Department of Chemistry

Chemistry Faculty Meeting

Thursday, October 1, 2026, 3:30 – 5pm PDT

*Open Session

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu
Event Types: Meetings
Event sponsors: For assistance, please contact Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu or 206.543.1611
Target Audience: Faculty

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Mark Gordon

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PDT

Professor Mark Gordon - Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University
Host: Anne McCoy

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: www.chem.iastate.edu…

Chemistry Faculty Meeting

Thursday, October 8, 2026, 3:30 – 5am PDT

*Executive Session only

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu
Event Types: Meetings
Event sponsors: For assistance, please contact Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu or 206.543.1611
Target Audience: Faculty

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Gary Douberly

Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PDT

"Spectroscopy of Molecular Aggregates in Helium Droplets."
Professor Gary E. Douberly - Department of Chemistry, Washington State University
Host: Anne McCoy

The first beam of helium droplets was reported in the 1961 paper Strahlen aus kondensiertem Helium im Hochvakuum by Von E. W. Becker and co-workers [1]. However, molecular spectroscopy of helium-solvated dopants wasn't realized until 30 years later in the laboratories of Scoles and Toennies [2,3].
It has now been over three decades since this early, seminal work on doped helium droplets, yet the field of helium droplet spectroscopy remains fresh with significant potential for addressing a diverse set of problems in molecular science. Analogous in many ways to cryogenic matrix isolation spectroscopy, the helium droplet is an ideal environment to spectroscopically probe difficult to prepare molecular species, such as radicals, carbenes and ions. The quantum nature of helium at 0.4 K often results in molecular spectra that are sufficiently resolved to evoke an analysis of line shapes and fine structure that demands rigorous “effective Hamiltonian” treatments. This lecture will focus on our successful attempts to efficiently dope organic molecular radicals and carbenes into helium droplets. The properties of these systems have been probed with infrared laser spectroscopy, often in the presence of external fields.

[1] E. W. Becker, R. Klingelhöfer, P. Lohse, Z. Naturforsch. A 16A, 1259 (1961).
[2] S. Goyal, D. L. Schutt, G. Scoles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69, 933 (1992).
[3] M. Hartmann, R. E. Miller, J. P. Toennies, A. F. Vilesov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 1566 (1995).

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: chem.wsu.edu…

Chemistry Faculty Meeting

Thursday, October 15, 2026, 3:30 – 5pm PDT

*Executive Session only

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu
Event Types: Meetings
Event sponsors: For assistance, please contact Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu or 206.543.1611
Target Audience: Faculty

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Chung-Wei Kung

Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 3:30 – 4:30pm PDT

"TBD"
Professor Chung-Wei Kung - Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Host: Dianne Xiao

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Bagley Hall (BAG)
Campus room: BAG 260
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: che.ncku.edu.tw…

Weston T. and Sheila Borden Endowed Lecture in Theoretical Chemistry: Prof. Ned Sibert

Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 4 – 5pm PDT

Weston T. and Sheila Borden Endowed Lecture in Theoretical Chemistry

"Exploring the CH Stretch Spectral Region with Local Mode Hamiltonians"
Professor Emeritus Ned Sibert - Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Host: Anne McCoy

The CH spectral region has often been assumed to be so congested and plagued with resonant interactions that there is little information or conformational content to be gleaned from the spectra. We have recently challenged this assumption. A key to our success has been the ability of the Zwier group to obtain conformer specific vibrational spectra at low temperatures. These spectra have been used to obtain empirical scaling factors that, when applied to our density functional based model Hamiltonians, lead to results that allow one to fully extract the information embedded in the molecular spectra. We have developed this Hamiltonian, which has Huckel-like simplicity, to understand the spectroscopy of a broad range of molecules and clusters so that we can predict conformational preferences of a range of species that include alkane chains and cryptand/ion complexes.

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Bagley Hall (BAG)
Campus room: BAG 260
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Lectures/Seminars
Event sponsors: This lecture is supported by the Weston and Sheila Borden Endowed Fund in Chemistry, established by the Bordens in 2015., Weston T. Borden served on the University of Washington chemistry faculty for 31 years. His research involved the use of molecular orbital (MO) theory and MO-based calculations to understand and predict the structures and reactions of organic and organometallic molecules. Sheila Borden received her B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. After a year at the University of Oslo, she joined the staff of the Royal Society of Chemistry, where she eventually became managing editor of the RSC's organic chemistry journals. In 2004, she moved to the University of North Texas to lead the JACS Editorial Office.
More info: chem.wisc.edu…

