Giving to the Department

The UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is committed to advancing the knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry through research and teaching. Please consider the various giving opportunities listed below or contact chair@chem.ucla.edu. Any gift to our department, no matter how small, can help to support the many aspects of our educational mission.

(If your employer offers a matching gifts program, please consider asking to have your donation matched.)

Funding Opportunities

Thanks to the generous support of our alumni and friends, 25-40 of UCLA’s talented Chemistry & Biochemistry undergraduate students receive a $4,000 fellowship to conduct research in faculty labs during the summer. These life-changing fellowships are made possible thanks to the support of our alumni and friends, and many more deserving students will benefit as this program grows. To contribute to the program or establish a new named fellowship, please contact Brooke Sanders, Executive Director of Development, UCLA Physical Sciences, 310-794-9045, bsanders@support.ucla.edu. Your gift of any size will directly impact one of our world-class students and aspiring scientists!

This fund honors Professors Daniel E. Atkinson & Charles A. West and is used to support undergraduate and graduate prizes and fellowships in Metabolic Biochemistry. To donate or read more about Professors Atkinson and West, click the corresponding button below.

This fund honors the late Dr. Dafni Amirsakis and provides fellowship support to graduate students within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. To donate or read more about Dr. Amirsakis and the impact she had, click the corresponding button below.

This fund honors the late Nobel Laureate and UCLA professor Paul Boyer and provides summer undergraduate research fellowships to UCLA undergraduate biochemistry majors who will perform research in the laboratories of UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty.

On the occasion of Professor Neil Garg’s Robert Foster Cherry Award Finalist Lecture at UCLA, an Educational Innovation Fund was established to enable UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty and students to launch transformative educational initiatives that will have a lasting impact on undergraduate education at UCLA.

Contributing to our Graduate Student Recruitment & Support Fund is an investment in the future of our department. Outstanding graduate students are at the heart of nearly every aspect of our teaching and research missions. The best way to attract top-notch graduate students is to invite our best applicants to UCLA, giving them first-hand exposure to the cutting-edge research and academic excellence that is the hallmark of our department. Donations made to this fund help us conduct our annual recruitment visit to bring in the very best students, and also helps provide funding support to ensure their success and well-being at UCLA. 

The department is also dedicating resources to inspire others to give by extending its Matching Gift Program aimed at significantly changing the future of UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry students through endowed support.  Qualifying gifts to the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry endowments may be matched at 100%. For example, a $500,000 gift will become $1,000,000!

James “Jimmy” E. LuValle graduated from our Chemistry & Biochemistry Department in 1936 and led an extraordinary life. From being an Olympic medalist, to establishing the UCLA Graduate Student Association, to achieving greatness in the chemistry field for decades, Jimmy was the embodiment of the True Bruin spirit.

As we continue to celebrate the astounding success of underrepresented students, the department established the James E. LuValle Fund for Excellence in Chemistry & Biochemistry which will support students like Jimmy, who we believe will guide our department, the scientific community, and the world to great heights. Click the links below learn more about LuValle and to donate to this fund.

This fund was established to honor the memory of Professor Verne N. Schumaker and to support undergraduate and graduate student research fellowships within the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. To donate or read more about Prof. Schumaker, click the corresponding button below.

This fund was established to honor the memory of Professor Emeritus Roberts (Bob) Smith and his commitment to research, education, and pharmaceutical advancement, and to recognize our outstanding biochemistry students each year. To donate or read more about Prof. Smith, click the corresponding button below.

Endowed chairs are a critical resource for our department. These positions attract and retain top-quality faculty for our students to learn from and work alongside on scientific research that addresses the world’s greatest needs and humanity’s drive for exploration. To find out how you can contribute to an endowed chair, please contact Brooke Sanders, Executive Director of Development, UCLA Physical Sciences, 310-794-9045, bsanders@support.ucla.edu. Click below to see a list of the department’s current endowed chairs.

The Department Discretionary Fund (also known as the Chemistry Advisory Council Fund) provides support to the areas of greatest need, as determined by the Department Chair in consultation with the faculty. These areas include undergraduate research fellowships, graduate student fellowships, much-needed instrumentation for research, modernizing research and teaching laboratories, and providing students with travel stipends to attend and present their findings at conferences.

In 2016, the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry established the Paul D. Boyer Teacher-Scholar position to honor Professor Boyer’s contributions to science, UCLA, and the world. Each year, we review applications from around the globe and select one recent Ph.D. graduate as the Paul D. Boyer Teacher-Scholar. Our Boyer Teacher-Scholars conduct cutting-edge postdoctoral research under a faculty member and also teach undergrads who are passionate about chemistry and biochemistry. Donations to this fund will support the research of the Boyer Teacher-Scholar and will also allow opportunities for scientific travel (e.g. conferences).

