Matthew Hennefarth

Education

• B.S. Chemistry and Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles (2020)

Professional Experience

• Staff Scientist, University of California, Los Angeles, 2020-2021
• Undergraduate Research Scholar, University of California, Los Angeles, 2018-2020
• Research Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, 2016-2018

Matthew received his double major B.S. in chemistry (concentration physical chemistry) and mathematics from UCLA where he worked with Professor Anastassia Alexandrova investigating protein dynamics, as well as electrostatic preorganization and electric field topology within artificial and directed evolved enzymes. Prior to conducting research at UCLA, Matthew was a research fellow in Professor Sunita Ho’s lab at UCSF investigating pathologic biomineralization using various correlative spectroscopic techniques. As a Ph.D. student, his research interests lie in understanding quantum dynamics and light-matter interactions.

Publications

• Analytic Nuclear Gradients for Complete Active Space Linearized Pair-Density Functional Theory
• Linearized Pair-Density Functional Theory for Vertical Excitation Energies
• The OpenMolcas Web: A Community-Driven Approach to Advancing Computational Chemistry
• Linearized Pair-Density Functional Theory

Awards and Academic Achievements

• NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Sept 2023
• University of Chicago Olshansky Graduate Student Travel Award, June 2023
• University of Chicago Eckhardt Graduate Scholar, Sept 2021
• University of Chicago McCormick Fellowship, Sept 2021
• Dolores Cannon Southam Commencement Award for Excellence in Research, June 2020
• UCLA Chemistry Departmental Highest Honors (summa cum laude)
• UCLA Undergraduate Research Scholar, Sept 2019
• Daniel Kivelson Research Fellowship, June 2019