Professor Kyoko Nozaki (University of Tokyo), known for her pioneering research in organometallic catalysis and polymer chemistry, visited UCLA on October 15 to give the inaugural Jeffrey I. Zink Invited Inorganic Lecture.
Faculty members, students, postdoctoral researchers, and staff attended the lecture in the Dongwon Yoo Seminar & Conference Hall in the Mani L. Bhaumik Collaboratory in Young Hall. A poster session was held prior to the lecture, where students and faculty discussed their current research with Professor Nozaki.
The chemical industry has long relied on fossil resources for the production of bulk materials. In contrast, there are other classes of carbon resources that remain largely untapped. In her talk titled “Catalyst Development for Utilizing Underused Carbon Resources”, Prof. Nozaki introduced her group’s catalyst development efforts aimed at harnessing two representative underutilized carbon resources: carbon dioxide and waste products.
About Professor Kyoko Nozaki
Professor Kyoko Nozaki is a distinguished chemist and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Tokyo. She earned her B.S. (1986) and Ph.D. (1991) in industrial chemistry from Kyoto University, where she studied with Professor Kiichiro Utimoto. During her doctoral work, she spent a year at the University of California, Berkeley, in the laboratory of Professor Clayton Heathcock. After holding faculty positions at Kyoto University, she joined the University of Tokyo in 2002 and became a full professor the following year.
Nozaki’s research focuses on organometallic chemistry and catalysis, particularly the development of transition-metal catalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical transformations, including polymerization and carbon dioxide utilization. Her work has advanced environmentally conscious materials synthesis and deepened understanding of catalyst design. In recognition of her pioneering contributions, she has received numerous honors, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award (2021), Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the Royal Society.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
