. Our focus will be on their research field and their accomplishments within the scope of their work. Please click below to hear from our inaugural faculty highlight, assistant teaching professor, Dontarie Stallings. As an icebreaker, and to informally introduce yourself, please complete the following sentences. 1. My biggest motivation is ... to be a better version of myself today than I was yesterday. 2. The best advice I have ever been given is ... that while you don’t have control over the circumstances that life presents, you do have control over the way/method that you respond. 3. The most significant scientific advance of the last 100 years has been ... the supercomputer. 4. If I could have dinner with three famous scientists from history, they would be ... Percy Julian, W. E. B. Du Bois, & Charles Richard Drew 5. I chose chemistry as a career because .. I wanted to better understand the complexities of life. 6. My favorite saying/quote/motto is ... He who is behind will be forever behind unless he chooses to move faster than those in front of him. 7. Someone who made a big difference in my life is ... Prof. Kimberly D Schurmeier. 8. When I'm not working, I like to ... cook, listen to audiobooks, & hangout with my family. 9. I've learned from my students that ... authenticity helps to build better learning communities. Q: What is your primary, or current, research focus? A: Science Policy (w.r.t Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Q: Why is the work you do important? A: I have both professional and personal reasons pertaining to why I find my scholarship important. Professionally: With respect to our nation’s scientific efforts, we do not effectively utilize our greatest resource —its people. Though this failing has not substantially limited our nation’s scientific standing/competitiveness, continuing on this pathway certainly will. The demographics of our nation will be majority minority within 25 years. The minority population also happen to represent the cohorts that have been systematically precluded from contributing to our nation’s scientific efforts. My scholarship endeavors to facilitate a transition away from the status quo of past and develop new pathways towards inclusive excellence. Personally: My son loves science. Watching him trying to understand the way the world works reinvigorates my passion for science on daily basis. It’s easy to turn away from a career path when it seems as if the world has decided to place ‘Do not enter’ signs on the avenues for success. I don’t want the systemic hurdles that I faced professionally to inhibit my son’s opportunity to pursue science as a career or as a lifelong knowledge quest. My scholarship aims at reducing/eliminating systemic barriers so that my son, and everyone’s daughter and/or son, path to success is based on hard work and capability —in lieu of social/economic positioning. Q: Can you tell us about your recent research (or teaching) achievements? A: Before joining the faculty ranks at UCSD, I was the Research and Program manager for OXIDE —Housed at Johns Hopkins University. I managed a cross-functional team of research scientists and administrators tasked with reducing implicit bias and increasing diversity and inclusion within the chemistry field. As the Research and Program Manager, I collaborated with chemistry chairs, deans, research scientists, psychologists, social scientists, and industrial scientists to bridge the field’s availability gap with respect to hiring, retention, and progression of underrepresented chemistry. As a new faculty member at UCSD, my EDI-scholarship efforts have continued. My colleagues and I are currently launching the DPS Scholar Program —designed to build cohort learning and mentoring programs within the Division of Physical Sciences. My colleagues and I are also developing a DPS Undergraduate Research Program which will feature Industrial Research Scholars. The program is designed to foster professional connections between STEM Industrial companies and our student population, while simultaneously generating coordinated undergraduate research opportunities. I also serving as the Associate Director of OXIDE. We are a couple of weeks away from launching our VDEW (Virtual Diversity Equity Workshop). The workshop is open to faculty member from chemistry and biochemistry departments and it is designed to help thought leaders develop targeted policies and procedures designed to improve inclusive excellence within their respective departments. Q: How do you think your field of research (or teaching) will evolve over the next 10 years? A: So much of my scholarship is dependent upon removing the systemic hurdles that have been cultivated in our nation over the last 100 years. As a field, we will continue to make small improvements that enhance our nation’s inclusive excellence. That being said, the problem we face can’t be overcome in 10 years. In addition, the transitioning of our nation’s demographics will add an extra layer of pressure to our current system and our pace to effect change will be challenged. In short…. I know where we are going, but I don’t know when we’ll get there.
