Professor Sergey Pronin hosts BMS Symposium

The UCI BMS Symposium in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, hosted by Department of Chemistry Professor Sergey Pronin, celebrates the science of organic synthesis and its role in both fundamental studies of chemistry and practical applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Through the long-standing generous support from Bristol Myers Squibb, the Symposium brings to campus leading scholars in the field of synthetic organic chemistry, including our 2026 BMS Lecturer, Professor Sarah Reisman from California Institute of Technology.

Professors Suzanne Blum & Kenneth J. Shea explain the science behind the Garden Grove chemical tank crack

As the threat of a chemical tank explosion in Garden Grove dragged into its third day, officials announced a potentially positive new development — a crack was seen on the tank. Interim Fire Chief TJ McGovern, in a video posted to Orange County Fire Authority’s X account, said a team inspected the tank at GKN Aerospace on Western Avenue on Saturday night and discovered the crack.

Chemistry professors welcome AP Chemistry students to campus

Several Department of Chemistry professors, including Professors Chris Vanderwal, Bill Evans, and Rachel Martin, welcomed AP Chemistry high school students for lab tours as part of the LEAPS program. The UC Irvine Physical Sciences’ Laboratory Experiments and Activities in the Physical Sciences (LEAPS) brings K-12 students to UC Irvine so they can see science in action. Students also went on a tour of the UC Irvine Nuclear Reactor Facility with Department of Chemistry Reactor Facility Manager John Keffer.

Chemistry postdoctoral scholar Cary Stennett receives ACS recognition

Department of Chemistry postdoctoral scholar Cary Stennett, a member of the Evans Lab, was selected as a recipient of the 2026 ACS Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Scholars Recognition Program. This program of the American Chemical Society recognizes talented graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the chemical sciences who demonstrate leadership in mentoring, inclusion and belonging, research safety, science outreach and engagement, and science advocacy. 

Congratulations Cary! 

Research group co-led by Professor Shane Ardo develops first-of-its-kind ion pump

Department of Chemistry Professor Shane Ardo has led a team who, along with a team from Tel Aviv University, has developed a first-of-its-kind membrane through which charged molecules pass using nothing more than a rapidly switching low-voltage signal. This “ratchet-based ion pump” removes salt and other charged compounds from water efficiently and effectively.  Figure-1a-device-schematic

Ben Katz will ‘Mass Spec Everything’ to figure out what is in our food

The Department of Chemistry's Protein Mass Spectrometrist Ben Katz was recently featured in the American Chemical Society's Chemical & Engineering News. The article chronicles his work in the mass spec facility revealing a lack of transparency in fruit- and vegetable-based products, starting with his viral TikTok video analyzing the meat in his Taco Bell lunch.

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