Chemistry Faculty Meeting

Thursday, October 22, 2026, 3:30 – 5pm PDT

*Executive Session Only

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu
Event Types: Meetings
Event sponsors: For assistance, please contact Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu or 206.543.1611
Target Audience: Faculty

Chemistry Education Seminar: Prof. Thom Dunning

Monday, October 26, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PDT

"The Chemical Bond: A New Perspective"
Affiliate Professor Thom Dunning - Department of Chemistry, University of Washington
Host: Lutz Maibaum

Numerous studies have shown that undergraduate chemistry students, and even many chemistry graduate students, have misconceptions about the chemical bond.¹ A striking example is the belief that the Octet Rule is responsible for the formation of chemical bonds. The misconceptions are due, in large part, to the difficulty associated with the unusual nature of quantum mechanics—the physics underlying the structure of atoms and molecules—which describes electrons as “clouds” not particles, and the difficulties this poses for teaching about chemical bonding.
In this presentation, we will provide an overview of a new perspective on the chemical bond that arises from the advances made by quantum chemists over the past thirty years. This new perspective is based on Spin-Coupled Generalized Valence Bond (SCGVB) theory,^2,3 which addresses the most serious limitations of both molecular orbital (MO) and traditional valence bond (VB) theories. SCGVB theory continuously describes the formation of a molecule from its constituent atoms. The SCGVB orbitals change as the atoms come together to form the molecule—continuously adapting to their new environment. Because SCGVB theory describes the formation of molecules from atoms, the theory reveals how the atoms are perturbed as the molecule is formed. This knowledge provides invaluable insights into the electronic structure of the molecule, allowing the development of a deeper understanding of the nature of the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together in the molecule.

References
1. See: Keith S. Taber, Chemical Misconceptions: Chemical Bonding
2. Dunning, T. H., Jr.; Xu, L. T.; Cooper, D. L.; Karadakov, P. B. Spin-Coupled Generalized Valence Bond Theory: New Perspectives on the Electronic Structure of Molecules and Chemical Bonds. J. Phys. Chem. A 2021, 125, 2021-2050.
3. Dunning, T. H., Jr.; Cooper, D. L.; Xu, L. T.; Karadakov, P. B. Spin-Coupled Generalized Valence Bond Theory: An Appealing Orbital Theory of the Electronic Structure of Atoms and Molecules, Reference Module in Chemistry, Elsevier, 2022, pp. 354-402.

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars, Meetings
More info: chem.washington.edu…

Chemistry Faculty Meeting

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 3:30 – 5pm PDT

*Executive Session Only

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu
Event Types: Meetings
Event sponsors: For assistance, please contact Veronica Howell, atchmchr@uw.edu or 206.543.1611
Target Audience: Faculty

George H. Cady Endowed Lecture in Inorganic Chemistry: Prof. Ram Seshadri

Monday, November 2, 2026, 4 – 5pm PST

George H. Cady Endowed Lecture in Inorganic Chemistry

"TBD"
Professor Ram Seshadri - Materials Department and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara
Host: Douglas Reed

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Bagley Hall (BAG)
Campus room: BAG 260
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Lectures/Seminars
Event sponsors: The George H. Cady Endowed Lectureship in Chemistry was established in memory of Prof. Cady by his family and many friends and colleagues in 1994. George H. Cady earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1930 under the direction of Joel H. Hildebrand. Cady held positions at the University of South Dakota, M.I.T., U.S. Rubber Company, and Pittsburgh Plate Glass before joining the UW as assistant professor in 1938. He worked on the Manhattan Project (1942-43), chaired the Department of Chemistry (1961-65), and became professor emeritus in 1972. Prof. Cady was a distinguished inorganic chemist who, among many honors, shared the first Prix Moisson, a prestigious prize named after the father of fluorine chemistry.
More info: www.chem.ucsb.edu…

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Ram Seshadri

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 3:30 – 4:30pm PST

"TBD"
Professor Ram Seshadri - Materials Department and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara
Host: Douglas Reed

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Bagley Hall (BAG)
Campus room: BAG 260
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: www.chem.ucsb.edu…

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Tim Zuehlsdorff

Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PST

Assistant Professor Tim Zuehlsdorff - Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University
Host: Xiaosong Li

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: science.oregonstate.edu…

Veterans Day

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2026
Quarter: Autumn
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

Organic Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Green Ahn

Thursday, November 12, 2026, 10:30 – 11:30am PST

"TBD"
Assistant Professor Green Ahn - Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington
Host: Dustin Maly

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: sites.uw.edu…

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Hsing-Ta Chen

Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PST

Assistant Professor Hsing-Ta (Theta) Chen - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame
Host: David Masiello

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: chemistry.nd.edu…

MS in Applied Chemical Science & Technology Program

Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 4 – 5pm PST

STEM undergraduates are invited to learn about the Department of Chemistry Master of Science in Applied Chemical Science and Technology (MSACST) program.

