This June, Professors Heather Maynard and Neil Garg – both New York natives – had the opportunity to return to their roots as plenary speakers at the 49th National Organic Symposium (NOS) and centennial celebration, held in Troy, New York. It is rare for two plenary speakers from the same institution to present at the […]

We are excited to announce that six talented researchers and educators joined the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry faculty on July 1, 2025. Please join us in welcoming them to the department! Detailed profiles of each new faculty member will be shared in the near future. Professor Jazmin Aguilar-Romero – Previously a postdoctoral researcher in […]

Ph.D. student Caitlyn Fick (Srivastava group) is one of only five UCLA Ph.D. students selected for the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants. According to the Academic Senate Committee on Teaching, the award celebrates Teaching Assistants who demonstrate a pattern of effective teaching that incorporates current pedagogical best practices, aims to inspire and challenge […]

On June 14, the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry hosted this year’s commencement ceremony to celebrate the graduating class of 2025. At the ceremony, 37 of our students received Ph.D. degrees, 21 students received Master of Applied Chemical Sciences degrees, six Departmental Scholars received Master of Science degrees, and 295 undergraduate students received bachelor’s […]

The UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is pleased to announce that Distinguished Professor Richard Kaner (UCLA) has been chosen as the 2026 Seaborg Medalist. The Seaborg Medal, established in 1987, is the highest honor our department bestows for distinguished contributions to science, technological innovation, and/or public service in science. We will honor Professor Richard Kaner […]

Alumnus Dr. Thomas Scott Griffin was finally hooded at the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry commencement ceremony on June 14, 2025—more than five decades after earning his Ph.D. in Natural Products Chemistry in 1970. Griffin completed his dissertation, “Studies of the Acid Color Reactions and Structures of Sesquiterpene Lactones,” under the mentorship of Professor […]

Each year at commencement, we recognize our graduate, master’s, and undergraduate students for their accomplishments in academics and research. The following 2025 Chemistry & Biochemistry Commencement Awards were presented to our students at the department’s annual commencement ceremony. Congratulations to all the recipients! We are incredibly grateful to our donors, whose generous gifts make these awards […]

Professors Heather Maynard, Irene Chen, Abigail Doyle, José Rodriguez, and Yi Tang, along with members of their research groups, are part of a team that has successfully synthesized analogs of depsides—natural compounds with promising antibacterial properties—marking a significant advance in antimicrobial research. The team’s collaboration with Professor Javier Read de Alaniz of the University of […]