Seminars and Events

VIEW THE 2023-2024 SEMINAR & EVENTS CALENDAR 

^{The Chemistry Department and its affiliated institutions play host to very lively seminar schedules each academic quarter. Consistent with the collaborative, interdisciplinary philosophy present at the University of Chicago, many members of the department regularly attend seminars of relevance in other departments such as Physics and Geosciences.}

^{Chemistry Colloquia}

^{On Monday afternoons during the academic year, the Chemistry Department hosts a guest lecturer who presents work of general interest. Our seminar series is highlighted each year by five endowed lectureships in memory of Chicago graduate Edward Clark Lee and University of Chicago Professors: William Draper Harkins, Morris S. Kharasch, Julius Stieglitz, and Robert S. Mulliken.}

^{Special Lectures}

• ^{The Kharasch Lecturer remains in residence at the University for three weeks. His or her stay provides a good opportunity for a thorough exchange of ideas with faculty and students. In recent years, Professors Peter Dervan, Kurt Mislow, A. L. J. Beckwith, Ryoji Noyori, Jean Frechet, Marye Anne Fox, Dieter Seebach, Sir Derek Barton, Manfred Reetz, John Groves, Kyriacos Nicolaou and Ben Feringa were Kharasch Visiting Professors.}
• ^{The Bloch Lectures are sponsored by the Bloch family in honor of Dr. Herman Bloch. The late Dr. Herman Bloch was an alumnus of the Department, formerly on the research staff of Universal Oil Products (UOP). The PRF (Petroleum Research Fund) was created from the assets of UOP.}
• ^{The Wheland Medal is awarded every other year in memory of the physical-organic chemist, George Wheland. Recipients include Frank H. Westheimer, Harden M. McConnell, Nelson Leonard, Fred Wudl, Robert L. Baldwin, and Robert Grubbs.}
• ^{The Mulliken Medal and Lectureship was created in memory of Nobel Laureate Robert S. Mulliken, a long-time member of this department. The first recipient of this award was Gerhard Herzberg, followed by Michael Kasha and Richard Zare.}

^{Seminar Workshops}

• ^{The first-year seminar workshop is an informal general-interest journal club that meets once a week to discuss papers in preparation for the Monday departmental seminars. Led by senior graduate students, the discussion is a great opportunity for first-year graduate students to talk about science with their peers in a pressure-free atmosphere over lunch. Running the winter and spring quarters, the first-year seminar workshop also provides excellent preparation for qualifying exams.}
• ^{The Women in Chemistry group have recently created an Annual Women in Chemistry Seminar. The inaugural lecturer is Audrey Moores.}
  

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