PUI Chemistry Symposium, University of Utah
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Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, October 2, 2026.
Presentation | Tyler Ball, Cornell
Chemistry Presentation at the University of Utah
with Tyler Ball, Cornell
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: Radical Polymerization as a Route to Advanced Functional Materials, Abstract:
Direct initiation of controlled radical polymerization from the C–H bonds of polymer surfaces is a useful strategy for imparting improved or novel properties to a material in the form of polymer brushes. The functionalization of nylon surfaces with well-defined polymer brushes would enable access to functional materials for advanced biomedical and industrial applications. To this end, we developed a surface-initiated hydrogen atom transfer reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (SI HAT-RAFT) polymerization to directly graft from nylon surfaces under mild conditions and explored the utility of our method for modifying surface properties by monitoring changes in hydrophilicity and protein adsorption. Furthermore, we explore the effect of oxygen on SI HAT-RAFT polymerization; using a visible-light…
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, October 2, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Jakoah Brgoch, University of Houston
Inorganic/Material Chemistry Seminar at the University of Utah
with Jakoah Brgoch, University of Houston
TBBC 4630
4th floor - Thatcher
In-person seminar
Title: Designing Superhard Materials Through Chemistry and Machine Learning Abstract:
Superhard materials, defined by a Vickers hardness exceeding 40 GPa, are essential for advanced manufacturing and energy technologies. However, discovering compounds that combine exceptional hardness with resistance to thermal softening and oxidation remains a major challenge in materials chemistry. Traditional design rules offer limited quantitative guidance, while computational approaches struggle to predict hardness under varying loads and operating conditions. This talk describes how machine learning, solid-state synthesis, and characterization can establish predictive relationships among composition, structure, and mechanical response. An ensemble model trained on experimental measurements predicts load-dependent hardness, with experimental validation across a…
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit www.brgochchemistry.com. Ming-Yu Ngai, Purdue University
Chemistry Seminar at the University of Utah
with Ming-Yu Ngai, Purdue University
TBBC 4630
4th floor - Thatcher
In-person seminar
Title: Excited-State Catalysis in Organic Synthesis, Abstract:
The development of efficient strategies for the synthesis and diversification of complex
molecules remains a central challenge in organic chemistry. The Ngai laboratory seeks to address this
challenge by developing new approaches to build and modify molecules, with the long-term vision of
turning light into medicine. Our research focuses on the use of visible-light-driven excited-state catalysis
to transiently reprogram molecular reactivity and enable transformations that are difficult to achieve
under conventional ground-state conditions. By combining photochemistry, radical reactivity, and
transition-metal catalysis, we aim to establish general platforms for selective bond construction and
late-stage functionalization of structurally complex molecules. These efforts include the development
of new catalytic…
Event Categories: Seminars. Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit www.ngaigroup.com. Coffee Chat | ChemSAC and Curie Club
Event Categories: Meetups. Campus Locations: Eyring Chemistry Building - Henry (HEB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Martin Edwards, University of Arkansas
Physical/ Analytical Chemistry Seminar
with Martin Edwards, University of Arkansas
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: TBA
by Martin Edwards
Abstract: TBA
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Host: Henry S. White.
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, October 19, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit edwardslab.uark.edu. Dissertation Defense | Leon Guerra
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Dissertation Defense | David Loertscher
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Ming Hammond TFR Seminar
TFR Chemistry Seminar
with Ming Hammond, University of Utah
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: TBA
by Ming Hammond, University of Utah
Abstract: TBA
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Host: Aurora Clark.
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
Frontiers of Science Lecture featuring Martin Chalfie
Martin Chalfie, University Professor and former chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University. Full bio: https://chalfielab.biology.columbia.edu/people/martin-chalfie
In 1939, the first director of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, Abraham Flexner, wrote an article in Harper's Magazine titled "The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge." Flexner questioned whether our idea of usefulness had become too narrow for the wide-ranging, unpredictable nature of human curiosity, arguing that real discovery happens when scientists are free to explore without needing to justify usefulness in advance. Several Nobel Prizes have gone to discoveries that emerged sideways from what researchers originally set out to study. Chalfie will argue that "useless knowledge" is as necessary today as ever for improving human health and well-being, and will offer thoughts on how we can create space for the unexpected discoveries that drive future scientific breakthroughs.
Campus Locations: Alumni House - Eccles (ALUMNI). Alternate Location: Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House. Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, October 22, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Ryan Looper, University of Utah TFR
TFR Chemistry Seminar
with Ryan Looper, University of Utah
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: TBA
by Ryan Looper, University of Utah
Abstract: TBA
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Host: Aurora Clark.
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, October 29, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
Naihao Chiang, University of Houston
Physical/ Analytical Chemistry Seminar
with Naihao Chiang, University of Houston
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: TBA
by Naihao Chiang
Abstract: TBA
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Host: Long Luo.
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, November 2, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit chiang.chem.uh.edu. Seminar | Ampofo Darko, University of Tennessee
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
Stang-Burrows-Sessler Distinguished Lectureship | Geoffrey Coates, Cornell
TBBC 4630
4th floor - Thatcher
In-person seminar
Title: Rethinking Plastics: Molecular Strategies for Sustainable Polymers
Abstract:
Modern society relies on polymers more than ever, but their production and disposal come at an environmental cost. In this lecture, I will share our work to improve polymer circularity by designing materials for mechanical recycling, creating systems for chemical recycling, and developing sustainable pathways to biodegradable plastics.
Bio:
Geoffrey W. Coates received a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Wabash College in 1989, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry with Robert Waymouth at Stanford University in 1994, and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow with Robert Grubbs at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Cornell University faculty in 1997, where he is now the Tisch University Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
The research focus of the Coates Group is the development of new catalysts for the synthesis of macromolecules and small…
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, November 5, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit coates.chem.cornell.edu. Aurora Clark | TFR Seminar
TFR Chemistry Seminar
with Aurora Clark, University of Utah
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: TBA
by Aurora Clark, University of Utah
Abstract: TBA.
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, November 9, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Coffee Chat | ChemSAC and Curie Club
Event Categories: Meetups. Campus Locations: Eyring Chemistry Building - Henry (HEB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Henry Eyring Lecture | Daniel Neumark, University of California - Berkeley
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title: Spectroscopy and Scattering Experiments on Flat Liquid Jets, Abstract:
The dynamics of photoexcited solute molecules and the properties of liquid interfaces are studied by carrying out spectroscopy and scattering experiments on flat liquid water jets. In one set of experiments, solute dynamics are probed using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy in which molecules are photoexcited with a femtosecond UV pulse and photoionized with a time-delayed femtosecond XUV pulse (at 21.7 eV). The time-dependent photoelectron spectra provide a unique probe of the relaxation of photoexcited neutral and anionic species in aqueous solution. Results will be presented for several negative ions including phenolate,1 bromophenolate, 2 and nitrophenolate. These experiments probe the competition among the various relaxation pathways including internal conversion, dissociation, and electron ejection.
In complementary experiments, the liquid interface is explored in…
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, November 16, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
For more info visit sites.google.com. Parry Lecture | David Cahen, Weizmann Institute
Parry Lectureship Seminar at the University of Utah
with David Cahen, Weizmann Institute
TBBC 4630
4th floor - Thatcher
In-person seminar
Title: TBD
Abstract: TBD.
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, November 20, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit www.weizmann.ac.il.