A view of the Chemistry Annex on a beautiful Fall day
2024-25
Osvaldo Gutierrez, a former Ph.D. student in Dean Tantillo's lab, has accepted a prestigious faculty position in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UCLA. Congratulations, Osvaldo, on this significant achievement! Check out more of the story!
Daniel Suess, a former postdoc in Dr. Britt's lab and current faculty member at MIT, has been awarded tenure. Congratulations, Dan!
New academic year, new Chemistry building! Letters and Science recently covered the new building updates and additions to the Chemistry building here.
Recently CHE 125 Advanced Methods in Physical Chemistry was featured in an L&S article! Hear more about the students and their projects here.
Professor Shota Atsumi has been awarded part of a successful Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) grant from the NSF that focuses on developing composite materials of engineered cells encapsulated within a polymeric matrix. Congratulations!
Check out this article about the Davis Science Café - a monthly conversation between scientists and the public originally founded by Professor Jared Shaw in 2010, and still going strong today.
Congratulations to David Olson for a recent C&E News article regarding his lab's research related tohow psychedelic compounds stimulate neuronal growth. Professor Emeritus Bill Jackson, a founding member of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), is featured in a Chemical & Engineering News article marking the 50th anniversary of the organization.
Shoutout to Dr. Hoby Wedler (B.A., history, B.S., chemistry, '11; Ph.D., chemistry, '16) who was recently profiled by Forbes magazine for his innovative ways to improve food and beverages and open doors for people with disabilities!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Neumann as a new Assistant Professor in our department in the field of Analytical Chemistry!
Professor David Goodin is the new Department Chair. Many thanks to Dave for taking on this important responsibility!
Shoutout to Jessica Ortiz-Rodriguez (Velasquez Lab) for sharing her story and the significance of mentorship within the Chemistry department. Read the full article here!
Ashlee Hauble (Kauzlarich Lab) has won the graduate student poster prize for Solid State Chemistry in the ACS Inorganic Chemistry Division. Congratulations!
Louise Berben is the lead principal investigator for a new UC-wide research project for the grant “Direct Production of Renewable Fuels and Chemicals From Captured CO2". Check out this exciting news here!
Professor Xi Chen's group is part of an international team demonstrating the contribution of human antibodies against non-human glycans on animal tissues to bioprosthetic heart valve calcification and deterioration. Xi Chen's group synthesized glycans for the study, which was published in Nature Medicine.
Congratulations to undergraduate students Magda Tellez Chavez and Mira Milic (Franz Lab) for having their artwork and research featured on the cover of JOC, along with undergraduate co-authors Madison Thompson and Karina Targos (class of '19)!
Congratulations to former R. David Britt postdoc Dr. Bryan Hunter, who is joining the Chemistry faculty at Northwestern University this Fall!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Chenchen Song, who will join our department as an Assistant Professor in the field of Theoretical Chemistry in 2021!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Cody Pitts, who will join our department as an Assistant Professor in the field of Organic Chemistry in 2021!
How does nature make an efficient organometallic hydrogenase catalyst employing toxic CO and CN-? Check out the H-cluster biosynthesis perspective by Britt, Rao, and Tao.
Osvaldo Gutierrez, an alum of the Tantillo lab, was recently named one of Chemical & Engineering News' Talented Twelve for his work with carbon-carbon bonds. We send cheers and well wishes to Dr. Gutierrez from UC Davis as he is now currently at the University of Maryland.
Congratulations to Dr. Lizhi Tao and the RD Britt laboratory on their new Nature paper with Edward Sargent’s lab in Toronto, Molecular Tuning of CO2-to-ethylene conversion!
Professor Justin Siegel, faculty director for the Innovation Institute for Food and Health, outlined his vision for a food science technology incubator in Sacramento in UC Davis magazine.
The inaugural UC Davis Inorganic Chemistry symposium was held on November 7, 2019 featuring 5 invited speakers and an undergraduate/graduate student poster session. With over 120 students, postdocs, faculty, alumni and industry scientists in attendance, the symposium was a resounding success!
Graduate student Sommer Johansen (Crabtree Lab) won the 2019 Rao Prize and the inaugural Snyder Award at the International Symposium on Molecular Spectroscopy for her talk on the rotational spectrum of the cyanovinyl radical. Congratulations Sommer!
A publication from the Olson Lab has been entered into STAT Madness, a competition among the top 64 biomedical discoveries of the year.
