Department of Chemistry

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

Scientists at the UW have recreated the distinctive spiral shapes of shark intestines in 3D-printed pipes in order to study the unique fluid flow inside the spirals. Their prototypes kept fluids flowing in one preferred direction with no need for flaps to control that flow and performed significantly better than so-called "Tesla valves." The UW's Ido Levin, postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, and Alshakim Nelson, professor of chemistry, are quoted.

Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered a new way to help liquid flow in only one direction, but without using the flaps that engines and our circulatory system rely upon to prevent fluid backup. The team built a flexible pipe with an interior helical structure inspired by the anatomy of shark intestines â creating a prototype inspired by biology but with applications in engineering and medicine.

Ashleigh Theberge, associate professor of chemistry at the University of Washington, has been named to the Schmidt Sciences Polymath Program, entitling her to grants of up to $2.5 million over five years to "pursue risky, novel theories that would otherwise be difficult to fund," according to a Sept. 10 announcement from Schmidt Sciences. Theberge — one of six awardees this year — was selected from an applicant pool of 117, and is the first UW faculty member selected for the program, which is in its third year.

Nick Riley's chemistry research aims to understand cellular processes involving sugars, which could one day lead to advances in treating a range of diseases.

Fifteen faculty members at the University of Washington have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences for 2024. They are among 36 scientists and educators from across the state announced Aug. 1 as new members. Selection recognizes the new membersâ âoutstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.

UW Chemistry professor Xiaosong Li has joined the College of Arts & Sciences leadership team as associate dean for research. 

The UW is delighted to announce the recipients of the 54th annual University of Washington Awards of Excellence! The awards honor outstanding alumni, faculty, staff, students and retirees who contribute to the richness and diversity of our University community.

The College of Arts & Sciences celebrates undergraduate and graduate students from across all four divisions, who are recognized for making the most of their time at the UW. 

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and all fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

The University of Washingtonâs graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Reportâs 2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings released late Monday.

A team working on prolonging the lifespan of transplant organs took home the top prize in the 9th annual Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge at the UW. BioLegacy, made up of Seattle University and UW finance, mechanical engineering, and chemistry students, was awarded the $15,000 WRF Capital Grand Prize for its organ cryopreservation and rewarming innovation. The team was one of 22 that competed in this year’s final round of competition at the UW Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship. Other UW projects are mentioned.

Admitted students and families can engage with the College of Arts and Sciences through several department and program specific events over the next few weeks.

An international team of scientists has blazed a new trail for studying how atoms respond to radiation, by tracking the energetic movement of electrons when a sample of liquid water is blasted with X-rays. Xiaosong Li, professor of chemistry at the UW, is quoted.

In an experiment akin to stop-motion photography, an international team co-led by University of Washington scientists has isolated the energetic movement of an electron in a sample of liquid water â while âfreezingâ the motion of the much larger atom it orbits.