Organometallics Distinguished Author Award Lectureship

The annual Organometallics Distinguished Author Award recognizes the author of exceptional articles that are published in Organometallics. An article that emphasizes advance organometallic chemistry, profoundly impacts on organic and inorganic chemistry, and exhibits creativity and originality will be favorably reviewed.

Sponsorship of the Award:

The award is sponsored by Organometallics, the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry, and the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry.

Nature of the Award:

The awardee will receive an 1) an award plaque, 2) an honorarium of US $2,000, and 3) travel funds to attend and present at the ACS Fall National Meeting.

Eligibility:

• Nominated articles must have been published in Organometallics within the current or previous calendar years.
• Self-nominations and nominations of work authored by Organometallics Editors will not be accepted.
• Co-authors are eligible to submit nominations.
• Preference will be given to faculty and other investigators who are in the early phases of their independent careers.

Nominations and Additional Info:

See the 2025 Award Page (for publications in 2023 or 2024). The nomination deadline is December 31, 2024.

Recent Recipients:

• 2024 – Julia Khusnutdinova, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan for work including “Photoinduced Perfluoroalkylation Mediated by Cobalt Complexes Supported by Naphthyridine Ligands”
• 2023 – Jesús Campos Manzano, University of Seville, Spain, for work on
  “Metalla-Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs), elegantly bridging late-transition-metal chemistry with main-group chemistry and catalysis for impactful developments in organic synthesis, Pub1, Pub2.”
• 2022 – Josep Cornella, Max Planck Institute for Kohlenforschung, for work including “Ni(^4-tBustb)₃: A Robust 16-Electron Ni(0) Olefin Complex for Catalysis“
• 2021 – Robert J. Gilliard, Jr., University of Virginia, for publications such as: “N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Mediated Ring Opening of Reduced Diazamagnesacycles”
• 2020 – Viktoria H. Gessner, Ruhr University Bochum, for “Cooperative Bond Activation Reactions with Nickel and Palladium Carbene Complexes with a PCcarbeneS Pincer Ligand”
• 2019 – Ian Tonks, University of Minnesota, for “Generation of TiII Alkyne Trimerization Catalysts in the Absence of Strong Metal Reductants”
• 2018 – Tianning Diao, New York University, for “Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive Cycloisomerization of Enynes with CO2”
• 2017 – Alexander J. M. Miller, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, for “Modulating the Elementary Steps of Methanol Carbonylation by Bridging the Primary and Secondary Coordination Spheres”
• 2016 – Valentine P. Ananikov, Russian Academy of Sciences, for “Can We Predict the Future of Organometallic Chemistry?”

Organic Letters Outstanding Publication of the Year Lectureship Award

The annual Organic Letters Outstanding Publication of the Year Award Lectureship recognizes the author of an exceptional, creative, and impactful article that is published in Organic Letters.

Sponsorship of the Award:

The award is sponsored by Organic Letters and the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry.

Nature of the Award:

The awardee will receive an 1) an award plaque, 2) an honorarium of US $2,000, and 3) travel funds to attend and present at the ACS Fall National Meeting.

Eligibility:

• Nominated articles must have been published in Organic Letters within the current or previous calendar years.
• Self-nominations and nominations of work authored by Organic Letters Editors will not be accepted.
• Co-authors are eligible to submit nominations.

Nominations and Additional Info:

See the 2025 Award Page (for publications in 2024). The nomination deadline is December 31, 2024.

