The UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry has appointed Professor Sarah Tolbert as the inaugural Charles and Carolyn Knobler Endowed Term Chair, effective retroactively to July 1, 2025.
The Charles and Carolyn Knobler Endowed Term Chair was established to support the academic efforts of a prominent faculty member, with a preference for those specializing in Physical Chemistry and Biophysical Chemistry. The Chair honors Professor Charles “Chuck” Knobler and his wife, Dr. Carolyn Knobler (pictured left), who have been extraordinary contributors to the science, life, and spirit of the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry for more than five decades.
“Carolyn and I are delighted with the selection of Sarah as the first Knobler Chair awardee,” said Professor Charles Knobler.
Tolbert has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1997 and currently holds joint appointments in the Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Materials Science and Engineering. She is an internationally renowned materials chemist who has made key contributions to a range of interdisciplinary areas, with applications varying from battery systems to the design of new superhard materials. Her work is recognized for its breadth, impact, and scholarly excellence.
“Sarah is an exceptional scholar whose commitment to research, mentorship, and teaching exemplifies the very best of UCLA,” said Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny. “Her pioneering work at the intersection of materials chemistry and nanoscience, coupled with her unwavering dedication to student success and community engagement, has had a transformative impact on our department and beyond. This endowed chair is a well-deserved recognition of her excellence and leadership in every facet of academic life. We are also tremendously grateful to Chuck and Carolyn Knobler for their generous support in establishing this chairship, which honors and enables the kind of academic distinction that Sarah represents.”
Research in the Tolbert group focuses on using solution-phase and solid-state methods to control the structure of materials across length scales—from the atomic to the nanometer scale—and then using that structural control to tune the physical properties of materials for a broad range of applications. Her work spans many areas, including materials for electrochemical energy storage, plastic electronics, magnetic and multiferroic materials, and ultra-hard or low thermal conductivity materials. Tolbert group projects involve an intimate blend of materials synthesis, device physics, and fundamental physical chemistry, making them truly interdisciplinary efforts.
Tolbert currently leads the DOE-funded Center for Strain Optimization for Renewable Energy (STORE), which aims to make sodium-ion batteries a marketable commodity.
In addition to her innovative research, Tolbert is dedicated to using nanoscience to teach the public about the value of scientific research and to inspire a diverse group of students to consider science careers through her work with nanoscience education and outreach. She serves as the faculty director for the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) Nanoscience Education program, which conducts public outreach and creates summer courses, workshops, and professional development and training opportunities that make nanoscience accessible to both educators and next-generation scientists.
Tolbert has received numerous awards, including the 2023 Tolman Medal from the Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society, the 2023 Henry H. Storch Award for Energy Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, and UCLA’s 2019 Community Service and Praxis Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
