The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science honors Jorge Torres for his lifelong commitment to mentoring students. Torres received the organization’s 2019 Outstanding College/University Mentor Award and the 2019 Outstanding Hispanic Student Mentor Award. He is also being honored this month as SACNAS’ June Mentor of the Month (see below).  […]

Congratulations to Professor Alexander Spokoyny on his promotion to associate professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2020. A true-Bruin, Spokoyny received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA in 2006 where he conducted research in Professor M. Frederick Hawthorne’s group and was introduced to the area of boron clusters. He went on to receive his […]

Three chemistry & biochemistry graduate students demonstrate how biopolymers work in the first of CNSI’s Kitchen Science Experiment video series. In the 58 minute video, Dayanni Bhagwandin (Rubin group), Liv Heidenreich (P. Weiss and Andrews groups), and Ty Karaba (Tolbert group) give demonstrations of three different types of biopolymer experiments that can be done at home […]

Thanks to our generous donors, 28 undergraduate students will conduct research in our faculty labs this year as summer research fellows. The summer research experience can be one of the most meaningful parts of an undergraduate education. It enables students to pursue science research rather than having to accept a summer job in an unrelated […]

Each year we recognize our graduate students for their accomplishments in research and teaching, two of the primary missions of our university. The 2020 Chemistry & Biochemistry Graduate Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all the recipients listed below! These awards are normally presented to students at the department’s annual awards ceremony and at Commencement, […]

Professor Ken Houk receives 2019-20 Edward A Dickson Emeritus Professorship Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions and service since retirement. “Professor Houk’s activity since retirement has been at least equal to that of most of his senior colleagues,” said Vice Chancellor Michael S. Levine in the award announcement below.  “[He] is an internationally famous scholar and […]

Professors William Gelbart and Alexander Spokoyny receive 2020 Undergraduate Research Week Faculty Mentor Awards. As part of the UCLA Undergraduate Research Week held May 18 – 22, 2019, undergraduate student researchers who presented their work during the Undergraduate Research Showcase were invited to nominate their mentor for a Faculty Mentor award to recognize the meaningful […]

Juli Feigon, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and National Academy of Sciences member, receives the 2020 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Research Award.  Feigon was the first female assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry when she joined the UCLA faculty in 1985. Even in her field, she was one of very few women academics […]