We are very excited that the Centennial Collaboratory space, which opened in 2022, will foster collaboration, creativity, and inclusion for the thousands of students who are taking Chemistry & Biochemistry classes each year. The donor wall in the space is equally collaborative—with each donation on a molecule, the wall is a visual representation of the many Bruins and friends who come together to make the department strong. 

This is a special opportunity to take your place among your friends and classmates on a highly visible donor wall in the Centennial Collaboratory. Gifts of $10,000, $25,000, and $50,000 will be unveiled on molecules at the space for all future generations of Bruins to see. 

If you would like to learn more or to arrange to see the space in person, please contact: Brooke Sanders, Executive Director of Development, UCLA Physical Sciences, 310-794-9045, bsanders@support.ucla.edu

Gifts to this fund support the department’s four divisional seminar series: Biochemistry & Molecular and Structural Biology (BMSB), Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry. These series consist of weekly lectures by world-renowned scientists from around the nation and the world. The seminar series give our graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty the opportunity to learn, network, and exchange ideas with our invited speakers and are crucial to the continued academic and research excellence of the department. Funding all or part of an individual lecture is also an option.

UCLA graduate students are hoping to raise $100K to endow an annual UCLA lectureship series to celebrate Black chemists and biochemists. The goal of the annual lectureship is to invite one of the world’s top Black scientists to UCLA each year to give a special lecture. The lecture series would be open to the public, celebrating and learning about the incredible work being done by Black scientists. To donate or read more about the cause, please click on the buttons below. 

Honoring Professor Emeritus Richard Dickerson, a giant in structural biology, this fund provides resources for an enriched biochemistry seminar series at UCLA. To donate or read more about Dickerson, please click on the buttons below. 

Each year, UCLA hosts roughly 25 outside speakers for our Houk/Jung Organic Colloquium. The Houk/Jung Colloquium provides our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with the opportunity to learn science from and interact with distinguished academic and industrial researchers.  Your support would help ensure this tradition continues into the future. In addition to supporting the general Houk/Jung Organic Colloquium Fund, donations can be made to sponsor specific organic chemistry named lectures in honor of prominent UCLA faculty and alumni. To learn more about the named lectures click here.

Each year, UCLA hosts roughly 25 outside speakers for our Physical Chemistry Seminars. This provides our graduate students and postdoctorals the opportunity to interact with distinguished academic and industrial researchers. UCLA has vibrant training programs in all aspects of physical chemistry and our seminars greatly enrich the experience. Your support would help ensure this tradition continues into the future.

This annual event, named in honor of UCLA alumnus and winner of the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Glenn T. Seaborg, was established in 1987 by the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry to honor exceptional contributions to our field. Since then, nine Nobel Laureates have received the Seaborg medal. Please contact the Chair’s Office, chair@chem.ucla.edu, 310-825-3958, for information about how to support the event.

The Jeffrey I. Zink Inorganic Chemistry Seminar Series at UCLA has been named with a generous gift by Helo Zink and Distinguished Professor Jeffrey Zink. 

The newly endowed seminar series supports inorganic chemistry-themed lectures throughout the year and will support an annual Zink Lectureship. 

The Department Discretionary Fund

The Department Discretionary Fund, also known as the Chemistry Advisory Council Fund, provides support to the areas of greatest need (as determined by the Department Chair and in consultation with the faculty). These areas include undergraduate research fellowships, graduate student fellowships, much needed instrumentation for research, modernizing research and teaching laboratories, and providing students with travel stipends to attend and present their findings at conferences.

UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry Matching Program

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is dedicating resources to inspire others to give by extending its Matching Gift Program aimed at significantly changing the future of UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry through endowed support. Qualifying gifts to the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry endowments may be matched at 100%. For example, a $500,000 gift will become $1,000,000!

Alumni Legacy Award

The UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Alumni Legacy Awards honors alumni who have received a graduate-level degree from UCLA, in recognition of their achievements in life, and generous support and service to the university.

Donors List (Gifts since 2020)

  • SEABORGIUM$500,000+
  • PLATINUM$100,000 – $499,999
  • GOLD$50,000 – $99,999
  • SILVER$25,000 – $49,999
  • BRONZE$10,000 – $24,999
  • COPPER$1,000 – $9,999
  • NEON$1000>
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  • American Chemical Society
  • Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Group
  • Cram Family Trust
  • Dongwon Yoo and Youngsoon So
  • Dorothy Wilson
  • Estate of Lorraine and Masuo Toji
  • Jack and Leslie Kavanaugh
  • Jeffrey and Helo Zink
  • M & L Hong Foundation
  • Mani Bhaumik
  • Michael and Alice Jung
  • Michael and Hannelore Gresser
  • Nanotech Energy, Inc.
  • Searle Scholars Program
  • Shirley and Walter Wang
  • Silicon Valley Community Foundation
  • The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
  • The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Akira and Atsuko Fujimoto
  • Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
  • American Cancer Society Inc.
  • American Heart Association
  • American Society of Plant Biologists
  • BACRA, Inc.
  • Barth Syndrome Foundation
  • Bruce and Shari Weiller
  • Carolyn Schumaker
  • Charles and Carolyn Knobler
  • Emil and Hanna Reisler
  • Estate of Geraldine and Robert Biskowski
  • Eugenia Pan
  • Fukushima SiC Applied Engineering Inc.
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • International Human Frontier Science Program Organization
  • John Roberts
  • Judith Smith
  • June Kim
  • Kendall Houk and Fang Liu
  • Kynan Pharma LLC
  • Lilly Grant Office
  • LongLife Rx, Inc.
  • Mae Carter
  • March of Dimes
  • Mary Friedman
  • Maxwell Technologies
  • Netherlands Organisation For Scientific Research
  • Norvatis International AG
  • Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation
  • Agi Hirshberg
  • Allen Roberts
  • Amgen Inc.
  • Anne Roberts and John Arnold
  • Arthur Riggs
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  • David and Nancy Remy
  • Donald and Barbara Roberts
  • Donna Speckman
  • Max Kade Foundation Inc.
  • Merck & Company Inc.
  • Northrop Grumman Corporation
  • Ralph and Shirley Shapiro
  • Robin Garrell
  • Sep Sarshar
  • The Good Food Institute
  • 3M Company
  • Alexander Kusenko and Lada Kirich
  • American-Italian Cancer Foundation
  • Anonymous
  • Baylor University
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Bruce and Joy Morimoto
  • Dana Gordon
  • Donald and Linda Miller
  • Donna Cross
  • Fay Cannon
  • Frank and Clelia Mallory
  • George and Barbara Whitesides
  • Gilead Sciences, Inc.
  • Jeff Schwartzmann
  • Ka Kit Hui
  • Lewis Manring and Marianne Marsi
  • Margaret Kivelson
  • Organic Syntheses, Inc.
  • Robert and Carole Foran
  • S.T. Li Foundation
  • Shell Oil Company
  • Steven Miller
  • Suzanne Stein
  • Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
  • Thomas Mason and Pia Luedtke
  • William Scott
  • Alan Go and Joan Lo
  • Angela and Richard Craig
  • APIQE, Inc.
  • AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
  • Ben Conner
  • Chevron Corporation
  • David and Lucy Eisenberg
  • David Sanford
  • Dean and Lee Marvin
  • Elizabeth Hyatt
  • Emily Maverick
  • Gordon Goldman
  • H. Erin Xie and Xiaotian Zhu
  • Harold and Sara Martinson
  • Ivan Trifunovich and Ida Sinkevic
  • Jane Creek
  • John McTague
  • Jonathan Mersel and Marion Peters
  • KUDU
  • Lam Research Corporation
  • Larry and Suzanne Margerum
  • Lawrence and Nancy Davis
  • Life Extension Foundation, Inc.
  • Lillian Lessler
  • Margaret Holzer
  • Mark Nagumo and Janis Dote
  • National Water Research Institute
  • Neil and Lindsey Garg
  • NOF Corporation
  • Patrick Donley and Jeanette Oka
  • AbbVie Inc.
  • Allergan Inc.
  • Alnylam US, Inc.
  • Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity
  • Amity Andersen and Niranjan Govind
  • Anderee Berengian
  • Andrew Streitwieser
  • Anjani and Vijaya Thakur
  • Ann Akeson
  • Ann Sodja
  • Annette Salmeen
  • Apple
  • Arnold and Sally Berk
  • Art Bellettini
  • Auda Hays
  • Audree Fowler
  • Ayisa K. Arnold Foundation
  • Bartlett-Nakagawa Giving Fund
  • Benjamin and Amber Sprague
  • Beverly Selle
  • BlackRock, Inc.
  • Bob Maresca
  • Bonaventure Senior Living
  • Brian Twomey
  • Bruce and Kathy Armbruster
  • Bruce Baer
  • Bruce Hahn
  • Bruce McPhee Alter Ego Trust
  • Bruker Nano, Inc.
  • Burt and Kanida Charuworn
  • Aaron Jonathan Aguas
  • Aaron Meyer
  • Aaron Nichols
  • Aaron Thon
  • Abhimanyu Amarnani
  • Abigail Richardson
  • ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry, Inc.
  • Adam Braunschweig
  • Adam Goetz
  • Adam Hunter
  • Adam Sorensen
  • Adarsh Balaji
  • Adela Smith
  • Adnan Alhur
  • Adonisa Mutukulu
  • Adrian Huang
  • Adrian Muli
  • Aggarwal Inder Mohan
  • Ai-Chan Thai and Gia Tran
  • Air Liquide USA LLC
  • Aisjah Bowens
  • Akio and Takako Nomi
  • Alan and Phyllis Senzel
  • Alan Chen
  • Alan Hyde and Amy Mcquay
  • Alan Saghatelian and Jenny Heller
  • Albert Chan
  • Albert Courey and Jody Reichel
  • Albert Lee
  • Albert Lee