02/23/2021
Creating a More Inclusive Graduate School Experience - The Advocacy and Efforts of UC San Diego Chem
As a department, we are working steadfastly to create a community of care, engagement and belonging that ensures all students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty are accepted, valued and supported in their work. Herein we shine light on some of the recent advocacy and efforts of our graduate students to advance their education and conversations around equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). “Grad 2 Grad” is a workshop for first-year chemistry M.S. and Ph.D. candidates that was designed and delivered virtually in January 2021 by senior graduate students and EDI & Climate Council representatives Nicole Peiris (PI: Daniel Donoghue) and Michael Alves (PI: Vicki Grassian). The workshop was an opportunity to explore questions and concerns related to the graduate student experience, to build social and professional connections, and to learn about the student affinity groups in the department. Broadly, the goals, needs, and interests of graduate students in Chemistry and Biochemistry are represented by the members of the Chemistry Graduate Student Council (CGSC) and the campus-wide Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA). A popular scholarly experience is the Student Research Seminar (SRS) series, which gives graduate student nominees the opportunity to showcase their research-in-progress to a broad departmental community. SRS is co-sponsored by CGSC and SWIGS, the Society for Women in Graduate Studies (SWIGS) in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Founded a decade ago, SWIGS was recognized with the UC San Diego Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action & Diversity Award in 2017 for its efforts to promote gender equality in the sciences. The group continues to thrive, hosting informal coffee meetups, professional development seminars, and community engagement activities. At its most recent monthly meeting (February 2021), guest speaker Dr. Jeannette McConnell, the NSF-CAICE Education, Outreach and Diversity Director, facilitated a stimulating “Conversation About Recognizing and Dismantling White Supremacist Culture In Academia”. The newest student affinity group, the CHEM International Friendship Group (CIFG), was launched last month by Connie Torres-Paris (PI: Betsy Komives), Lisa Liang (PI: Kevin Corbett), and Lincoln Mehndiratta (1st year, rotating). The group brings awareness to the social, cultural, linguistic, and academic challenges that many international students encounter as they transition to a new country and university and provides a venue for American graduate students to lend their support. In doing so, it also fosters cross-cultural understanding and authentic interactions, while recognizing the rich and varied lived experiences and perspectives of all international and domestic students. The message shared on CIFG’s Slack channel, which is the primary means by which members connect and participate in social (COVID friendly) activities at this time is: “Learning from each other - that’s how we grow and thrive!” Indeed, the EDI awareness and skills our graduate students are developing today in research, teaching, and service will serve them well as future leaders in an increasingly diverse and global society.
02/16/2021
Joel Yuen-Zhou named a 2021 Sloan Research Fellow
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation congratulates the winners of the 2021 Sloan Research Fellowships. These 128 early-career scholars represent the most promising scientific researchers working today. Their achievements and potential place them among the next generation of scientific leaders in the U.S. and Canada.
02/09/2021
Alexis Komor named 2021 Cottrell Scholar
Research Corporation for Science Advancement has named 25 outstanding teacher-scholars in chemistry, physics, and astronomy as recipients of its 2021 Cottrell Scholar Awards.
01/20/2021
Itay Budin receives NSF Career Award
Itay Budin, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was named a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. This prestigious and highly competitive five-year award supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. In this project, the Budin lab will develop new tools for interrogating lipid function and apply them to understanding how organization emerges in biological systems. Cells and their internal organelles are compartmentalized by thin sheets of lipid molecules (membranes), which serve as the environment for a range of molecular processes. The chemical composition of these membranes controls their properties, is mediated by diet, and can be altered in several human diseases. Understanding how lipid composition impacts cellular processes is thus of broad importance. The project’s research will test how specific lipid-lipid interactions drive the formation of membrane domains and cellular transport networks. The project will also integrate research systems into an outreach program to improve high school education in quantitative STEM fields such as physics, which is currently lagging in many segments of the American population. For this, learning modules will be developed that harness processes occurring in cell membranes to teach physics concepts through biological applications.
01/20/2021
Alina Schimpf receives NSF Career Award
Alina Schimpf, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. This prestigious and highly competitive five-year award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their institution. Solid-state metal oxides are a class of materials vital to current and emerging technologies but making these materials with targeted and predictable properties remains a challenge due to the lack of precise control over atom placement. In this project, Prof. Schimpf uses the assembly of pre-formed molecular building-blocks as a route to metal oxides with well-defined, broadly tunable compositions and precisely tailored properties. This research will lead to new understanding of the factors that (1) govern the ability to synthesize metal oxides with diverse or complex compositions from pre-formed building-blocks and (2) dictate the properties of the resulting solid-state materials. This project also provides a platform for community college students to gain research experience designing and studying energy-relevant materials. The goals of these efforts are to attract students to careers in STEM and to prepare them for future steps along this career-path.
01/20/2021
Alexis Komor receives NSF Career Award
Alexis Komor, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, was named a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. This prestigious and highly competitive five-year award supports the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Genome editing tools have driven a revolution and enabled the work of countless researchers across the fields of biomedical science, agriculture, biotechnology, and synthetic biology. Despite the fervor with which these technologies have been adopted, many of them suffer from key shortcomings such as unwanted DNA sequence modifications and low efficiencies for certain types of edits and in certain types of cells. This project seeks to tackle these limitations by furthering basic understanding of DNA repair mechanisms involved in the editing processes. The research will enable expansion of the current suite of genome editing tools, while simultaneously providing graduate student and postdoctoral researchers with training for successful careers in science. The project also includes a research-practice partnership with San Diego area public high schools with high enrollments of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The students will be introduced to cutting edge genome editing technologies in a topical and approachable manner, with the goal of inciting excitement and further engagement with higher education beyond standard classroom curricula.