Professor Osvaldo Gutierrez (B.A., M.S. ’09, Houk group), currently a Professor of Chemistry at Texas A&M University, will be joining the UCLA faculty on January 1, 2025 as a Full Professor of Chemistry and as the inaugural Chicano Studies Research Center (CSRC) Senior Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Faculty Director for UCLA.
“We are very excited to welcome Prof. Gutierrez back to campus in this new role and I look forward to working with Osvaldo on advancing research and educational projects in our department,” said Professor Alex Spokoyny, Chair, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.
In his role as the Faculty Director of the program, Gutierrez will implement and champion HSI STEM initiatives that promote success for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty across a wide range of STEM fields, with a focus on equity and inclusion for Latina/o/x individuals. He will collaborate on the HSI STEM initiative with Professor Veronica Terriquez, Director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. This program aligns with the UCLA Chancellor’s Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative.
“Professor Gutierrez brings remarkable vision, dedication, and commitment to advancing UCLA’s HSI efforts in fostering excellence and diversity within the STEM pipeline,” said Professor Veronica Terriquez, Director of the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. “As a highly accomplished scholar whose background resonates with many of our students, he stands as both a role model and an inspiration for junior scholars and students alike.”
In the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Gutierrez will continue his research focused on using a mechanistically guided approach to design and develop new catalytic and environmentally friendly chemical transformations. In addition to his contributions to the development of new iron-based catalysts to make cheaper medicines during his career, he has been an ambassador for promoting more welcoming environments in STEM, which he plans to continue at UCLA.
Born in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Gutierrez is the eighth child in a family of fourteen. He came to the U.S. as a child and grew up in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento, California. After becoming the first in his family to graduate from high school, he enrolled at Sacramento City Community College (2001–2006) and then transferred to UCLA in 2006, where he conducted undergraduate research with Professor Ken Houk, receiving both M.S. and B.S. Chemistry degrees in 2009.
Gutierrez remained undocumented until he completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Davis in 2012 under the guidance of Professor Dean Tantillo. To pay for tuition and help support his family, he started his own construction business, washed dishes, served tables, and tutored. After Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Gutierrez conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Marisa Kozlowski at the University of Pennsylvania before starting his independent position at the University of Maryland. In 2020, he was named one of Chemical and Engineering News’ Talented 12.
In addition to his research interests, Gutierrez is involved in a series of initiatives to increase diversity in STEM, including serving as president of the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering (ADSE) and organizing the annual Young Researchers Conference (YRC) and Breaking Barriers Through Chemistry (BBTC). He plans to continue both his research and diversity efforts while at UCLA.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.
