Content will be added on this page as alumni submit updates, so check back periodically! If you have an update, please let us know. Last update: 9/11/2026
1960s
Usha Varanasi (Ph.D. 1968) was highlighted in a February 2026 Perspectives story on alumni who met their spouse or partner at the UW.
1980s
John Clark (B.S. 1984, M.D. 1988) claims "I was not smart enough to become a chemist, so I became a doctor." John is a pulmonologist at Alaska Native Medical Center in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. He fondly remembers his undergraduate experience majoring in chemistry and taking classes with Professors Norman Rose, Fred Schubert, Edward Lingafelter, Yeshayau Pocker, Niels Andersen and others. John recalls a lecture on greenhouse gases and global warming by Dr. Rose in a 200-level course on Environmental Chemistry in 1980. Dr. Rose said, "I don't know how it will turn out, but this is the largest chemistry experiment in the history of mankind." John says, "I will always treasure my good fortune to have studied at the UW with remarkable teachers - even if I was not up to the standard of becoming a chemist..."
1990s
Karl Booksh (Ph.D. 1994) is a sensor scientist and chemometrician who was featured as a Trailblazer by C&EN on September 15, 2025. As a professor at the University of Delaware who uses a wheelchair, he is acutely aware of his role as a leader with a disability. Booksh collaborated with Prof. Sharon Rozovsky to launch a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program focused on preparing students with disabilities for careers in STEM.
2000s
Gwen Gross (Ph.D. 2004): As a new Senior Technical Fellow for the Boeing Co., I had the opportunity to testify at both the Senate Environmental and Regulatory sub-Committee and the full House Science Committee hearings on the challenges of new chemical introduction and chemical obsolescence within the current EPA process when coming from a highly regulated industry like aerospace where the R&D time lines can be very long due to those certification and regulatory specifications. A recording is posted at congress.gov. (Dr. Gross's testimony begins at 35:12.) (added February 6, 2026)
Jeff Hammond (B.S. 2003) was promoted to distinguished engineer at NVIDIA, where he works on data center software for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. After graduating from the University of Washington with a B.S. in chemistry and B.A. in math, he completed his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Chicago in the area of quantum chemistry. His work over the past 20 years has spanned chemistry, applied mathematics and computer science, resulting in 90 scientific papers as well as widely open-source software, such as the NWChem project led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Elizabeth Louie (Ph.D. 2005) retired in 2025 from Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science where she was an imaging research staff scientist. She is busier than ever learning about soil science, regenerative gardening, and entomology. Elizabeth is a consulting rosarian growing 100+ roses and serves as the co-president of the Nashville Rose Society and the co-chair of the National Convention and Rose Show in Nashville, October 2-5, 2026.
Bảo Nguyễn (B.S. 2008) was featured in University of Washington Magazine in a profile titled "People before profit" about his career path and business called Phin, a community-centered Vietnamese coffee shop in the International District. (February 5, 2026)
2010s
Jonathan Cox (Ph.D. 2012) was highlighted in a February 2026 Perspectives story on alumni who met their spouse or partner at the UW.
Wallis Meagher (B.S. 2012) founded Arbor Vitae Financial Services which provides fiduciary accounting, including IOLTA and trust account management for attorneys and other regulated professionals. She has also begun developing Valis Compliance Services, focused on helping small federally funded A/E firms and research‑oriented organizations build FAR‑aligned accounting systems and prepare for audit‑ready operations. The work has been deeply meaningful, especially for teams approaching federal requirements for the first time. She says, "I never expected to find my way into financial compliance, but I’ve discovered a real sense of purpose in creating structure and clarity for people trying to accomplish something big and needing specialized support."
2020s
Luis Chan (B.S. 2024) moved to New Haven, Connecticut, to pursue an M.S. in computational biology at Yale University, which he recently completed. He has since relocated to Washington, DC, and works in biotech as a bioinformatics solutions architect.
Tristan Jafari (B.S. 2025) earned a master’s of philosophy in population health sciences from the University of Cambridge and is pursuing an MD at Stanford School of Medicine as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.
Seung Ryoung Jung, Ph.D., who was a research scientist in the Chiu group through 2025, recently opened his own consulting company, JSR Biomedical Science Consulting LLC, which is focusing on bridging academy and industry. (added February 6, 2026)
Jessica Keane (B.S. 2024) is a researcher at the Stanford Cancer Institute, investigating chromosomal instability in cancer. In autumn 2026, she will begin her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. In her spare time, Jess enjoys watching women's sports, playing board games, and exploring Bay Area nature.
Next Steps
Ella Bouker (B.S. 2026) will be starting the Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia.
Tyson Carr (Ph.D. 2026) is beginning postdoctoral research in the Energy Storage division of Pacific Northwest National Lab.
Fangyuan Jiang, Ph.D. conducted postdoctoral research in the group of David Ginger and is now a senior development engineer at First Solar.
Phuong Ho Le (Ph.D. 2026) accepted a role as a process engineer III at Applied Materials.
Lisa Liang (MSACST 2026) will be starting the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of British Columbia.
Kieran Lyons (B.S. 2026) will be starting the Ph.D. program in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Andrew Rossi (Ph.D. 2026) is starting a role as technical staff at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Morgan Skala (Ph.D. 2026) will conduct postdoctoral research with Assistant Professor Christopher Cooper in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.
Eden Tzanetopoulos (Ph.D. 2026) will join Professor Hemamala Karunadasa's research group at Stanford University as a postdoctoral scholar.
Jinying Yang (MSACST 2026) will be starting the Ph.D. program in the Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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See also Alumni Updates from 2025.
See also Alumni Updates from 2024.