Recent Recipients:

• 2024 –  Cheng-yi Chen and Zhichao Lu from Mirati Therapeutics for “Synthesis of Adagrasib (MRTX849), a Covalent KRAS^G12C Inhibitor Drug for the Treatment of Cancer“
• 2023 – Daniele Leonori and colleagues at RWTH Aachen University, for “A Halogen-Atom Transfer (XAT)-Based Approach to Indole Synthesis Using Aryl Diazonium Salts and Alkyl Iodides“
• 2022 – Sophie Rousseaux and John J. Monteith, University of Toronto, for “Ni-Catalyzed C(sp³)–O Arylation of α-Hydroxy Esters“
• 2021 – The Wilkerson-Hill group, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, for “Programmed Sequential Additions to Halogenated Mucononitriles”
• 2020 –  Ruben Martin, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), for “Ni-catalyzed Reductive Deaminative Arylation at sp3 Carbon Centers”
• 2019 – Gregory L. Beutner, Bristol-Myers Squibb, for “TCFH–NMI: Direct Access to N-Acyl Imidazoliums for Challenging Amide Bond Formations”
• 2018 – Tehshik P. Yoon, University of Wisconsin, Madison, for “Radical Cation Cycloadditions Using Cleavable Redox Auxiliaries”
• 2017 – Xile Hu, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), for “Alkoxy Hydrosilanes As Surrogates of Gaseous Silanes for Hydrosilylation of Alkenes”
• 2016 – Bruce H. Lipshutz, University of California, Santa Barbara, for “Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reactions in Water Enabled by Micellar Catalysis”

JOC Publication of the Year Lectureship Award

The Journal of Organic Chemistry (JOC) Outstanding Publication of the Year Award Lectureship will be awarded for an outstanding article published in JOC in a calendar year-either in an issue or ASAP-that demonstrates creativity and impact in the field of organic chemistry, broadly based. Special consideration will be given to the originality and impact of the article. The winning corresponding author will present at the Fall ACS National Meeting.

Sponsorship of the JOC Publication Award:

The award is sponsored by The Journal of Organic Chemistry and the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry.

Nature of the Award:

The corresponding author of the recognized article will receive an 1) an award plaque, 2) an honorarium of US $2,000, and 3) travel funds to attend and present at the ACS Fall National Meeting.

Eligibility:

• Nominated articles must have been published in JOC within the corresponding calendar year either in an issue or ASAP.
• Self-nominations and nominations of work authored by JOCEditors will not be accepted.
• Co-authors are eligible to submit nominations.

Nominations and Additional Info:

See the 2025 Award Page (for publications in 2024). The nomination deadline is December 31, 2024

Recent Recipients:

• 2024 – The research group of Fernanda Duarte and James A. Bull from the University of Oxford and Imperial College London for “Visible Light Photoredox-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Alkylation of 3-Aryl-Oxetanes and Azetidines via Benzylic Tertiary Radicals and Implications of Benzylic Radical Stability“
• 2023 – The research group of Christine M. Le, York University, Canada, for “Synthesis of Carbamoyl Fluorides Using a Difluorophosgene Surrogate Derived from Difluorocarbene and Pyridine N-Oxides“
• 2022 – The research group of Ju Hyun Kim, Gyeongsang National University, for “Transition Metal-Free, Methoxide-Catalyzed Synthesis of Pyridoindolones“
• 2021 – The research groups of Xin Hong (Zhejiang University) and Elizabeth Jarvo (University of California, Irvine) for “Engaging Sulfonamides: Intramolecular Cross-Electrophile Coupling Reaction of Sulfonamides with Alkyl Chlorides”
• 2020 – David Nagib, The Ohio State University, for “Development of an Imine Chaperone for Selective C–H Functionalization of Alcohols via Radical Relay”
• 2019 – Scott Denmark, University of Illinois, for “Catalytic Nucleophilic Allylation Driven by the Water-Gas Shift Reaction”
• 2018 – Masayuki Inoue, University of Tokyo, for “Total Synthesis and Biological Mode of Action of WAP-8294A2: A Menaquinone-Targeting Antibiotic”
• 2017 – Melodie Christensen, Merck, for “Enantioselective Synthesis of α-Methyl-β-cyclopropyldihydrocinnamates”
• 2016 – Jeffrey S. Johnson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for “Asymmetric Total Synthesis of the Indole Diterpene Alkaloid Paspaline”

Travel Awards

Travel Awards Offered: Reinstated in Spring 2022

• Graduate Student Awards for travel to ACS National Meetings
• Awards for Undergraduates for travel to ACS National Meetings
• Awards for Faculty at Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions for travel to ACS National Meetings

.

General Requirements

• Applicants are required to present a paper or poster in the Organic Division.
• Applicants must be members or affiliates of the Organic Division.
• As a special networking opportunity, awardees are encouraged to spend 2-3 hours during the ACS meeting in service to the division, either at the DOC outreach table or on a panel discussion of younger members.
• Complete the Online Submission Form, including the required supporting materials. Please be sure to follow all directions and submit all required documents.
• Application deadlines for National Meetings will typically be December 1st for the Spring meeting and May 15th for the Fall Meeting. Please allow 8 weeks after the deadline for review (awards are typically announced around February 1st or July 10th).
• Only one applicant per Institution per Award.
• If an award is granted, the Organic Division would appreciate an acknowledgement. For this purpose, awardees may use the DOC acknowledgment slide (as a powerpoint slide or PDF file).

Travel application process for Graduate Students:

The Division of Organic Chemistry makes travel awards of $600 each to aid graduate students in presenting papers or posters at ACS Meetings. Scientific merit of the paper to be presented will be considered. Each university department can have only one recipient per award. To Apply for the Graduate Student Travel Award, submit these supporting documents as a single PDF file via the online Submission Form (See link below under Submittal Process):

• A copy of the MAPS abstract including the submission page identifying the ORGN Division and Speaker.
• A letter of support from the applicant’s research advisor.
• A memo from the department chair stating that you are the applicant representing that institution.
• A copy of the applicant’s resume/CV

Travel application process for Undergraduate Students:

The Division of Organic Chemistry makes travel awards of $600 each to aid undergraduate students in presenting papers or posters at ACS Meetings. Scientific merit of the paper to be presented will be considered. Each university department can have only one recipient per award. To apply for the Undergraduate Student Travel Award, submit these supporting documents as a single PDF file via the online Submission Form (See link below under Submittal Process):

• A copy of the MAPS abstract including the submission page identifying the ORGN Division and Speaker.
• A letter of support from the applicant’s research advisor.
• A memo from the department chair stating that you are the applicant representing that institution.
• A copy of the applicant’s resume/CV.

Travel application process for Faculty at Undergraduate Institutions:

The Division of Organic Chemistry makes travel awards of $600 each to aid faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions for travel to National ACS Meetings. Scientific merit of the paper to be presented will be considered. Each university department can have only one award recipient per meeting. Faculty applicants are eligible to receive a travel award once every three years. To apply for the Faculty Travel Award, submit these supporting documents as a single PDF file via the online Submission Form (See link below under Submittal Process):

• A copy of the MAPS abstract including the submission page identifying the ORGN Division and Speaker.
• A memo from the department chair stating that you are the applicant representing that institution.
• A copy of the applicant’s resume/CV.

Submittal Process:

You will need to submit your application as a single PDF file. Please name the file using the following format:

Yourlastname_Yourfirstname_TravelAward.pdf
For example: Smith_John_TravelAward.pdf

Your PDF file should have the following parts in the following order:

1. The MAPS abstract including the submission page identifying the ORGN Division and Speaker.
2. A letter of support from the applicant’s research advisor (if required).
3. The memo from the department chair.
4. Your resume/CV.

No other documentation is required or allowed.
Applicants must submit their own online application: no third party submissions (they will be rejected without review). Incomplete and incorrect applications will be rejected without review.
The applicant must be a Member of the Division of Organic Chemistry to access the online form

Submit your application using the Online Submission Form

You will be notified by email that your application was received. Please allow 10 weeks after the deadline for review (they will typically be announced around February 1st or July 10th). All applicants will be notified of the final committee decision regarding their application.

Please contact Dr. Michael Pirrung (michael.pirrung@ucr.edu) with application questions.

For questions or problems during the online submission, please use the Contact Us Form.

Awards Earned by the Division

While the division supports a wide range award programs (see the Awards Menu above) and we have listed a variety of awards for organic chemists (given by ACS) that are given to recognize achievements in the field, the division has won the awards listed below.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2023.

Awarded Fall 2024.

The Division of Organic Chemistry received the ChemLuminary Membership Affairs Committee (MAC) Industry Engagement & Outreach Award for the enhanced programming introduced at the National Organic Symposium (NOS) in 2022 and 2023. The NOS was significantly enriched by expanding the number of plenary speakers and increasing travel awards for participants. These enhancements reflect our commitment to broadening access and engagement within the chemistry community. One of the most impactful additions to the recent NOS meetings was the introduction of “Industry Sessions.” These lightning seminar talks, presented by experts from various industries, provided a comprehensive overview of career opportunities, company missions, and research goals in just 15 minutes. This innovative approach not only facilitated valuable insights into industry careers but also fostered stronger connections between academia and industry, sparking meaningful discussions in a more informal setting.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2021.

Awarded Fall 2022.

The Division of Organic Chemistry was recognized for Innovation and Outstanding Service to Members of a Division by developing the Organic Chemistry Data website which was developed with use with mobile devices. The site features approximately 1,500 HTML pages and 650 PDF documents fundamental to understanding organic chemistry. More than 225,000 visitors (approximately 1,000 users per day) accessed the site in 2021.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2014.

Awarded Fall 2015.

The Division of Organic Chemistry is recognized with an Outstanding Technical Division Career Program Award for the Young Investigator’s Symposium (YIS) held at Fall ACS meetings. The YIS provides great exposure and recognition for young, highly innovative industrial chemists to show their accomplishments in a national forum. Over 100 young scientists from large and small companies, government, and non-profit agencies have received the award since 2007.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2013.

Awarded Fall 2014.

The Division of Organic Chemistry is recognized for the 2013 (4th) Annual Graduate Research Symposium (GRS) that was held at the University of Delaware, where 49 graduate students were selected from 38 institutions to present their research to peers and professional participants from academia and industry. The networking among the students was the greatest single benefit of this program.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2012.

Awarded Fall 2013.

The Technical Achievements in the Organic Chemistry Award Symposium (TAOC) recognized outstanding contributions in the field of organic chemistry from accomplished chemists at the bachelor’s and master’s levels who are pursuing careers in chemical industry and research institutes. Symposium awardees presented their research at the 2012 ACS Fall National Meeting. The TAOC program was initiated in 1992, and as of 2013, there have been a total of 272 awards.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2011.

Awarded Fall 2012.

The Division of Organic Chemistry annually awards summer undergraduate research fellowships (SURF) to outstanding organic chemistry students. The fellowships provide support for undergraduates to carry out independent research at their respective colleges/universities. Students then have the opportunity to visit the Pfizer Global R&D Center and present their research.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2009.

Awarded Fall 2010.

The Organic Division is being recognized for establishing an annual symposium to provide opportunities for Assistant Professors (details of the program) to present their work in a high profile setting at a national meeting preceding their tenure decisions. See C&EN 2010, 88 (41), 44.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2005.

Awarded Fall 2006.

Outstanding Programming for Younger Chemists by a Division. The Division of Organic Chemistry – The Division of Organic Chemistry awards Young Researcher Travel Awards to aid young chemists in presenting papers or posters at the ACS National Meetings as well as sponsors fellowships to outstanding third and fourth year graduate students in organic chemistry.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 2002.

Awarded Fall 2003.

ORGN has one of the most impressive websites maintained by a Division. ORGN has established the Troyansky Endowed Graduate Fellowship. With industrial support, ORGN has increased the quantity and quality of support to graduate students. See C&EN 2003, 81 (41), 114.

ChemLuminary Award for Activities in 1999.

Awarded Fall 2000.

The Division of Organic Chemistry raised funds for 18 graduate student fellowships in the amount of $18,500 each. The division also maintains a website for employment opportunities in organic chemistry where prospective postdoctoral members and potential employers can register. See C&EN 2000, 78 (38), 74.

ACS Award for Outstanding Performance by Large Divisions

Awarded 1990

This award was in recognition of outstanding services of the Division to its members and for meritorious contributions to the chemical profession and public understanding of the fundamental importance of chemistry to mankind.

ACS Organic Division Undergraduate Awards

Purpose of the Undergraduate Award

The ACS Division of Organic Chemistry is pleased to sponsor an Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry that is intended to recognize senior students who display a significant aptitude for organic chemistry and to encourage further interest in the field.

The Undergraduate Award

Consists of a letter of recognition from the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry and an award certificate signed by the division chair. Awardees who are members of the ACS will also receive membership to the Division of Organic Chemistry; those who are not will receive Affiliate status. Division affiliates have all of the benefits of membership in the division with the exception of voting, serving on committees, and eligibility for certain awards. For a full description of the benefits of membership in the division, please click here. Awardee’s will be recognized on the Division’s website.

Nominations for the Undergraduate Award

Institutions are invited to select a top graduating senior student majoring in either chemistry or biochemistry who has demonstrated excellence in organic chemistry based on a combination of research experience, coursework and a desire to pursue a career in chemistry.

Starting in 2022, we started to allow an additional nomination can be made for a graduating student deemed extraordinary by the department. The student(s) nominated should be enrolled at your institution for the current academic year. All schools may nominate a second extraordinary student when they include consideration in areas such as race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, non-traditional gender identification or sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or (dis)ability. The Division of Organic Chemistry shares ACS’ core value of diversity, equity, inclusion and respect, and “believes in the strength of diversity in all its forms, because inclusion of and respect for diverse people, experiences, and ideas lead to superior solutions to world challenges and advances chemistry as a global, multidisciplinary science.” Please note that data obtained by ACS on the gender of Bachelor’s level chemists indicates that women and men are graduating at nearly equal numbers since 2001. Therefore, the Division has removed gender as criteria for a second nomination for this award.

Additionally Institutions graduating more than 100 chemistry and biochemistry majors in the award year, may make up to three nominations of graduating senior students when they include diversity as stated above.

To nominate a student, the Department Chair or the Chair of the Department Awards Committee (or similar), should complete the appropriate online form (see below).

Past Undergraduate Awardees

The award criteria were changed in 2021 to give institutions that graduated 100 or more chemistry and biochemistry majors a second nomination. In addition, reflecting the commitment of the American Chemical Society to the core value of diversity, equity, inclusion and respect, any institution is now allowed to make a second nomination of a student deemed extraordinary in consideration of diversity (see criteria above). Each awardee has been sent a certificate and a letter detailing how they can obtain free membership in the division (provided the institution submitted the application on time). These items were sent to the nominator for distribution to the student.

• The 2024 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (390) (PDF)
• The 2023 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (399) (PDF)
• The 2022 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (400) (PDF)
• The 2021 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (367) (PDF)
• The 2020 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (355) (PDF)
• The 2019 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (377) (PDF)
• The 2018 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (322) (PDF)
• The 2017 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (337) (PDF)
• The 2016 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (346) (PDF)
• The 2015 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (307) (PDF)
• The 2014 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (296) (PDF)
• The 2013 Organic Division Undergraduate Awardees (180) (PDF)

Please note that the ACS Organic Division’s Undergraduate Award is different from the longer running Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Award provided by the POLYED center, which is an award designated for outstanding performance by an undergraduate chemistry major in the two-semester organic sequence. In 2019, PolyED was disbanded and the award is no longer issued.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)

Purpose of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program

To provide funding for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships for outstanding undergraduate organic chemistry students attending colleges and universities in the United States.

Nature

These competitive fellowships ($6,000) are awarded on the merits of students’ research proposals, academic records, faculty recommendations and their passion for laboratory science. SURF fellowships will provide support for undergraduates in organic chemistry to carry out research at their respective colleges/universities in the summer between their junior and senior year. In addition, the program will provide financial support to enable recipients to visit an industrial campus in the fall for a dinner, award session, scientific talks, a tour of the campus and a poster session, where the results of the summer research investigations would be presented. Information on the program and application forms are available below.

History

The program was established in 2009. The complete list of Previous DOC SURF Awardees is available

Support

Donations from companies and individuals for the Organic Division’s SURF Program is strongly encouraged. Please contact Karen Draths and Katelyn Billings make an inquiry on how to support this rewarding program.

Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-racism, and Anti-Harassment

Racism, bias and hate have no place in the DOC, the ACS, in science, or anywhere. The DOC has Adopted an Anti-Harassment Policy.

Selection Criteria for Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships:

Fellowship recipients will be selected by an Advisory Committee using the following criteria:

• Demonstrated interest and talent of the student in organic chemistry
• Merit and feasibility of the research project
• Commitment of the faculty mentor to support the student in his/her work
• Academic record, particularly in organic chemistry and related sciences.
• Demonstrated importance of the award in facilitating the personal and career plans of the nominee.
• A Faculty research mentor may not have two awardees within a three year period

2025 Sponsors:

Nomination process

Nominations from women and minorities who are typically under-represented in chemistry are especially encouraged.

The faculty mentor (who must be a member of the Organic Division) must submit the completed SURF Application and the requested documents through the online application form as a single PDF file consisting of the following items in the following order:

1. The completed “Student Application Cover Sheet” (page 1 of the SURF Application as a docx file)
2. A statement from the nominee describing the importance of this opportunity to his/her personal and career plans (typically 1-2 paragraphs). Indicate how a summer research project fits into your long-range plans. Provide any background about yourself and/or your personal or professional goals that you would like us to know.
3. A description of the proposed research project, authored by the student in collaboration with the faculty mentor (typically 2-5 pages). Describe the project you propose to undertake next summer. Describe your background that has prepared you to do this work and your proposed methodology. Provide as much detail as possible.
4. An unofficial transcript (with overall GPA) of the nominee and a list of courses to be taken during the rest of the current application year.
5. The completed “Faculty Mentor Cover Sheet” (page 2 of the SURF Application as a docx file) – A Faculty mentor may not have two awardees within a three year period
6. A letter of recommendation from the faculty mentor on the qualifications of the nominee to carry out the project successfully.
7. The completed “Department Chair/Head Cover Sheet” (page 3 of the SURF Application as a docx file)
8. A brief letter from the Department Chair indicating that the student is a departmental nominee (there may be no more than 2 nominees per department, and no more than 1 nominee per research group) and that the department will provide the necessary equipment, space and administrative support to the project. In the event the faculty mentor is also the department chair, then the faculty member’s immediate supervisor should complete this form.

Student nominees should be U.S. citizens or permanent resident visa holders at the time of application. Applications from minorities are especially encouraged. This program targets current Juniors and they will be given preference. While two nominations are allowed per department, preference will be given to spreading awards out across different schools. Student may not hold a DOC Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship concomitantly with a similar fellowship from another source. The student nominees are required to be members of the ACS and the Organic Division (their ACS number will be requested). Information on becoming a member of the Division can be found here. Please be sure the nominated students do not have fall travel/study commitments (i.e. study abroad) that conflict with the poster session, scheduled for September/October.

Applications are to be submitted by the Faculty Mentor who must be an Organic Division Member as a single PDF file (named using the format: StudentNominee’sLast Name_First Name-SURF.pdf i.e. Smith_Jane-SURF.pdf) through this online form SURF

Application Deadline is Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

Applications submitted late, via mechanisms other than the online form, or out of order (as described above) will be disqualified.

Announcement of the awards is typically made in March.

Funding Usage Policies

• A maximum of $1000 may be used for supplies and materials related to the project.
• Funds cannot be used for Indirect Costs (Facilities and Administrative).

