College of Chemistry

In Memoriam: J. Frank Valle-Riestra

December 6, 2021
by George Tyson, Judson King, and Jeffrey Reimer

Black and white photo of old manJ. Frank Valle-Riestra (1924-2021). Undated photo.

We are sad to report that J. Frank Valle-Riestra passed away in April of this year. Frank was a first generation American born on November 12, 1924 in Oakland, California. He was the son of Carlos and Milena (Pudil) Valle-Riestra. Carlos was originally from Peru. Milena was from the former Czechoslovakia. Carlos...

An expert on 'undruggable' targets tackles the coronavirus

October 5, 2020
Becky Bish | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Dan Nomura

Nomura in his lab at UC Berkeley. Photo: Elena Zhukova

Throughout the grim reality of a global pandemic that has disrupted normal life for months, one persistent bright spot has been the robust response of the biomedical research community. The battle to develop vaccines and drugs to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19, the disease which it causes, has highlighted the...

Capturing carbon with inspiration from battery chemistry

May 7, 2022
by Julie Chao | Berkeley Lab

The need for negative emissions technologies to address our climate crisis has become increasingly clear. At the rate that our planet is emitting carbon dioxide – adding about 50 gigatons every year – we will have to remove carbon dioxide at the gigaton scale by 2050 in order to achieve “net zero” emissions.

Bryan McCloskey at UC Berkeley 2022

Berkeley Lab researcher Bryan McCloskey was awarded a grant for a...

In Memoriam: Jane L. Scheiber

March 15, 2022
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Jane Schreiber

Dear College of Chemistry Colleagues,

I write to share the sad news that Jane Scheiber, beloved colleague and former Assistant Dean of College Relations & Development in the College of Chemistry, passed away on March 6, 2022 after an arduous battle with cancer. Her husband, Harry Scheiber, and her family, whom she so dearly loved, were with her when she passed.

As assistant...

David Schaffer announced as director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

March 7, 2022
Marge d'Wylde | College of Chemistry

Rendering of Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub will rent space to science-based startups, and provide campus programs for scholars and researchers. This rendering displays the versatility of the multi-leveled space, housed in the old Berkeley Art...

Cerium carbonate catalyst protects against harmful oxidation

October 29, 2021
Mitch Jacoby | C&EN

Chain of molecules

Microscopic particles of cerium carbonate are potent antioxidation catalysts. Illustration courtesy ACS Appl. Nano Mater.

Titanium dioxide and other metal oxides are widely used as bright white pigments and sunscreen agents, but they can cause damaging oxidation reactions that can degrade the materials the coatings were meant to protect. A new study shows that blending the oxides...

The College mourns the passing of Alan Mendelson

October 11, 2021
College of Chemistry | Press Release

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...

College of Chemistry graduate programs get high honors in new U.S. News rankings

March 31, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

College of Chemistry campus

The latest U.S. News & World Report national rankings has placed the College’s graduate programs in chemistry and chemical engineering in second place. The College continues to maintain its position among the top graduate programs in the country.

Our alumna Frances Arnold, who received her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Berkeley, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 for...

A Career in Catalysis: Alexis T. Bell

March 13, 2018

Alexis T. BellOn the occasion of Alexis T. Bell’ s fiftieth year at Berkeley, a group of Alex's former Ph.D and Post Doc students, have created an overview of his substantial research.

John Markels announced as new College of Chemistry Advisory Board Chair

January 22, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

John Markels

John Markels, President of Vaccines, Merck (photo courtesy of Merck).

The College is delighted to announce that John Markels (Ph.D. '93, ChemE), President of Vaccines at Merck, will be our next...