Department News
Penn Chemistry Hires Two New Faculty
Jul 1, 2025
Two new assistant professors are joining our Department! Kai Chen, currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Prof. Jennifer Doudna’s group in the Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and…
Read MoreTianquan "Tim" Lian joins Penn Chemistry
Jun 30, 2025
Tianquan "Tim" Lian, currently the William Henry Emerson Professor of Chemistry at Emory University, will be returning to his alma mater. Tim will join the Department of Chemistry at Penn, in…
Read MoreAmos B. Smith III (1944-2025)
Feb 3, 2025
We are deeply saddened to announce that our friend and colleague Amos B. Smith III, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, has passed away. Amos received both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemistry from…
Read MoreSquire Booker Joins Penn
Oct 29, 2024
We are thrilled that Squire Booker, Ph.D. will be joining the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biophysics as a Penn-Integrates-Knowledge (PIK) Professor in January 2025. Squire is…
Read MorePenn Chemistry is Hiring
Sep 9, 2024
The Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania invites applications for two tenure-track positions in the broadly defined areas of:Biological chemistry and chemical…
Read MorePenn Chemistry NIH Pathway to Independence Award Recipients
Aug 27, 2024
Nima Naseri of the Rhoades group and Madeline Rotella of the Kozlowski group were awarded NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) grants.The NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) is for…
Read MoreJoe Francisco to Receive Theodore William Richards Medal
Feb 20, 2024
Professor Joseph S. Francisco, the President's Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, has been selected to receive…
Read MorePenn Chemistry Lunar New Year Celebration
Feb 9, 2024
Penn Chemistry students, postdocs, staff, and faculty gathered in the Pit on Friday, February 9 to celebrate the Lunar New Year. We had treats from all over the globe.
Read MoreTransformative Gift from Roy & Diana Vagelos
Jan 25, 2024
The University of Pennsylvania announced today that P. Roy and Diana Vagelos have made a gift of $83.9 million to fund science initiatives across the School of Arts & Sciences. This…
Read MoreMarsha I. Lester Honored with Special Issue of JPC-A
Jan 25, 2024
The Marsha I. Lester "Festschrift" issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry A has been released. Co-edited by several of Marsha's alumni and colleagues, the special issue features almost 20…
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Penn Chemistry is committed to providing an open, safe, and engaging environment in which all persons are welcomed and respected, and feel a sense of belonging. We are a group of faculty, staff, and students, and our strength derives from our spirit of collaboration. My job as chair is simple: to enable our students, fellows, staff and faculty to be the best teachers, researchers, and leaders they can be, nurturing their career paths and their joy of learning and discovery, so that collectively our department can be among the very best.
Research Highlights
Tom Mallouk
Tom Mallouk and his research group have developed microscale "rockets" powered by acoustic waves and an onboard bubble motor that may one day navigate through landscapes of cells and blood vessels inside the human body. Read all about this exciting technology at the CBC Radio website.
Andrew Rappe
A new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society authored by Chemistry Professor Andrew Rappe and his research group describes a new approach for synthesizing organic “Legos” that can be easily connected to make new materials. This framework creates structures that are lightweight,…
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