2026-03-10
- The School of Chemical Sciences has announced the winners and finalists in the 2025 SCS Science Image Challenge. Three images submitted by researchers in the Department of Chemistry were selected as finalists.The three chemistry finalists are Noam Gamburg, an undergraduate student in the lab of Joomyung (Vicky) Jun, assistant professor of chemistry; Jusung An, a postdoctoral researcher, in the...
Posted: 2026-03-10
2026-03-09 - By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell — from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division — scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes of life.The researchers, led by chemistry professor Zan Luthey-Schulten at...Posted: 2026-03-09
2026-03-04 - Researchers have found a way to use solar energy to power a key chemical reaction that drives many manufacturing industries. This new method can significantly reduce the energy required to run these operations, eliminate harsh oxidizing byproducts and minimize carbon emissions.Olefin epoxidation is not a process many are familiar with, but the epoxide chemicals it produces are the backbone...Posted: 2026-03-04
2026-02-15 - Alexander Scheeline, professor emeritus of chemistry, has been elected a Fellow of the International Atomic Spectrometry Association. The IASA is a membership of expert scientists dedicated to advancing the Atomic Analytical Spectrometry through Support, Communication, Advocacy, and Education. Professor Scheeline joined the chemistry faculty at Illinois in 1981 and pursued research in...Posted: 2026-02-19
2026-02-18 - The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has selected Jordan Axelson, director of undergraduate studies and senior lecturer in chemistry, as a recipient of the 2026 award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Instructional Staff.According to...Posted: 2026-02-18
2026-02-18 - Professor Joaquín Rodríguez-López has received three awards for his impact on students through his classroom teaching and through his mentorship of undergraduate researchers.The Office of the Provost has selected Rodríguez-López to receive an award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and a second award for Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research. He was also selected by the College of...Posted: 2026-02-18
2026-02-05 - Prof. Eric Oldfield has thought about retiring—more than once—but his curiosity continues leading him in new directions to new research projects.“I don't really understand the concept of retiring,” said Oldfield, who just began his 51st year as a chemistry professor at Illinois.He is one of only a handful of current Illinois...Posted: 2026-02-05
2026-02-04 - After finishing his Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT, Illinois alumnus David Hays (B.S., ’93) was entering a particularly strong job market for chemists, exploring a lot of companies and industries in interviews. Enticed by the freedom to follow his curiosity and explore a huge array of technologies and markets, he accepted a job at 3M.Nearly 28 years later, Hays is still pursuing his scientific...Posted: 2026-02-04
2026-01-29 - URBANA – Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have reported a breakthrough in nickel catalysis that harnesses a rare oxidation state of nickel that has proved challenging to control yet is highly valued for its potential to facilitate important chemical reactions.The researchers, led by Liviu Mirica, a professor...Posted: 2026-01-29
2026-01-20 - Professor Prashant Jain has been named a senior editor of The Journal of Physical Chemistry, a publication of the American Chemical Society. The journal reports experimental, theoretical, and computational research on the physical chemistry of molecules, clusters, and aerosols. Jain is G. L. Clark Professor of Physical Chemistry and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois...Posted: 2026-01-20
2026-01-08 - Professor Mei Shen was recently featured as a 2025 Rising Star in Measurement Science in a special issue of ACS Measurement Science Au.The Rising Stars annual issue celebrates early-career researchers who are breaking new ground in the chemical sciences. Shen's research was featured in the special edition:...Posted: 2026-01-08
2025-02-11 - The National Academy of Sciences has announced the selection of eighty-seven of the nation’s brightest young scientists from industry, academia, and government, including chemistry faculty member Mei Shen, to take part in the National Academy of Sciences’ U.S. and international Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia for 2025. These three-day events bring together scientists who are 45 or...Posted: 2026-01-08
2026-01-08 - For centuries, viruses have been one of mankind’s most lethal enemies. From smallpox to COVID-19, these tiny protein capsules have been responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths. Vaccines, though crucial, are not always enough; vaccines need time to be maximally effective, and don’t work equally well in everyone.Antiviral medication can help fill the gaps but often fall short. Traditionally...Posted: 2026-01-08
2026-01-08 - Illinois faculty member Liviu Mirica, William H. and Janet G. Lycan Professor of Chemistry, has recently been selected through three distinguished university programs to focus on developing collaborations toward his research group's interests in developing metal-containing imaging agents for biological applications.Last year, he was...Posted: 2026-01-08
2025-12-17 - Research led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Hyunjoon Kong and chemistry professor Hee-Sun Han, and performed by Ryan Miller, currently a post-doctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, has unveiled a breakthrough technology that could transform the way scientists build and study lab-grown brain...Posted: 2025-12-17