A visitor to the lab that Lisa Bird (B.S. ’89, chemistry; M.S. ’98, food science) runs at McCormick and Co. experiences a moment of aromatic disorientation; it smells like a vast banquet—a ginger- and garlic-infused stir fry, a coconut cookie, a bratwurst—but all this alchemy is contained in several glass vials lined up on the kitchen-like counter.

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry is pleased to announce that Hong- Zhou Ye will join the University of Maryland as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in August, 2024. Hong-Zhou Ye is a theoretical quantum chemist known for developing and applying new computational methods to address chemistry challenges in both molecular and condensed- phase systems.

Chemistry and Biochemistry Assistant Professor Mercedes Taylor has been selected as a Moore Inventor Fellow by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

“Efrain Rodriguez exemplifies the standards and accomplishments expected for a Scholar-Teacher. He is at the cutting edge of our discipline, developing new knowledge on the structure and properties of low-dimensional solids. His enthusiasm and encyclopedic knowledge of solid-state chemistry inspires University of Maryland students at all levels,” said Janice Reutt-Robey, chair of UMD’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. 

University of Maryland Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Lai-Xi Wang has been named Distinguished University Professor—the highest academic honor bestowed by the university. He will be honored at the university’s annual Faculty and Staff Convocation on September 13, 2023.

Yu Liu is a chemical physicist specializing in quantum experimental techniques for precision spectroscopy and quantum state control of molecules and ions. He earned his Ph.D. in physics at Harvard University, where he completed the first experimental studies of biomolecular chemical reactions at sub-micro-Kelvin temperatures.

Akshay Patel took a giant leap of faith in 2014. Motivated by his interest in cell biology and inspired by what he read about the cutting-edge research underway at the University of Maryland, Patel journeyed thousands of miles from his home in India to UMD for college, hoping to lay the groundwork for his future career as a scientist.

Congratulations to Chemistry and Biochemistry’s Leah Dodson who received a 2023 Early Career Research Award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to further her alternative fuels research. The highly competitive five-year grant, awarded through the DOE’s Gas Phase Chemical Physics program, recognizes rising stars in science.

The CHEM-BA program complements the traditional Bachelor of Science programs (CHEM-BS and BCHM-BS) by providing a broader, less technically-focused undergraduate degree in the chemical sciences. It is designed for students who seek a strong base of scientific knowledge but who would also like to broaden their skills through coursework in other subjects.