About the Fellowship:

The Max Wolfsberg Endowed Fund in Theoretical Chemistry was established in 2019 through generous contributions from Marilyn Wolfsberg. This prestigious fellowship honors Max Wolfsberg, a beloved former member of our faculty and an influential figure in the field of theoretical chemistry. Starting in 2025, this fund will support an annual one-quarter fellowship for a student pursuing research in Theoretical Chemistry. 

Professor Max Wolfsberg served as Chairman of the Chemistry Department at UC Irvine from 1973 to 1980. He was renowned for his exceptional teaching skills and his ability to inspire both undergraduate and graduate students to pursue research. Professor Wolfsberg's contributions to theoretical chemistry were vast and pioneering, spanning from electronic structure theory and chemical dynamics to computer simulations of ionic aqueous solutions and isotope effects on chemical reactions. His work on the Wolfsberg-Helmholtz approximation was groundbreaking in early molecular electronic energy level calculations. Professor Wolfsberg also played a crucial role in fostering international scientific collaborations, particularly with German scientists. His work with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation facilitated numerous research exchanges and collaborations between the United States and Germany.

The deadline for the 2025-2026 award is July 7th, 2025

Eligibility:

  • Graduate students currently enrolled in the Chemistry Ph.D. program at UC Irvine who have advanced to candidacy
  • Conducting research in theoretical chemistry
  • Demonstrating academic excellence and research potential

Award:

The selected fellow will receive one quarter of funding to support their research in theoretical chemistry.

Application Process:

Graduate Students

If you are interested in applying, please submit the following to your advisor:

  • Curriculum vitae
  • Unofficial transcript
  • 1-page research proposal, describing your research plan and how this fellowship will contribute to your doctoral dissertation

Faculty

To nominate a student, please submit the following to the Google Form and include the following materials as one PDF:

  • From student: CV, unofficial transcript, research proposal
  • From advisor: letter of support

It is expected that research conducted with fellowship support will lead to journal publications and/or will be included in the student's dissertation. The fellowship will be acknowledged in all publications and dissertations. The published paper and/or parts of the dissertation that describe the fellowship work will be submitted to the Department of Chemistry to be added to a webpage that will showcase the impacts of this fellowship. Selection is made by a committee of Chemistry faculty, based on the scientific merit of the proposals and the committee's expectation that the work will strengthen the student's dissertation.