On March 13, 2026, the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry honored Professor Richard Kaner (UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry) with the 2026 Glenn T. Seaborg Medal in recognition of his seminal contributions to the field.
A symposium entitled “Materials for a Better World,” a poster session, and an evening medal dinner were held in Kaner’s honor on the UCLA campus. A Kaner group reunion, attended by over 75 alumni, collaborators, and friends, was held on campus the next day.
A photo gallery from the events can be viewed here and select photos are below.
After welcoming remarks by Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny at the afternoon symposium, held in the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) auditorium, Kaner and four other prominent scientists gave keynote talks. Three current and former Kaner group members, all of whom have started companies with Kaner, also gave talks.
Keynote Speakers
- Professor Zhenan Bao (Stanford University) – “Learning from Skin: from Materials, Sensing Functions to Neuromorphic Engineering” (Introduced by Professor Stephanie Pazos, UC Santa Barbara)
- Professor Kourosh Kalanter-Zadeh (The University of Sydney) – “Liquid Metals for Reaction Mediation and Catalysis” (Introduced by Dr. Christina Baker, Taktive)
- Professor Sarah Tolbert (University of California, Los Angeles) – “Designing New Superhard Materials – Using Atomistic and Nanoscale Architecture to Challenge Diamond with Ambient Pressure Metal Borides” (Introduced by Professor Michael Yeung, University at Albany, SUNY)
- Professor Fred Wudl (University of California, Santa Barbara, 2014 Seaborg Medalist) – “Organic Conductors, Carbon Allotropes and Ric Kaner” (Introduced by Professor Jiaxing Huang, Northwestern University)
Industry Speakers
Three current and former members of the Kaner group, who co-founded companies with Kaner, gave short talks:
- Dr. Chris Turner (SuperMetalix, Inc.) – “Evolution of Superhard Borides toward Industrial Applications” (Introduced by Professor Georgiy Akopov, Rutgers University)
- Dr. Maher El-Kady (Nanotech, Inc.) – “American Made Batteries for the Electric Age” (Introduced by Dr. Cheng-Wei Lin, UCLA)
- Dr. Brian McVerry (SILQ Technologies, Inc.) – “Zwitterionic Biomaterials to Protect Implanted Medical Devices from Device-related Complications” (Introduced by Professor Mackenzie Anderson, California State University-Sacramento)
The Glenn T. Seaborg Medal was established in 1987 and is given annually by the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry to honor individuals for their significant contributions to the fields of chemistry and biochemistry.
A poster session featuring postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates in chemistry and biochemistry took place in the CNSI lobby as part of the symposium. Three winners were selected by a panel of the department’s newest faculty members: Assistant Professors Antonio Tinoco Valencia, Thomas Fay, and Patrick Wilson.
As attendees entered for the poster session and symposium, they were asked to sign a guestbook and have a Polaroid photo taken, which was then added to the book.
Following the symposium, a reception and medal dinner were held at the UCLA Covel Commons Grand Horizon Patio and Ballroom. Previous Glenn T. Seaborg Medal recipients in attendance included Professors David Eisenberg (2004), Kendall Houk (2013), Fred Wudl (2014), Michael Jung (2016), William Gelbart (2017), and Juli Feigon (2024).
After remarks by Dean of Physical Sciences Prof. Miguel A. García-Garibay, the poster session winners -graduate students Hashim Al Khunaizi (Spokoyny group) and Sophia Uemura (Kaner group), and visiting undergraduate student researcher Ching Ching Lam (Houk group) – were announced and honored during the dinner. Professor Robin Garrell then presented a slideshow about Professor Glenn T. Seaborg, for whom the medal is named.
The highlight of the evening was when Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny presented the 2026 Glenn T. Seaborg Medal to Kaner.
After accepting the medal, Kaner gave an acceptance speech. (Download his Powerpoint presentation here.) After Kaner’s speech, Dr. Maher El-Kady (Ph.D. ’13), a researcher in Kaner’s group and chief science and technology officer of Nanotech Energy, presented him with a 1961 issue of Time magazine featuring Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg on its cover. The issue was published shortly after President John F. Kennedy appointed Seaborg as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission – at the time the highest federal position ever held by a scientist in the United States. The issue was personally signed by Seaborg.
“In a way, it feels like a message across time—almost as if Seaborg himself is joining us tonight to recognize and celebrate Ric’s remarkable career, his impact on science, and his legacy through all of us,” El-Kady said. “Ric, on behalf of your students—past and present—it is my honor to present this to you.”
The following day, Kaner’s group held a reunion in Boyer Hall, which was attended by over 75 alumni, collaborators, and friends. The event included a poster session by Kaner alumni, a tour of the Kaner lab, and an Italian lunch.
The department gratefully acknowledges this year’s generous contributions, including a donation from symposium speaker Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh and student dinner sponsorships from Jane Valentine and Ted Sweetser, Nancy and Larry Davis, William “Kibby” and Janet Stovall, and Lee and Ann Cooper.
Photos by Reed Hutchinson, Penny Jennings, and Isabella Luo. Article by Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
