150th Celebration

The first women chemists at Cal

February 5, 2018
The College salutes the pioneer women chemistry faculty at Cal. Both as scientists, and as early faculty members at the University, they helped to pave the way for the next generations of women faculty and students.

David Henry Templeton

March 19, 2020

Professor Templeton in his office

David H. Templeton was born in Houston on March 2, 1920, the second of six children of David and Miriam Templeton, a Presbyterian minister and a homemaker, respectively. Both parents were college graduates, a relatively...

Lloyd Noel Ferguson: research chemist and educator

June 18, 2020

A scientist with laboratory equipment

Lloyd Noel Ferguson (1936-1986), circa 1984 (Photo: Cal State LA)

Dr. Lloyd Noel Ferguson (B.S., '40; Ph.D. '43, Chem) was a brilliant chemist, a dedicated teacher and mentor, and an ardent supporter of young Black people entering the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. Dr. Ferguson regularly faced racism as he navigated his way...

Scientific glassblower continues century-old campus tradition

February 19, 2021

Jim Breen has been the campus’s glassblower for 18 years. (UC Berkeley video by Roxanne Makasdjian and Stephen McNally)

To find Room B63 in the nondescript, industrial basement of UC Berkeley’s Hildebrand Hall, it’s best to follow your ears. On a recent afternoon, the Troggs’ 1966 rock hit “Wild Thing” led the way. But once inside the door, don’t expect a party, despite the non-stop music and abundant glassware.

This is the College of Chemistry’s Glass Shop, the busy workspace of scientific glassblower Jim Breen. For the past 16 years, the highly-skilled artisan has...

Frederick Cottrell

March 17, 2020

Frederick CotrellUndated portrait of Frederick Gardner Cottrell (Smithsonian)

From the about section of the Research Corporation For Advance Science>

A native of Oakland, California, Frederick Gardner Cottrell (1877-1948) early revealed the intense scientific curiosity and drive toward achievement that...

A very strong magnet: QB3-Berkeley’s 900 MHz NMR Facility

March 29, 2021

Graduate student Riley Fricke sits down with Jeff Pelton (Ph.D. '90, Chem) the manager of QB3-Berkeley’s 900 MHz NMR Facility, to discuss the facility and recent research that NMR spectroscopy has helped support.

Jeff Pelton

Jeff Pelton, PhD, the NMR facility manager.

The 900 MHz NMR was installed in 2006 and...

Joseph Cerny

March 18, 2020

Joseph Cerny

By: Paul Preuss

Joseph Cerny (Ph.D. '61, Chem) Professor Emeritus and Professor of the Graduate School, retired after more than half a century of research and leadership at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley. The former head of the Nuclear Science Division and...

William Francis Giauque

January 1, 2020

William Francis Giauque

By D. N. Lyon, K. S. Pitzer, and D. A. Shirley

The death of William Francis Giauque, 1949 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, on March 28, 1982, ended the career of one of Berkeley's most illustrious scientists. His 66-year association with U.C. Berkeley--unbroken by leave, sabbatical leave, or absences other than short illnesses and summer...

Gilbert Newton Lewis

March 25, 2020
Scientist in a laboratory

Gilbert N. Lewis in his lab at UC Berkeley, 1937.

Gilbert Newton Lewis was born near Boston, October 23, 1875. At the age of nine he was taken by his parents to live in Lincoln, Nebraska, where...

Joel Henry Hildebrand

March 19, 2020

By Kenneth S. Pitzer, D. H. McLaughlin, G. C. Pimentel, and J. M. Prausnitz

Scientist in lab

Photo: Joel Henry Hildebrand

Joel Henry Hildebrand (b. November 16, 1881, d. April 30, 1983) was born in Camden, New Jersey. His ancestors came to America before the revolution from the upper Rhine valley. When asked about his longevity, Joel replied, “I...