University of Nevada, Reno Department of Chemistry

Please join us in congratulating the Tal-Gan Research Group! 🏅

They have been selected to receive the Lab Safety Award at the university-wide "Honor the Best" Ceremony this coming Tuesday. Within the Chemistry Department, we know that great discoveries require a safe and disciplined environment, and this group truly leads by example.

Stop by the JCSU to show your support for our chemists!

📅 Tuesday, May 12th
⏰ 12:00-2:00 PM
📍 JCSU Ballrooms

Go Pack! 🐾💙

Join us in celebrating Katherine Chacon-Godoy as she presents her Master’s thesis:

“Discovery and Identification of Previously Uncharacterized Plant Metabolites: Chemical Links to Ethnobotanical Use and Insect Ecology.”

📅 Wednesday, May 6 at 9:30 AM
📍 SLH 3

Come learn about the fascinating chemistry behind plants and their ecological roles—and help us cheer Katherine on!

Join us next Tuesday to see our guest speaker, Dr. Christian Olsen from the University of Copenhagen, dive into:
"The Chemistry of Communication Between Gram-positive Bacteria" 🦠💬

📅 Tuesday, April 28th
⏰ 12:00 PM
📍DMSC 103

Curious about microbial conversations? We'll see you there!



"Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacteria" by National Institutes of Health (NIH) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Shining a light on cutting-edge chemistry ✨

Join us as Jessica Wallace presents her Ph.D. dissertation on "Luminescent Lanthanide Complexes and Nanoparticles for Biological Applications", where advanced materials meet real-world impact in biology and medicine. 🔬

📅 Friday, April 24
⏰ 10:30 AM
📍 CB 316A

Come support innovative research and celebrate the next step in a scientist’s journey! 🎓

🚀 Join us next Wednesday as our guest speaker, Ryan Julian (University of California, Riverside), presents:
"Less is More: Advantages of Selective Dissociation in Top-Down Proteomics"

📅 Wednesday, April 22nd
⏰ 12:00PM
📍 RSJ 101

Come along for the journey as we unpack proteomics and selective dissociation together! 🧪🔥

💡 Dive into the concepts of photochrome dynamics at Devon Adecer's presentation this weekend!

📅 Saturday, April 11th
⏰ 10:30 AM
📍 SLH 3

🔍 Watcharadet Kaewman ventures into the chemically unknown in his presentation!

📅 Saturday, April 11th
⏰ 9:30 AM
📍 SLH 3

⚡Joshua Chukwu helps us discover the science behind cylcopentenone synthesis!

📅 Saturday, April 11th
⏰ 9:00 AM
📍 SLH 3

⚡️ In honor of Women's History Month coming to an end, we're highlighting influential women in Nevada's chemistry department!

Last up: Dr. Ana de Bettencourt-Dias! 🥼

👀🔎 We asked Dr. Bettencourt-Dias some questions about her experience as a chemist and here are her answers:

Q: "What do you do for the department?"
A: "I am a professor of chemistry and do research in the coordination chemistry and spectroscopy of lanthanide ions (those elements at the bottom of the periodic table). I enjoy working with my research group in trying to come up with new molecules that emit light and that, through that light emission, allow us to image cells and report on the temperature and viscosity inside of those cells. This work could have potential implications in diagnosis and therapy of diseases. I am also the current department chair, and in that role I collaborate with my colleagues to advance the research and teaching mission of the department."

Q: "What do you love about chemistry?"
A: "Chemistry is a great subject, it allows me to understand how nature works, and it gives me the chance of working with chemicals that have all sorts of amazing colors. Moreover, I love the challenge of designing molecules to have specific properties, and then actually making those molecules and see them display the properties we hoped for. Or, when they don’t have those properties, to solve the puzzle as to why things did not work out as we had planned them."

We hope you had a wonderful Women's History Month wolfpack! Visit our page to see some more of our influential female scientists here in the chem department! 🐾🥽

🚀 In honor of Women's History Month coming to an end, we're highlighting influential women in Nevada's chemistry department!

Next up: Dr. Janell Mahoney! 👩‍🏫

👀🔎 We asked Dr. Mahoney some questions about her experience as a chemist and here are her answers:

Q: "What do you do for the department?"
A: "I teach organic chemistry and serve as the director for our organic chemistry lab program. I focus on creating engaging course materials and using problem-solving activities that help students connect chemistry concepts to real-world applications. I also support the professional development of teaching assistants in the department by sharing evidence-based teaching strategies and helping them grow as educators."

Q: "What do you love about chemistry?"
A: "What I love most about chemistry is its interdisciplinary nature. Chemistry gives you a way to look at the world through a difference lens - whether it’s biology, biochemistry, medicine, pharmaceuticals, sunscreen technology, or even textiles - and understand why things happen at the molecular level. I love that chemistry connects to so many fields and helps explain the science behind everyday phenomena."

We hope you had a wonderful Women's History Month wolfpack! Tune in to see more influential female scientists here in the chem department! ⚗️💙