2022 Spring ChemLetter | Department of Chemistry

Dear Friend of Chemistry,

I hope this finds you well. The vernal equinox marks the start of spring and I welcome the warmth and light in the days and weeks ahead. On campus, our COVID precautions are changing, and I am continually impressed by both the grit and grace shown by our students, staff, and faculty during a not quite linear transition back to in-person activities.

The stories that comprise this issue of the ChemLetter will catch you up on our recent activities, but we would like to know what you have been up to! I invite you to Submit an Alumni Update so current students can learn about the various activities of our alumni and your former classmates can keep up to date with you! We’ll post your updates on our news blog and publish them in our next issue of our annual UW Chemistry Magazine coming in August or September.

I hope to see many of you soon, either at a lecture this spring or on the Quad to enjoy the cherry blossoms—

Munira Khalil
Professor & Chair, Department of Chemistry

NSF to fund revolutionary center for optoelectronic, quantum technologies

David Ginger at the sample preparation laboratory for atomic force microscopy in the UW’s Molecular Engineering and Sciences Building.

The National Science Foundation announced on Sept. 9 it will fund a new endeavor to bring atomic-level precision to the devices and technologies that underpin much of modern life, and will transform fields like information technology in the decades to come. The five-year, $25 million Science and Technology Center grant will found the … Read more

Two new UW partnerships funded by NSF seed grants

UW will work with UCF and UHawai'i over the next three years to build STEM career pathways for underserved Hispanic, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students. Faculty and students with the Molecular Engineering Materials Center (MEM-C) at the UW are looking forward to hosting visitors from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UHawai'i) in the next three years as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Partnership for Research and Education in… Read more

Hungry yeast are tiny, living thermometers

This fluorescence microscopy image shows yeast vacuoles that have undergone phase separation. Credit: Luther Davis/Alexey Merz/University of Washington

A team at the UW reports that living yeast cells can actively regulate a process called phase separation in one of their membranes. During phase separation, the membrane forms distinct zones that segregate lipids and proteins. The new findings show for the first time that, in response to environmental conditions, yeast cells precisely regulate the temperature at which their membrane undergoes phase separation. The researchers believe that phase separation is likely a “switch” mechanism that… Read more

Theory-guided design leads to new OEO material with record performance for hybrid devices

Cover image from Materials Horizon special issue in honor of Prof. Seth Marder

Researchers in the Robinson and Dalton groups, along with collaborators at NLM Photonics, Polariton Technologies, the University of Leuven, and ETH-Zürich recently achieved record electro-optic material performance of over 1000 pm/V documented in a cover article for the Materials Horizons special issue in honor of Prof. Seth… Read more

Dianne Xiao receives NSF CAREER Award

Assistant Professor Dianne Xiao has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) Program is a Foundation-wide program that “offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.” Professor Xiao… Read more

Matt Golder receives NSF CAREER Award

Assistant Professor Matthew Golder has received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) Program is a Foundation-wide program that “offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.” Professor Golder… Read more

Jenekhe and De Yoreo elected to National Academy of Engineering

Samson Jenekhe, professor of chemistry and chemical engineering, and James De Yoreo, chief scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and a UW affiliate professor of chemistry and of materials science and engineering, have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, announced Feb. 9 by the academy. Along with Anna Karlin, UW professor of computer science and engineering, Jenekhe and De Yoreo are among 111 new members across the… Read more

Kovacs and Stoll elected as AAAS Fellows

Professors Julie Kovacs and Stefan Stoll were recently elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professor Kovacs was elected “for distinguished contributions to synthetic bioinorganic chemistry in defining the role of thiolate ligands in oxygen activation by metalloenzymes and their models.” To learn more about Professor Kovac’s research, please visit her… Read more

Zack Herbst wins Partner in Safety Award from UW EH&S

As the laboratory safety officer in the Gelb group, Zackary M. Herbst works closely with Environmental Health & Safety at the UW. In December, EH&S recognized Zack’s continued engagement and responsiveness to safety matters and their work to improve safety practices in their workspace with the Partners in Safety award. Zack Herbst is a research scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Department of Medicine’s Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, and is the senior… Read more

Caitlin Cornell receives CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

The Council of Graduate Schools / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, the nation’s most prestigious honor for doctoral dissertations, was presented to Caitlin Cornell during an award ceremony held at the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) 61st Annual Meeting in New Orleans on December 2, 2021. Dr. Cornell received her PhD in physical chemistry and biophysics from the University of Washington in 2019. Dr. Cornell received the 2021 Award in Biological and Life Sciences for her… Read more

Biochemistry major Catherine Chia named Freshman Medalist

From the thousands of undergraduate students at the University of Washington, one freshman, one sophomore, and one junior are selected each year for the prestigious President’s Medalist Award. The Department of Chemistry congratulates Catherine Chia, who is majoring in biochemistry, neuroscience and anthropology, who has been named the 2020-21 freshman medalist. Chia was selected by a committee for her high GPA, rigor of classes and number of Honors courses. She is in the… Read more

Support Us: Husky Giving Day is April 7

This Husky Giving Day, we invite you to invest in our students, faculty and research with a gift today. Help support curiosity-driven research leading to increased scientific understanding and innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.

Any gift — large or small — is sincerely appreciated!

Give now!