08/28/2026
Imperial Valley comes with new labs, faculty, and career pathways!
The program will operate out of the two-story Sciences and Engineering Laboratories building in Brawley, opened last year.
“That class helped me understand what ‘science’ really was,” said Uribe. “Chemistry challenged me to develop new views about the natural world and strategies; it also gave me a greater sense of purpose. For the first time, I saw an opportunity to understand the world and contribute to solving real problems.”
With the first cohort of students in chemistry and electrical engineering starting this week at SDSU Imperial Valley, students will be able to take classes and hands-on research opportunities at the new Sciences and Engineering Laboratories in Brawley. The building holds several teaching classrooms and research laboratories, among other open spaces for studying and group meetings.
The new laboratories are one part of SDSU’s commitment to meeting both current and future geothermal energy sector demands, and the Lithium Valley, and delivering skilled, highly educated professionals ready to dive into the local workforce.
The launch of the new degree program at SDSU Imperial Valley is another step in chemistry’s longstanding history of paving new paths for SDSU. In addition to playing a large role in helping the university reach R1 status — with faculty who have been conducting funded research since the 1940s — chemistry was the first doctoral degree program for both SDSU and the California State University (CSU) system.
SDSU’s undergraduate chemistry curriculum was the CSU’s first to be accredited by the American Chemical Society and, over a decade ago, it was implemented also at SDSU Georgia in Tbilisi. Many graduates from the Tbilisi campus have gone on to enroll in the joint doctoral program in chemistry in San Diego and the new chemistry program at SDSU Imperial Valley will offer students a direct pipeline to do the same.
“We will have a lot of growth with upcoming developments in the geothermal industry and we already have demand in the environmental and agricultural industries,” said Uribe. “I hope students see the vast opportunities for pursuing a career in chemistry. They will get to learn around five different areas of chemistry year by year and learn its different career pathways.”
“I hope our region becomes a hub for scientific and research development,” said Uribe. “I foresee we can apply for grants that would support research symposiums, internships and collaborations with other universities while welcoming local high school students into the scientific community.”
By Daniella Rodiles and Bryana Quintana
Monday, August 17, 2026
