Department News

Department News

Headshot photograph of Safia Jilani
News, Postdoctoral Associates Honors & Awards

Safia Jilani awarded Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Posted

Dr. Safia Jilani, a postdoctoral associate in Professor Christy Haynes’ lab, has been awarded the prestigious Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. The fellowship – which provides support for scholars and future professors to use inclusion and diversity to improve the student experience in higher education – will support Safia and her research for one year.

Photograph of the Sustainable and Green Chemistry Committee on the front steps of Smith Hall
News, Student Honors/Awards

SGC graduate students awarded UMN Systemwide Sustainability Collaborative Team Impact Award

Posted

The graduate students of the Sustainable and Green Chemistry (SGC) Committee have been awarded the 2023 University of Minnesota Systemwide Sustainability Collaborative Team Impact Award. The award recognizes student collaborations from all campuses who have made significant contributions to UMN and local communities in helping create a more sustainable and just future.

Headshots of four chemistry graduate students: Beza Tuga, Erin Plasek, Rachel Rapagnani, and Shelby Auger.
Staff Honors & Awards

Four Chemistry graduate students awarded Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Posted

Four Chemistry graduate students have been awarded 2023-24 Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships (DDF). The awardees are Beza Tuga, Erin Plasek, Rachel Rapagnani, and Shelby Auger.

2023 Goldwater Scholarship gold text on maroon background
Student Honors/Awards

Undergraduate junior Ethan Ashbrook named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar

Posted

Chemistry undergraduate student Ethan Ashbrook has been named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar. Ethan is a junior in the University of Minnesota Chemistry BS program working with Professor Ian Tonks. 

Headshot of Rene Boiteau
Faculty Profiles, News

Rene Boiteau joins Department of Chemistry faculty

Posted

The Department of Chemistry will welcome Rene Boiteau as an Assistant Professor in fall 2023. Boiteau has been a faculty member at Oregon State University since 2018, with a joint appointment in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Division.

Photograph of Jessica Hoover
Faculty Profiles

Jessica Hoover joins Department of Chemistry faculty

Posted

The Department of Chemistry will welcome Professor Jessica Hoover to the faculty in fall 2023. Hoover joins the University of Minnesota from West Virginia University, where she has been a faculty member since 2012. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Self-study graphic with four images of badges
ChemNews, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, News

Chemistry Diversity and Inclusion Committee debuts DEI Self-Study program

Posted

The Department of Chemistry Diversity & Inclusion Committee is introducing a new self-study program for the University of Minnesota Chemistry community. The program encourages students, faculty, and staff to engage with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lessons and stories through a variety of multimedia resources.

NSF GRFP logos
Student Honors/Awards, Student Profiles

Five students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Posted

Five students connected to the Department of Chemistry community have received fellowships in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Fellowship recipients are Alison Block, Clare Froehlich, Maggie Kumler, Dani Rodriguez, and Fabian Williams.

Headshot photograph of Christy Haynes
ChemNews, Faculty Honors/Awards, Faculty Profiles, News

Professor Christy Haynes named new head of the Department of Chemistry

Posted

College of Science and Engineering Dean Andrew Alleyne has named Distinguished McKnight University Professor Christy Haynes as the next head of the Chemistry department. She will start in the role in summer 2023. 

Horizontal headshot of Donald Truhlar
ChemNews, Faculty Honors/Awards, News

Regents Professor Donald Truhlar awarded Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry

Posted

Regents Professor Donald Truhlar has been awarded the Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry. The internationally-recognized award is given by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Theoretical Chemistry Institute.