Career Conference in Chemistry
The Career Conference in Chemistry was founded in 2015 by Perry Gee, the department's undergraduate advisor from 2013-2023. The purpose of the event is two-fold. It is a vehicle where majors in Chemistry can learn from recruiters or representatives about what they need to develop when entering their post-graduate careers. It also gives invited companies or organizations the opportunity to meet our majors first-hand.
Holly Vickery, a graduate in Chemical Biology at UC Davis, noted that our conference had been very informative and insightful with her own career search. She explained, "I appreciated the advice each presenter shared about how to be a competitive applicant for an internship or job. And to learn more about their respective company was especially rewarding to hear."
2025 Conference
2025's Career Conference in Chemistry will take place on Saturday, February 8th, at the Student Community Center.
Registration
Student registration for the 2025 Conference is now open.
Register Here
Registration is free and space is limited.
Career Conference Program Agenda
The following is a sample program of events during our conference.
8:30-8:50a = Check-In
9:00-9:20a = Keynote Speaker
9:30-10:30a = Resume Workshop with the Career Center
10:30-10:45a = Break
10:45a-12:00p = Panel Discussion and Q & A
12:00-1:00p = Lunch
1:00-3:00p = Tabling Fair with Companies, Organizations, and Services
Conference Funding Partners
Gilead is dedicated to developing innovative medicines for life-threatening illnesses. As we pursue this goal, we strive for positive social and environmental change within our company and our supply chain. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program is built to focus on patients, society, the planet and our business practices.
Gilead’s management approach is designed to create a sustainable future that reflects our integrity and commitment to excellence. Year after year, internal and external stakeholders work to evaluate the effectiveness of our management approach. They identify strengths and opportunities that become guideposts as we reach for new breakthroughs and look at what’s next.
We believe in the power of humanity to solve any challenge, to overcome any obstacle, and to find responsible solutions that work for all of us. We’re a global team united by a shared set of values, called The Chevron Way. From our volunteering initiatives to our commitment to diversity and inclusion, you’ll see that our values are so much more than words on a screen – they’re our way of life. The Chevron Way explains our beliefs, vision, purpose and values. It guides how we work and establishes a common understanding of our culture and aspirations.
Human ingenuity has the power to solve any challenge and overcome any obstacle. Meeting the world’s growing energy needs demands pursuit of innovations and advancements that deliver a better future for all.
Our Keynote Speaker
Our 2025 keynote speaker is Dr. Matt Amicucci, who received both his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry and his B.S. in Food Science and Technology from UC Davis. Matt currently serves as the Co-Founder and VP of Research and Development at one.bio.
Previous keynote speakers have included: Dr. Davide Donadio, Dr. William Casey, Dr. Kyle Crabtree, Dr. Susan Kauzlarich, Dr. Mark Kurth, Dr. Marie Heffern, and Dr. Frank Osterloh.
Our Panelists
We are grateful to all of our chemistry professionals who have appeared at our career conference over the years. Each have shared their journey in their respective career pathway since graduating as well as the lessons they learned from their experiences.
Previous panelists include professionals from Thermo Fisher, California Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, and more. Here are our panelists for 2025.
- Corey Sanders, United States Geological Survey
- Javier Aztiazarain, PhD Candidate at UC Davis
- Megan Kwong, Pharm D., Ambulatory Care Pharmacist
- Shawna Rickard, American Chemical Society, Sacramento Chapter
- Wan-Chih Su, Genentech
Our Tabling Fair Partners
The tabling (or open fair) portion of the conference gave invited companies and organizations the opportunity to meet our majors first-hand. It was also a forum where majors in Chemistry or related disciplines learned from recruiters or representatives about what they needed to develop when entering their post-graduate careers. We are thankful for the following companies and organizations who have attended our conference over the years. Check out of 2025 Tabling fair partners below:
- ACS Chemistry Club @ UC Davis
- ACS Sacramento Chapter
- Agilent Technology
- CA Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Chevron
- Genentech
- One Bio
- Terracon Consultants, Inc.
- UC Davis Career Center
- UC Davis Forensic Graduate Program
- UC Davis Graduate Program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology
- UC Davis Health Professions Advising
- US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District
- United States Geological Survey
Advisor to the Conference Planning Committee
Kate Baca
Student Members of the Conference Planning Committee
Amber Handling
Ariadne Aban
Ishaan Shetty
Julianne Nguyen
Moses Mesfin
Phuong Nguyen
Zoe Cipriano
Contact Us
chemundergrads@ucdavis.edu
The Conference Planning Committee would like to thank all of our sponsors and donors for their generous support of the Career Conference in Chemistry over the years. These include the UCD Department of Chemistry, Chevron Corporation, Gilead Sciences, ACS Chemistry Club at UC Davis, Noah's Bagels, UCD Bookstores, UCD Aggie Compass, and Starbucks.