SMACS and AXE host third Undergraduate Poster Session

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On June 4, 2026, the Student Members of the American Chemical Society (SMACS), Alpha Chi Sigma (AXΣ), a professional chemistry fraternity, and the UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry department jointly hosted the third annual Undergraduate Poster Session, where 21 undergraduate students presented posters communicating their research projects and findings.

Select photos from the event can be viewed below, and the full photo gallery is available here.

Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny welcomed guests.
Geethika Tammana (Carmichael group) discusses her research with Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education Professor Jorge Torres.

The event was held in the Young Hall Collaboratory from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. and was attended by undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty. Presenters engaged in insightful discussions with attendees, while faculty judges assessed posters based on content, design, and delivery. Based on these evaluations, awards for Best Poster were presented to Sydney Choi (Tang group) and Daniel Kendall (Barber group) (pictured above).

This year’s Alumni Legacy Award recipients and Chairs Council members Nancy and Larry Davis with neuroscience undergraduate Lotta Mozes, who is mentored by Nancy.
Chloe Schnell (Lawson group) discusses her research with SMACS member Mia Montgomery.
Loida De Leon with Chairs Council member June Kim.
Tyler Hsu (Nava group) discusses his poster with Prof. Martin-Louis Riu and alumnus Dr. Robert F. Foran.
Chantal Aguilar Torres (Barber group) discusses her poster with Chair’s Council member Dr. Michael Gessner.
Bryan Lee (Travis group) discusses his poster.
Undergraduate Anam Jamshaid (Shaafat group) discusses her research with recent Ph.D. graduates Drs. AJ Addae and Antonio Macias.
Poster session judges, Professors Carla Koehler, Abby Kavner, and Anne Hong-Hermesdorf, with Daniel Kendall (Barber group) and Sydney Choi (Tang group), recipients of the Best Poster Award.
The SMACS team (from left to right, top row followed by bottom): Ishan Pachauri, Jacob Neidleman, Angelina Zou, Mia Montgomery, Sayén Navarro, Paparvinee Chaisupat, Felisha Kuo, Bedelia Law, Chahak Gupta, and Emilee Gip.

This poster session was the second event hosted jointly by SMACS and the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department during the 2025-2026 school year, following a student-faculty mixer held during winter quarter. SMACS hopes to continue connecting Chemistry & Biochemistry undergraduates with graduate students and faculty in the department while helping create a welcoming environment. Be on the lookout for more of these events in the future!

SMACS is the UCLA undergraduate chapter of the American Chemical Society. SMACS aims to nurture a social network for life and physical science undergraduate students, especially chemistry and biochemistry majors. SMACS holds weekly meetings from 6:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays in Young Hall 2033, covering professional development, green chemistry, and service demonstrations. To find out more about SMACS at UCLA, visit https://www.chem.ucla.edu/acsbruins or check them out on instagram @smacsbruins.

Alpha Chi Sigma (AXE), specifically the Beta Gamma chapter at UCLA, is a co-ed professional chemistry fraternity. Founded on March 30, 1935, it fosters a community for students passionate about science through mentorship, academic support, and professional networking.  Learn more here: https://www.chem.ucla.edu/axe/.

Article written by SMACS member Jacob Neidleman, smacsbruins@gmail.com