Seth Cohen to become new dean of UC Irvine's School of Physical Sciences

Irvine, Calif., March 18, 2026 – Seth Cohen, an internationally recognized inorganic chemist, scholar and educator, has been appointed dean of the School of Physical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, effective Aug. 1. He comes to UC Irvine after nearly 25 years at UC San Diego, where he is a Distinguished Professor and Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Professor Ann Marie Carlton named AAAS Fellow!

Congratulations to Professor Ann Marie Carlton, Professor and Vice Chair of the UC Irvine Department of Chemistry, for her new election to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as a 2025 Fellow, for her groundbreaking research showing how water in the atmosphere affects the chemistry of air pollution. Her discoveries have changed how scientists and policymakers think about air quality and have influenced regulations in the U.S. and around the world.

Professor Elizabeth Jarvo named AAAS Fellow!

Congratulations to Professor Liz Jarvo, Chancellor's Professor of Chemistry, for her new election to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as a 2025 Fellow, for important advances in the field of synthetic chemistry. Her work focuses on developing new chemical reactions that use nickel – a more abundant and sustainable metal – to build carbon‑carbon bonds and other key connections used in making medicines and materials.

Remembering Rob Schurko

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The MagLab community and friends and colleagues around the world are mourning the loss of Robert Schurko, director of the lab’s Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility, professor of chemistry at Florida State University, and internationally recognized researcher. Schurko died February 20 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 55.

Congratulations to Professor Seu Sim who has been named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow!

Professor Seu Sim has been named a 2026 Sloan Research Fellow by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. "Sloan Research Fellows...represent the most promising scientific researchers working today. Their achievements and potential place them among the next generation of scientific leaders in the U.S. and Canada" according to the the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Research Fellowship Program recognizes and rewards outstanding early-career faculty who have the potential to revolutionize their fields of study.

Maxx Arguilla Awarded Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) from Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)

The program objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering; enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators; and increase opportunities for the young investigator to recognize the Air Force and Space Force mission and related challenges in science and engineering. Project Title: Novel Helical Crystalline Nanostructures for On-Demand Chiral Photodetection

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