Alumni News

COVID Stories: Sourdough bread with a purpose

March 24, 2021

Seniors Brendan Huang and Carolyn Hong

Seniors Brendan Huang and Carolyn Hong, who both have received the COVID-19 vaccine and are in the same social bubble, met in an organic chemistry lab as sophomores, became fast friends and wound up baking sourdough bread together. It’s an adventure that Hong calls “our sourdough journey.” (Photo by Talia Patt...

Gordon E. Moore ’50: Scientist, philanthropist, fly fisherman

March 24, 2023

Gordon Moore with a Cal umbrella

“Gordon Moore matched scientific insight and business acumen with a genuine concern for the well-being of the natural world and the human beings who steward it. Throughout his brilliant career, he remained dedicated to developing common-sense, scientifically verifiable approaches to the challenges of our...

ChemE alumnae honored by AIChE

October 12, 2020

The College of Chemistry is pleased to announce that Professor Karen Gleason (MIT) and Sarika Goel (Honeywell UOP) have been recently awarded honors from AIChE.

Karen Gleason (Ph.D. ’87, ChemE) invited as the 2019 John M. Prausnitz AIChE Institute Lecturer

Karen Gleason, MIT

Karen Gleason, the Alexander and I. Michael Kasser Professor of Chemical Engineering and Associated...

College startups featured at SkyDeck’s annual Demo Day

February 11, 2020

SkyDeck features College startups

UC Berkeley is not just one of the best research universities in the world, but also a unique place for entrepreneurs, students and alumni to grow and build their own innovative startups. Many of the ideas are based on issues young entrepreneurs first encountered in Berkeley classes or labs. Two College of Chemistry startups presented among 23 young companies last week at Berkeley SkyDeck’s annual Demo Day, where entrepreneurs pitched new devices, apps or inventions that, they hope, will provide big, bold fixes to the world’s problems, from climate change to disease.

The journey here: Alumna Chun (Tracy) Liu's passion for art

December 2, 2022

Alumna Tracy Liu

Photo: Evan Krape/University of Delaware

In a new article out from Princeton Alumni Weekly , Chun (Tracy) Liu (B.S. Chem '10) didn’t have one set dream as a...

Designer Materials to Keep Plastic Out of Landfills

July 28, 2022

This article discusses discovery of a new 100% recyclable plastic material

Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a material system that could keep plastic out of landfills by enabling a much broader range of fully recyclable plastic products. photo: Adobe Stock

A group of scientists from the labs of...

Geraldine Richmond sworn in as Under Secretary of Science and Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy

November 9, 2021

Geraldine Richmond swarn in as Under Secretary of Science and Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy

Professor Geraldine Richmond (Ph.D. '80, Chem) during swearing in ceremony with U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on November 9, 2021. (Photo via ZOOM)

In a short but...

Advisory Board member Sunney Chan receives Taiwan's Presidential Science Prize

October 12, 2021

Sunney Chen receives the Presidential Science Prize from Taiwan President 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen

Sunney Chan receives the Presidential Science Prize on November 1, 2021 from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). Photo courtesy Shie-Ming Peng (彭旭明) .

The Presidential Science Award Committee announced...

Alumna Spotlight with Cheri Ackerman of Concerto Biosciences

October 12, 2021

Cheri Ackerman, alumna

Photo: courtesy of Concerto Biosciences.

Cheri Ackerman (Ph.D. '17, ChemBio) is a co-founder & CEO @ Concerto Biosciences, an MIT/Harvard spinout that develops microbial “ensembles” as revolutionary new disease treatments. To discover ensembles, Concerto...

The College mourns the passing of Alan Mendelson

October 11, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

It is with a very heavy heart that I write to let you know that Alan Mendelson (B.A. ’69; J.D. ’73, Harvard) died on Friday evening. Alan was at Oracle Park watching his beloved San Francisco Giants when he suffered a medical emergency.


Many of us knew Alan as a giant in the field of Life Sciences, having provided highly-respected legal counsel in key research, academic and business communities. We also knew him as a dedicated partner, a critical part of both the Cal and greater UC community, a trusted advisor, a...