The application for starting in Autumn 2027 or Winter 2028 is open.
Priority Consideration deadline: January 31, 2027

UW students may apply as Combined Undergraduate and Graduate (CUG) students and potentially apply up to 12 credits of 400-level chemistry courses toward the degree.

The session will cover the program and degree requirements. Refreshments will be provided.

MSACST prepares students for advanced graduate studies and careers in biotech, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, and related fields using cutting-edge chemical and data science tools. See our website for alumni careers and outcomes www.appliedchem.uw.edu…. Questions? Contact MSACST director Sharon Durfy at acstadvising@uw.edu.

Event interval: Single day event
Campus room: TBD
Accessibility Contact: Sharon Durfy
Event Types: Academics, Information Sessions
Target Audience: Undergraduate Students
More info: www.appliedchem.uw.edu

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, November 26, 2026

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2026
Quarter: Autumn
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

Native American Heritage Day

Friday, November 27, 2026

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2026
Quarter: Autumn
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

MS in Applied Chemical Science & Technology Program

Online, register at Online Meeting Link to receive Zoom link
Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 9 – 10am PST

Go to the Online Meeting Link in this listing to RSVP and obtain the Zoom link for this info session.

STEM undergraduates are invited to learn about the Department of Chemistry Master of Science in Applied Chemical Science and Technology (MSACST) program.

The application for starting in Autumn 2027 or Winter 2028 is open.
Priority Consideration deadline: January 31, 2027.

MSACST prepares students for advanced graduate studies and careers in biotech, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, and related fields using cutting-edge chemical and data science tools. See our website for alumni careers and outcomes www.appliedchem.uw.edu….

The information session will cover the program requirements, research options, career pathways, and more. Bring your questions! We look forward to meeting you.

Questions? Contact MSACST director Sharon Durfy at acstadvising@uw.edu.

Event interval: Single day event
Accessibility Contact: Sharon Durfy
Event Types: Academics, Information Sessions
Target Audience: Undergraduate STEM Students
More info: www.appliedchem.uw.edu

Physical Chemistry Seminar: Prof. Zhou Lin

Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 11:30am – 12:30pm PST

Assistant Professor Zhou Lin - Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Host: Anne McCoy

Event interval: Single day event
Campus location: Chemistry Building (CHB)
Campus room: CHB 102
Accessibility Contact: chem59x@uw.edu
Event Types: Academics, Lectures/Seminars
More info: www.umass.edu…

Christmas Day

Friday, December 25, 2026

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2027
Quarter: Winter
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

New Year's Day

Friday, January 1, 2027

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2027
Quarter: Winter
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

MS in Applied Chemical Science & Technology Program

Online, register at Online Meeting Link to receive Zoom link
Wednesday, January 13, 2027, 9 – 10am PST

Go to the Online Meeting Link in this listing to RSVP and obtain the Zoom link for this info session.

STEM undergraduates are invited to learn about the Department of Chemistry Master of Science in Applied Chemical Science and Technology (MSACST) program.

The application for starting in Autumn 2027 or Winter 2028 is open.
Priority Consideration: January 31, 2027
General Consideration: April 30, 2027

MSACST prepares students for advanced graduate studies and careers in biotech, pharmaceuticals, clean energy, and related fields using cutting-edge chemical and data science tools. See our website for alumni careers and outcomes www.appliedchem.uw.edu….

The information session will cover the program requirements, research options, career pathways, and more. Bring your questions! We look forward to meeting you.

Questions? Contact MSACST director Sharon Durfy at acstadvising@uw.edu.

Event interval: Single day event
Accessibility Contact: Sharon Durfy
Event Types: Academics, Information Sessions
Target Audience: Undergraduate STEM Students
More info: www.appliedchem.uw.edu

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Monday, January 18, 2027

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2027
Quarter: Winter
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…

Presidents' Day

Monday, February 15, 2027

No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.

Event interval: Single day event
Year: 2027
Quarter: Winter
Event Types: Academics
More info: www.washington.edu…