Professor Jacquelyn Gervay-Hague's research on tea, the links between growth conditions and tea-plant quality, and their metabolic processes and interactions with soil microorganisms is highlighted in Nature.
The Rett Syndrome Research Trust has awarded Professor Pete Beal $563,870 to support his research on directed editing of MeCP2 mutations associated with Rett Syndrome.
The UC Office of the President has awarded $270,000 to The California Magnetic Resonance eXploration Initiative, which aims to develop a facility using magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study all the atoms in the Periodic Table. Professor David Britt is a co-PI on this collaboration that spans seven UC campuses.
Congratulations to Associate Professor Justin Siegel on his promotion and tenure!
Professor Xi Chen’s research on the synthesis of human milk oligosaccharides is featured in the cover story of the July 2, 2018 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.
Professor Valentin Taufour (Physics) has been elected to join our Chemistry Graduate Group.
Professor Emeritus Marilyn Olmstead gave the keynote address at the Women in Science Student Summit at Reed College, an event where students learned about the challenges and rewards of STEM careers.
Dr. Troy Stich, currently an associate research specialist in the Britt Lab, has signed on to a chemistry faculty position at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.
The Global Tea Initiative (GTI) is exploring ways to start tea agriculture in California. The GTI symposium on Feb 22-23, 2018 featured presentations from Professor Jacquelyn Gervay-Hague and graduate student Crystal Ye, and included discussions on sustainable tea farming.
The Siegel Lab has started a research collaboration with TechAccel, a Kansas-based venture company, to investigate engineered wheat enzymes that can produce plants capable of thriving in warmer global temperatures.
Graduate student Crystal Ye (Gervay-Hague Lab) was one of the four student speakers selected to present at the 2018 Global Tea Initiative Symposium. The talk focused on how natural products chemistry can shed light on the study of tea in the 21st century.
Valley Public Radio’s “Science Friday” is featuring a story about how members of the public can play a video game called FoldIt to fight against aflatoxin, a deadly carcinogen found in contaminated food. The story highlights Pharm Chem undergrad Patrick Camarador and the research of Professor Justin Siegel’s lab.
Research conducted by Professor Cheuk-Yiu Ng's group on quantum-state-selected ion-molecule reactions has made the 21 November 2017 cover of Physical Chemistry of Chemical Physics.
Professor Justin Siegel has helped create a game called FoldIt in which gamers from around the world can help design an enzyme that can stop aflatoxin--a dangerous toxin in our food. Aflatoxin is known to cause liver cancer and has been linked to stunting. Four-and-a-half billion people are chronically exposed to it, particularly in the developing world. To learn more about this game and it's implications, check out this video.
Professor Lee-Ping Wang has recently been awarded three awards. As the main PI, he has been awarded the ACS-PRF grant from the ACS Petroleum Research Fund in the amount of $110,000 to evaluate the potential of deep eutectic solvents in natural gas sweetening, a process that helps separate hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from natural gas streams. Additionally, Professor Wang recently received a grant from the Army Research Office in which he is the PI of a multi-campus agreement (PI of primary award at UC Merced is Andy LiWang) in the amount of $279,666 to create computational predictions aimed at discovering a class of metamorphic proteins (proteins that are able to switch between multiple three-dimensional folds). Additionally, Professor Wang and Professor Xi Chen with collaborator Professor Ajit Varki at UCSD have been awarded a NIH - R01 grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/National Institutes of Health. Professor Chen is the contact PI while Professor Wang is a co-investigator. The proposed study will synthesize and characterize N-acetylated sialosides as stable mimics to naturally occurring O-acetylated sialosides, in order to use them to study their biological functions. The structural comparison of O-acetylated sialosides and their N-acetylated counterparts will be explored by computational methods. The project has been awarded $2,113,890, of which $185,023 has been awarded to Professor Wang.
The Department will be hosting four high school students this summer as a part of ACS Project SEED, a research program that opens new doors for economically disadvantaged students to experience what it’s like to be a chemist.
A $50,000 gift from Professor Susan Kauzlarich and her spouse Peter Klavins, UC Davis physics specialist, will support research opportunities for graduate students in the Department of Chemistry.
"Ice Surface Melts One Step at a Time" from UC Davis News and Information, highlighting the research of Professor Davide Donadio and his laboratory on a study with colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany.
