Last week, we gathered to celebrate Dr. Matthew Hermes and his well-deserved appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
It was a wonderful occasion to recognize Matthew’s achievements and contributions to the group. We are grateful for his dedication and expertise and look forward to his continued impact on our research.
On February 20, 2025, the Syensqo research center warmly welcomed Professor Laura Gagliardi as the 2025 Syensqo Chair in Chemistry by the International Solvay Institutes. A special display honored her arrival, celebrating her outstanding contributions to chemistry.
Congratulations, Professor Gagliardi!
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Matthew Hermes has been appointed as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry. Matthew will continue to work closely with the Gagliardi Group students under the supervision of Professor Gagliardi, contributing his expertise and dedication to advancing research in the field.
Please join us in congratulating Matthew on this well-earned appointment. We look forward to his continued success and contributions to the group!
We are excited to announce that Professor Laura Gagliardi has been awarded the prestigious Solvay Chair in Chemistry for 2025. This honor, presented by the International Solvay Institutes, recognizes her pioneering work in theoretical and computational chemistry, particularly her advancements in electronic structure methods for complex chemical systems.
Professor Gagliardi joins an esteemed group of past awardees, including Nobel Laureates, and will deliver a series of lectures throughout the year.
To read the full article, click here.
Congratulations to Professor Gagliardi on this incredible achievement!
We are thrilled to celebrate Andrea Darù for being recognized as an honorable mention in the 2024 Maria Lastra Award for exceptional mentorship at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Andrea’s dedication to guiding and inspiring peers embodies the essence of mentorship, paving the way for future leaders in science and engineering.
Thank you, Andrea, for your contributions in fostering a collaborative and supportive research community. Your impact is a testament to the transformative power of mentorship!
For more information, read here.
The Gagliardi Group congratulates Dr. Soumi Haldar as she begins an exciting new chapter in her career. Soumi has joined Prof. Brett Savoie’s group as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Notre Dame. In her new role, she will work on methods and software development, data analysis, and simulations for chemical machine learning and reaction prediction projects.
We wish Soumi all the best in this next phase of her journey!
We are excited to welcome Joshua Zhou as the newest member of our group.
Joshua earned his B.S. and M.S.E. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, where he worked with Professor Brandon Bukowski. His research there focused on classical simulations of amphiphilic organic molecules and developing machine-learning potentials for lithium-sulfur systems.
As a Ph.D. student, Joshua will explore machine learning applications in electronic structure theories, with a focus on catalytic reactions involving transition metals and actinides.
Welcome, Joshua—we’re thrilled to have you on the team!
Congratulations to Brian and Aniruddha for passing their candidacy exams. We marked this milestone with a small celebration, recognizing their hard work and dedication.
Here’s to their bright futures ahead!
We are delighted to welcome three new members to the Gagliardi Group: Dr. Lac Ha Nguyen, Helen Clifford, and Younghwan Kim.
Dr. Lac Ha Nguyen brings extensive expertise in chemistry and chemical engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Can Tho University, both in Vietnam. He has held postdoctoral positions at UC Berkeley, as well as roles as a Visiting Professor at UAE University and a Research Consultant at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.
Helen Clifford earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry from The Ohio State University, where she conducted research with Professor John Herbert on polarizable continuum solvent models. As a Ph.D. student, Helen’s research focuses on methods development and molecular dynamics simulations.
Younghwan Kim received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Seoul National University, where he worked on computational studies of biomolecules to predict binding affinity and viscosity. In the Gagliardi Group, Younghwan’s research interests include electronic structure calculations and materials design.
We are excited to have Lac Ha, Helen, and Younghwan join us and look forward to their contributions to advancing our research endeavors!
Shreya Verma has been selected as a recipient of the Olshansky Graduate Student Travel Award. This recognition will support her participation in the Sanibel Symposium 2025 in St. Augustine, Florida. At the symposium, Shreya will share her work on the “Exact Formulation of the Localized Active Space Method with Unitary Selective Coupled Cluster”.
We’re proud of Shreya’s achievement and can’t wait to see her contributions recognized at the Sanibel Symposium. Congratulations, Shreya!