Department of Chemistry Graduate Affairs Announcements

Archives for April 2021

chemARC Meeting Annoucement – Apr 30

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We’re looking forward to our Chemistry Anti-Racist Collective (chemARC) discussion on April 30th from 5-6 pm! See Zoom details below. The first portion of our meeting will feature a discussion with the chemistry department’s DECADE mentor, Professor Jenny Y. Yang, and Vice Chair for DEI, Professor Ann Marie Carlton. In this first portion, we hope to provide a platform for students to speak directly with a faculty member to share ideas, voice concerns, and offer suggestions to improve the department climate. Our meeting will conclude with a focused discussion of the visibility Black trainees, students, staff, and faculty face when navigating academic spaces. This topic will be led by Sierra Williams, a fifth-year graduate student in the Prescher group.

Please join us if you can. If you need external support of any sort, reach out! Our email address is ucichemarc@gmail.com.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Apr 30, 2021 05:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://uci.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIoc-2orDgqHdD-lUFYP34uUcbeTXmjDfZJ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Demystifying Mental Health Support Webinar

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This webinar is hosted by the American Chemical Society, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Geophysical Union, the American Physical Society, the American Society for Cell Biology, and the Professional Development Hub, which are all committed to the professional development of early-career scientists. Learn when to use small steps to address these challenges yourself and when you may need professional help. On-campus and off-campus mental resources, as well as strategies for accessing care, will be discussed.

Join us May 12 at 1:00 PM ET for Demystifying Mental Health Support – a complimentary interactive webinar outlining common mental health challenges of STEMM graduate students and providing strategies for managing them.

BCLA’s Upcoming Free Events – Helping Scientists to Start Companies, Inside Biotech Podcast & More

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Biotech Connection Los Angeles (BCLA) is excited to share some upcoming virtual events to keep you engaged with the biotech community in LA. Read on for more information about our upcoming event with Petri Bio, the latest episode of Inside Biotech and our annual healthcare symposium in May.

Fireside Chat with Petri: How to Launch Bio Startups

When: Thursday, April 29, 2021 from 5 PM to 6 PM (PDT)

Where: Zoom

RSVP HERE

Interested in starting a bio company? Get involved in the early-stage startup ecosystem. Join us for a fireside chat with Petri on technology readiness, recruiting a team, fundraising strategy and more.

Petri is a new approach for funding formation-stage startups at the intersection of biology and engineering. Petri is co-created by entrepreneurs who have built iconic companies like Twist Bioscience, Insitro, Ginkgo Bioworks, Beyond Meat, PathAI, Exact Sciences, and Asimov as well as academics who are driving foundational science in bioengineering (George Church, Pam Silver, Chris Voigt); together they have deep experience developing ideas into successful companies across human health and sustainability.

Podcast: Inside Biotech

LISTEN HERE

Blue-green, grown in freshwater and saltwater, and potentially the biggest new source of energy? Microalgae has all these possibilities and one more: they can be a food source too! A vital energy source in all ecosystems, microalgae can be cultivated, dried, and manipulated to extract nutrients, compounds, etc, that can be used as human supplements. One SoCal company, Lyxia, is taking advantage of this amazing substance for cardiovascular health. This month’s episode features an interview with Lyxia’s Former R&D Senior Process Designer Peter Mponzi. This is the last episode of our first series, Alternative Careers in Biotech, you won’t want to miss it!

Healthcare Symposium: Advances in Drug Discovery Towards Mental Health Care

When: Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (PDT)

Where: Zoom

RSVP HERE

We are excited to present this year’s Healthcare Symposium on the topic of Advances in Drug Discovery towards Mental Health Care. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, affecting over one third of the population during their lifetime, according to epidemiological studies. This places an immense economic burden on society, with treatments summing up to $210.5 billion annually in the US alone. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the CDC has reported a 40% increase in anxiety-related conditions amongst the US population, exacerbating this already prevalent issue to unprecedented heights. During this symposium, we will bring together various stakeholders including academics, industry professionals, investors, public health educators, and policymakers to partake in this important discussion. Stay tuned for speaker announcements!

Podcast: Beyond Scientist

LISTEN HERE

Beyond Scientist is a career development podcast for those in the science and medical fields created and hosted by two USC Ph.D. alumni, Carolina Amador and Paymaneh Malihi. The podcast aims to provide you with specific tips and advice from successful people, as well as bringing inspiration to your career journey. Follow them on LinkedIn or Instagram and subscribe here for the latest update and episodes.

Ep. 101, “Create your own path” with Helen McBride, Entrepreneur in Residence at Caltech and BCLA advisory board member is available now!

Graduate Division: Continuing Student Fellowships – Due May 3

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The Chemistry Department’s internal deadline for the following continuing student fellowships has been set for Monday, May 3rd, 2021. Please note that this deadline is earlier than the one set by Graduate Division.

If you are interested in applying, please submit all materials for the intended fellowship to Garrett Yoshitomi (gyoshito@uci.edu) by this date. For eligibility requirements and application materials, please refer to Graduate Division’s Funding Website.

  • Faculty Mentor Program Fellowship
  • Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship
  • President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship