Distinguished Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor, Neil Garg, will speak at the popular Lectures on Tap series this summer.
Lectures on Tap is a prominent event series where professors and experts give thought-provoking lectures in bars across the US. The initiative began in 2024 and provides audiences in select major cities the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom. Los Angeles has been a host city for Lectures on Tap since 2025 and is now welcoming Garg to take the stage.
Garg’s lecture will take place on August 19, 2026, and is entitled “Organic Chemistry on the Rocks”. The talk will describe the long-standing bad reputation of organic chemistry, but will contrast this with a discussion of how organic chemistry is essential to our lives. He will teach some of the basics of the language of organic chemistry, discuss some of the chemistry of alcohol, and share some of his cutting-edge UCLA research on rule-breaking chemical synthesis.
The lecture will be held in a bar in the Arts District of Los Angeles, with the location only being disclosed to ticket-holders. Tickets are expected to go on sale July 26.
Garg is an award-winning researcher and teacher, well known for his ability to communicate science to the public. At UCLA, he made organic chemistry one of the university’s most popular undergraduate classes. He has also developed online educational tools for students and has written The Organic Coloring Book series, appeared on radio and TV shows and podcasts, and leads outreach activities in the local community, including his Chem Kids camp that teaches organic chemistry to children.
Garg’s recognitions include the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, California’s Professor of the Year Award, the AAAS Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement in Science, and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Centenary Prize.
Learn more about Lectures on Tap in this Los Angeles Times article, or follow them on social media (@lecturesontap).
