Hugo Rossi Lecture Series
Changing Our Minds about Introductory Student Success
The higher education community has a problem. Far too many students (especially those from underserved populations) are not succeeding in our introductory courses – especially in STEM. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how academia’s views of students, of how they learn, and of what’s best for them contribute to this problem. Through discussions of several surprising studies, you might even change your mind, coming away with specific things you can do to better support your students.
Campus Locations: Crocker Science Center (CSC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Dissertation Defense | Saad Faheem
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 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.
Dissertation Defense | Talley Fenn
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, October 30, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Henry Eyring Footrace 2026
Fri, Oct 30 | 4:00-6:00 PM | President’s Circle
Henry Eyring famously raced his students, and we’re bringing the tradition back! Race a professor, join the tug-of-war, and enjoy food and prizes during U Family Weekend. Open to all College of Science students and faculty, whether you compete or just come to watch.
RSVP: https://forms.gle/hbCdoxfD1CN3JBTu5.
Alternate Location: President's Circle. Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, October 30, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 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:
Tip-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy with Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscopy: From Nanoscale Spectroscopy to Plasmon-Assisted Intracellular Delivery, Abstract:
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has enabled imaging and manipulation of individual atoms and molecules, laying the foundation for investigating surfaces at the limit of their smallest building blocks. Combining this spatial precision with molecular chemical information remains a central interest in physical and analytical chemistry, particularly at interfaces in liquid environments. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) addresses this challenge by using localized surface plasmon resonances to confine and amplify electromagnetic fields near a plasmonic probe, enhancing optical signals that reveal molecular structure and local chemical environments. Extending these capabilities to soft and heterogeneous interfaces…
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
Chemistry Seminar
with Ampofo Darko, University of Tennessee
TBBC 4630
4th floor Thatcher
In-Person Seminar
Title:
Tuning Metal Complexes for Catalysis and Sensing: From Axial Ligand Design to Nerve Agent Detection, Abstract:
Dirhodium(II,II) paddlewheel (RhII) complexes mediate a wide range of transformations through the catalytic transfer of carbenes from diazo precursors. The reactivity and selectivity of these reactions are traditionally tuned through modification of the bridging ligands surrounding the metal core, while the axial coordination sites remain an underexplored control element. This presentation will detail our ongoing efforts to probe the benefits of axial coordination by designing RhII complexes bearing tethered Lewis basic groups appended to conventional bridging ligands. In our initial studies, thioether donors proved to be the most robust Lewis bases when tethered to oxazolidinate and carboxylate bridging ligands. These novel complexes were evaluated in diazo-mediated cyclopropanation,…
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: Durable Materials: a Chemical Challenge for Sustainable Energy & Electronics, Abstract:
Achieving true sustainability by mid-century requires more than transitioning to renewable and low-carbon forms of energy; the materials that enable these technologies must themselves be sustainable. This presents a fundamental scientific challenge. Many of the materials used today for solar-energy conversion, batteries, hydrogen production, and the conversion of CO₂ into fuels and chemicals rely on resources, processing methods, or device architectures that are not inherently compatible with long-term sustainability. Moreover, sustainability demands long operational lifetimes, a requirement that challenges conventional approaches to manufacturing and consumption and renews the importance of designing materials and devices that can be repaired, regenerated, or healed.
Meeting…
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, November 20, 2026, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit www.weizmann.ac.il. Dissertation Defense | Alex Berzansky
Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, November 25, 2026, 12:30 AM – 1:30 PM.
2nd Year Seminars - Organic | Kenny Drbohlav, Sam Powell & Liam Shores
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Campus Locations: Thatcher Chemistry Building (TBBC). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Thursday, January 21, 2027, 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM.