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Luping Yu Honored at Symposium by UChicago Department of Chemistry
After 33 years working as a professor of organic chemistry in the UChicago Chemistry department, renowned chemist Luping Yu is set to retire at the end of the 2024 spring semester.
To celebrate and honor Professor Yu, the department held a special symposium on Saturday, April 12th to honor the impact and influence Luping Yu has had on the scientific community.
Many celebrated chemists, physicists, and researchers traveled from around the country, and some as far as Korea and China, to descend upon the Gordon Center for Integrative Science building for the event.
With Professor Yu in attendance, various speakers presented enthusiastic lectures on Yu’s scientific achievements, as well as their own research they attributed in part to Yu’s influence.
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The day began with warm introductions from UChicago Department of Chemistry Chair Jiwoong Park and Physical Sciences Division Interim Dean Ka Yee Lee. Included among the day’s presenters were UChicago Professors Chuan He, who shared his research on RNA Methylation in Plants, and Bozhi Tian, who presented a video tribute commemorating Yu’s impact.
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Other speakers included Tobin Marks from Northwestern University, Seth Marder from CU Boulder, John Reynolds from Georgia Institute of Technology, Yang Yang from UCLA, Lin Chen from Northwestern University, Zhenan Bao from Stanford University, Ted Goodson from the University of Michigan, Qing Wang from Penn State University, Wei You from UNC Chapel Hill, In Hwan Jung from Hanang University in Korea, Luyao Lu from George Washington University, Yongye Liang from SusTech in China, and Wenjie Li from the Boeing
Leading the charge of the day was Wei You (PhD ’04), a professor of Chemistry and Applied Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Chair of thr Chemistry department who worked in the Yu Lab during his time with at the University of Chicago.
Working with the Chemistry department’s Assistant Director of Academic Affairs La Toya Cobbins to organize the evenYou twas instrumental in bringing the symposium together.
You says he felt called to honor Professor Yu because of the community’s respect for his research and contributions to the field. Additionally, it was Yu’s work with conjugated polymers that had an influential effect on Professor You’s own research and many others’ as well.
“You cannot jump over his contribution or claim victory without Luping setting the foundational work. Without him, the field wouldn't have been the way it is today.”
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Concluding the event, Professor Yu delivered a heartfelt speech, thanking the crowd of former students and colleagues.
“I never expected such a beautiful symposium,” said Yu. “I cannot pay you back and I thank my students for the postdocs for this celebration. I think it's really to celebrate their contribution. All of 'em are my heroes and I owe them a debt.”
Yu went on to detail his early life as a scientist in post-cultural revolution China, then as a post-doc at USC working with renowned chemist Larry R Dalton. It was his work with material sciences that eventually landed him a position at the University of Chicago in 1989 where he would elevate the field.
“To do research in this department, I think it may be one of the best places because we have many top-notch students and faculty members. I feel lucky to have had that,” said Yu.
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