Chemistry at Illinois

10/06/2026

Congratulations to faculty member Xiaotang Lu on receiving the prestigious NIH Director’s New Innovator Award! 🎉
The award recognizes exceptionally creative early-career investigators pursuing bold ideas. Her innovative work is helping scientists move closer to understanding one of the most complex systems in nature: the human brain. Join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition! ➡ About

10/05/2026

Sunshine, smiles, and plenty of Illini spirit! ☀️🧡
Our first-ever tailgate during Homecoming Weekend was a huge success, bringing together undergraduates, faculty, alumni, and families. It was fantastic to share in the excitement of Grange Grove tailgating and create a new Illinois Chemistry tradition. 😎🎉
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this inaugural event such a memorable one. We're already looking forward to doing it again! 🙌

10/05/2026

🏆 Nobel Prize week is here, and the chemistry community is buzzing with predictions!

We're excited to see two Chemistry at Illinois faculty members generating Nobel Prize conversation. Ralph Nuzzo has been highlighted in major data-driven forecasts and prominent shortlists for his pioneering contributions to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), while Nuzzo and M. Christina White both earned mentions in Chemistry World's chemical breakdown podcast. White was mentioned for groundbreaking contributions to C-H activation.

Congratulations to these outstanding researchers whose discoveries continue to shape the future of chemistry! 🔬 ✨

We discuss our picks for this year's chemistry Nobel prize. Plus, are there certain traits that make a Nobel laureate?

10/01/2026

A week ago today, we gathered in Chicago for a truly memorable evening with alumni, faculty, and friends at our inaugural Alumni Dinner. It was an incredible night, and we're still feeling the warmth of the occasion! Congratulations again to our Distinguished Alumni Award honorees, David Corbin, Mark Grinstaff, and John Schaefer, and to our Young Alumni Award recipients, Subha Mukherjee and Daniel Robbins. We are proud to celebrate you and grateful to everyone who helped make the evening so special. 🧡💙

https://chemistry.illinois.edu/alumni/2026-alumni-dinner

09/30/2026

⏰ The countdown is ON, chemistry alumni and undergraduates!
Homecoming weekend is almost here, and you won't want to miss the Illinois Chemistry Tailgate in Grange Grove, the heart of Illini tailgating! For just $5 for undergrads, you can enjoy unlimited food and drinks from 1 to 3 p.m. this Saturday surrounded by all that game day energy.
Whether you've got tickets for the Illinois-Purdue game or just want to soak up the Homecoming vibes, this is your chance to experience the festive atmosphere with fellow Chemistry undergrads, alumni, and faculty!
💙🧡 Once an Illini, always an Illini.

09/25/2026

📣 Prospective students ... curious about Chemistry or Computer Science + Chemistry at Illinois? Join an upcoming Info Session and learn what it's really like to study Chemistry at Illinois. Hear from faculty, academic advisors, career services staff, and a chemistry student about academic programs and coursework, undergrad research opportunities, career paths, student life and support resources at Illinois.
Sign up now! https://chemistry.illinois.edu/fall-information-sessions-learn-about-majoring-chemistry-or-computer-science-chemistry

09/18/2026

Alumni, faculty, and undergraduates, come celebrate Homecoming weekend at the Chemistry at Illinois Tailgate in Grange Grove. Whether you're going to the Illinois-Purdue game, or not, come enjoy pre-game food and drinks 2 hours before kickoff in the premier tailgating area west of Gies Memorial Stadium. 🔶 🔷
Register today!

Join us on Homecoming weekend prior to the Illinois vs. Purdue football game for food and drinks in the Chemistry at Illinois tailgate tent in Grange Grove, the premier tailgating area immediately west of Gies Memorial Stadium.

09/09/2026

It was wonderful to see first-year chemistry students at the Catalyst Kickoff! After a full day of classes, students had the chance to relax, connect with new friends, learn about student organizations and poster presentations, and meet advisors and faculty who will help support their journey at Illinois. We hope your semester is off to a fantastic start. And those Illini orange shades? Absolutely iconic! 🧡😎

09/04/2026

Counting down the days until our evening at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago hosting the Chemistry at Illinois Alumni Dinner! There's still time to make your reservations for this big event in a one-of-a-kind venue. Yes, there will be live animals! Reserve your seat today.
Reservations ➡ go.chemistry.illinois.edu/AlumniDinner

09/02/2026

🧪📄 What if paper industry waste could become a valuable material for future energy technologies?
Joaquín Rodríguez-López and graduate student Riyo Das developed a simple new method using sound waves and tiny water droplets to transform a paper-making byproduct into a molecule with potential applications in energy storage and renewable chemicals.
https://chemistry.illinois.edu/news/2026-09-02/study-sound-waves-water-droplets-transform-paper-waste-higher-value-chemical-compound

Beckman Institute at Illinois