"New life for tea in the San Joaqin valley" from UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The blog post quotes Professor Jackie Gervay-Hague, who is studying microbes in the soil where tea is grown and their potential impact on the health attributes of tea.
The Educational Outreach Committee and Chemistry Club set up interactive exhibits about nanomaterials at the Powerhouse Science Center in Sacramento. The exhibit was featured in a live segment on Good Day Sacramento.
"Teaching Sustainability Through Green Chemistry" from Office of the Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer. "Green chemistry is directed towards industrial production, and is based on twelve guiding principles, focusing on design of safer chemicals and minimization of harmful ecological impact."
"Upgrades in the Works for Chem Complex" from University News and Information. Renovations to the Chemistry Building and Chemistry Annex will deliver additional new lab and office space to accommodate growth.
UC Davis is building one of the world's strongest research programs in solid state science, which includes the recent addition of three new Chemistry faculty members: Alexander Dudnik, Kristie Koski and Jesús Velázquez.
Postdoc Daniel Suess (Britt Lab) has accepted an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Chemistry at MIT. His research group will study redox reactions that underpin global biogeochemical cycles, metabolism and energy conversion.
Graduate student Hoby Wedler (Tantillo Lab) was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Graduate Studies Commencement Ceremony: "The mentoring I've received here at UC Davis focused my curiosity and has been indispensable to my success." His address is available here.
Dr. Muhammad Hagras (Stuchebrukhov Lab) has recently launched the Electron Tunneling in Proteins (ETP) program that automates electron tunneling calculations and analyzes and visualizes the results. ETP different tunneling visualization outputs appeared on the cover images of the most recent issue of the Journal of Computational Chemistry.
Faculty, staff and students on the Educational Outreach Committee and Chemistry Club performed four shows to "sold out" audiences in Rock Hall for Picnic Day. Under the leadership of Professor Kyle Crabtree, the EOC completely revamped the show this year to highlight how the chemistry demonstrations tied into the current research of faculty in our department.
Graduate student Hoby Wedler (Tantillo Lab) was featured in a Nature story about early-career scientists who face physical challenges such as blindness, deafness or paralysis.
A retirement symposium and reception in honor of Professor Marilyn Olmstead's over 46 years of service to the University was held on Friday, March 18th. In lieu of a gift, please consider making a contribution to the newly established Marilyn M. Olmstead Student Excellence Award.
"...Jackson Named 'Distinguished Emeriti'" from UC Davis News and Information, recognizing Dr. Bill Jackson's "long history in fostering diversity in science" and "his continued commitment to the department and the university."
Kristie Koski will be joining our faculty as an Assistant Professor starting July 2016. Her expertise will bridge boundaries between chemistry, physics and engineering and promote research on a promising class of materials with applications in batteries and electronic devices.
Claire Filloux will be joining our faculty as a Lecturer with Potential for Security of Employment starting July 2016. She has designed and executed research projects using both organo- and transition metal catalysis. She also has strong proficiency in analytical methods such as GC, HPLC, mass spectrometry and NMR.
Alexander Dudnik will be joining our faculty as an Assistant Professor starting July 2016. His research at UC Davis will focus on the development of bimetallic polymerization catalysts, sustainable synthesis of conjugated polymers and of covalent organic framework materials.
Jesús Velázquez will be joining our faculty as an Assistant Professor starting July 2016. He comes to the Department with a strong record in the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for renewable energy applications.
Professors Julia Chamberlain and Ozcan Gulacar have been selected for the inaugural Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Community at UC Davis. This group is designed to support Lecturers with Potential Security of Employment, individuals hired because of their expertise in pedagogy and commitment to undergraduate education. Participants will be provided with a space to share ideas and discuss how to best develop and conduct research projects that investigate student learning.
Graduate student Henry "Hoby" Wedler has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of their “30 under 30” in the area of Food and Drink for his activities as a wine educator, specifically leading blind wine tastings at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery.
Henry "Hoby" Wedler, the Department's trailblazer for the visually impaired, has been featured as the November cover story for Diversity in Action magazine, which focuses on diversity in the STEM fields.
"Reefer Sanity" from Capitol Public Radio. Professor Don Land is a guest on Insight.
The Department celebrated National Chemistry Week at Sacramento's Discovery Museum. This year's theme was "Chemistry Colors Our World!" A group of our faculty, staff and students led exciting activities and demonstrations exploring florescence, chemical indicators and color-changing chemistry with area families. Professor Kyle Crabtree shared some of their demonstrations on Good Day Sacramento.
