Dear Friend of Chemistry,
It’s been an eventful start to the new academic year on campus! We recently hosted our annual colloquium on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, a newer tradition we have quite a bit of fun with. This year was especially meaningful, as UW’s own Professor of Biochemistry David Baker was recognized with half the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work in computational protein design. We were honored to have David join us at the colloquium, sharing his insights alongside a fascinating history of protein research presented by Professors Jesse Zalatan and Mike Gelb. If you missed it, I encourage you to watch the event on our YouTube channel.
In September, state representatives and legislative and gubernatorial staff visited campus for a briefing of UW’s 2025 capital budget priorities. The visit included a tour of labs in Bagley Hall and the Chemistry Library Building where they met our students and faculty who discussed their studies, research, and needs for the facilities. While there is still much to do to realize our vision for a new Chemical Sciences Building, we look forward to sharing significant updates in 2025 as progress continues.
If you’d like to connect with us, I invite you to begin online with our LinkedIn group for alumni and current members of our department as well as a new public page on LinkedIn where we share updates and stories. And as Giving Tuesday approaches, I hope you’ll consider supporting our department and helping us nurture the next generation of scientists.
Feel free to reach out to me at chmchair@uw.edu with your questions, ideas, or just to let us know if you’re planning a visit to campus. I welcome your input.
With gratitude,
Munira Khalil
Professor & Chair