"UC Davis Chemistry Goes Green" from College of Letters and Science News and Research. The Department has pledged to train all chemistry majors in the 12 green principles, such as designing safer chemicals and reducing waste.
A group of faculty led by Professor Kirill Kovnir have successfully secured NSF MRI funding for a modern single crystal X-ray diffractometer. A joint effort of Professors Alan Balch, Louise Berben, Susan Kauzlarich, Mark Mascal, Marilyn Olmstead, Phil Power and staff crystallographer Jim Fettinger resulted in acquiring a new instrument superior to the currently available diffractometers in the departmental X-ray facility.
Professor Annaliese Franz received a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) on "Improving microalgae feedstock for biofuel production using CO2 and waste nutrients from anaerobic digesters." This grant program funds projects that emphasize "transformative techology solutions to significant biofuels industry problems that increase yields, productivity or cost effectiveness of biofuel productions; and/or that target a specific unmet need in California's biofuels industry."
Professor Annaliese Franz was the featured attraction at "Science Night Live" in Lodi, discussing the question: Can sustainable fuels be created from algae? She was also a guest on Capital Public Radio's "Insight Program" discussing the same topic. Click here to listen to the interview.
2014-15
"Colleges Reinvent Classes to Keep More Students in Science" from The New York Times. The General Chemistry "2" series at UC Davis is one of the highest-enrollment core courses on campus. The Department has been collaborating closely with iAMSTEM Hub to implement data-driven changes and new technology in the lecture classrooms in order to enhance learning to the benefit of thousands of undergraduate students.
The W.M. Keck Foundation's Medical Research Program presented Professor Angelique Louie a grant for $1 million. This grant will help fund her project "In Vivo 3D Imaging Using Bioluminescent Gene Reporters and MRI," which she is undertaking in collaboration with Professors Yohei Yokobayashi and Jared Shaw.
Professors Mike Toney, Shota Atsumi and Justin Siegel were awarded a DOE ARPA-E grant to convert ethylene to butanol. Currently, ethylene is readily available and used by the chemicals and plastics industries to produce a wide range of useful products, but it cannot be converted to fuels economically. If successful, the new biocatalyst would enable cost-effective conversion of ethylene into an existing infrastructure-compatible fuel.
Gabriela Borba Mondo was an undergraduate chemistry student visiting UC Davis as a part of "Science Without Borders" from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). She spent her summer in the Kauzlarich Lab working with Alexandra Holmes on the synthesis of Germanium and silicon-germanium nanoparticles for energy conversation applications such as photovoltaics. Regarding her time at UC Davis, she says, "Being abroad is, by its own, an exciting experience. I am glad I came to UC Davis and was able to take classes and conduct research. The experience of working in a research is very rewarding. It is a moment where you can apply what you learned on classes in real science, and also to get a sense on how knowledge is constructed and how it is transmitted. To me, this experience was extremely enriching, both academically and personally."
Undergraduate student James Fulmer was named first author on two papers in JACS and Inorganic Chemistry. James has been working with Professor Kirill Kovnir and his research group for the past one-and-a-half years to earn this distinction.
Three of our graduate students were recently featured in the ACS Chemical Biology "Introducing Our Authors": Lisa Anderson and Diana Wong (Franz Lab) and Rena Mizrahi (Beal Lab).
Diana Wong's research (Franz Lab), which she presented at the 245th ACS National Meeting in New Orleans, was featured in the April 15th issue of Chemical & Engineering News.
Research conducted in Professor Alex Navrotsky's group was selected for the May 2012 cover of J. Am. Ceram. Soc. Their work provided the needed experimental high temperature thermodynaic data for several rare earth oxides at over 1500 degrees Celsius.
2011-12
Dr. Justin Siegel has accepted the offer to join UC Davis. His appointment will be in both the School of Medicine and Department of Chemistry. His labs will be located in the Genome center, which brings wonderful opportunities for the chemistry department to formally interact with the Genome Center in addition to the School of Medicine.
Professor Alex Navrotsky and her colleagues Peter C. Burns at University of Notre Dame and Rodney C. Ewing at University of Michigan published a review article in Science in which they discuss the “current understanding of nuclear fuel interactions with the environment, including studies over the relatively narrow range of geochemical, hydrological, and radiation environments relevant to geological repository performance, and discuss priorities for research needed to develop future predictive models.”