Questions regarding the program should be directed to Karen Draths and Katelyn Billings

2025 Students

Katharine Amsden

School: Occidental College
Mentor: Raul Navarro
Research: Optimization of a Palladium-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Cyclopropanation of Phthalides and Isoindolinones Using Data Chemistry
Sponsor: Genentech

Olivia Brown

School: Old Dominion University
Mentor: Kyle Lambert
Research: Advancing Bench-Stable Co(III) Complexes for Allylboration Reactions
Sponsor: Pfizer

Sam Charney

School: Yale University
Mentor: Seth Herzon
Research: Total Synthesis of Nocardiosis-Associated Polyketide Natural Product
Sponsor: Biohaven

Caitlin Dougherty

School: Michigan State University
Mentor: Joseph Gair
Research: Positional Analog Scanning by a Tag and Separate Strategy
Sponsor: Pfizer

Tanya D’Souza

School: University of California, Los Angeles
Mentor: Stuart Conway
Research: A High-throughput Direct to Biology Approach to Identify Selective EP300 Degraders
Sponsor: Genentech

Benjamin Kozloff

School: University of Rochester
Mentor: Alison Frontier
Research: Building molecular complexity through the reductive halo-Nazarov cyclization
Sponsor: Merck

Nora O’Connor

School: Harvey Mudd College
Mentor: David Vosburg
Research: Two-step Synthesis of Acylated Pyrimidines through TCFH–NMI Coupling and Sulfenylnitrene Skeletal Editing
Sponsor: Pfizer

Zachary Paikin

School: Emory University
Mentor: Monika Raj
Research: Addressing the “Forgotten Epidemic”: A Chemoproteomics Approach to Understand Inhalant Toxicity and Addiction
Sponsor: Genentech

Jordyn Pieper

School: College of Charleston
Mentor: Michael Giuliano
Research: Exploring Folding Thermodynamics in Irregularly Structured Peptides
Sponsor: BMS

Dalton Raykowski

School: Harvard University
Mentor: Richard Liu
Research: Tandem Aminocarbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling
Sponsor: Pfizer

Thomas Reimer

School: University of Notre Dame
Mentor: Brandon Ashfeld
Research: Studies Towards a Methodology for Meta-Selective Olefination of Phenols with Squaraine Ligands
Sponsor: Lilly

Alexandria Reyes

School: New York University
Mentor: Marvin Parasram
Research: C-H Functionalization Using Photo-excited N-Centered 1,3-Dipoles
Sponsor: Biopharmaworks

Kennith Ross

School: University of Delaware
Mentor: Mary Watson
Research: Investigation of Deaminative Cross-Couplings of Allylic Pyridiniums
Sponsor: GSK

Isaiah Torres

School: UC Irvine
Mentor: Christopher Vanderwal
Research: Advancing Pyrroloiminoquinone Alkaloids: Novel Antiprotozoal Agents Targeting Malaria and Babesiosis
Sponsor: Pfizer

Rachel VanWinkle

School: Campbell University
Mentor: Evan Reynolds
Research: Enzymatic cross-coupling of carbonyl compounds and alkyl halides: crossing into new territory with thiamine-dependent enzymes
Sponsor: Genentech

Ethan Warrington

School: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Mentor: Jennifer Schomaker
Research: Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric C-H Amination Through Mechanism-Based Ligand Design
Sponsor: BMS

Testimonials on Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

2022 SURF Awardee-Nathan Tang

The ACS DOC SURF program was an incredible privilege to participate in. It had a little of everything: resources to support summer research, opportunities to meet leading chemists in the industry, insightful talks to increase chemical horizons, and multiple presentations to develop communication skills. I was so glad I decided to apply to this prestigious program since I came away from the dinner and poster session with new connections, friendships, and knowledge.
Due to the fellowship’s selective nature, everyone we engaged with during the dinner and poster session was able to dedicate their attention to meeting us as people and offering advice and wisdom from their accomplished careers. It was inspiring to be around so many people who spoke the language of chemistry and cared about aiding the development of the next generation of organic chemists. From the mentor I received through my industry sponsor to the tours of industrial technology, the only wish I had is that we could have stayed together longer!

2022 SURF Awardee-Daniel Hubin

The SURF program is so much more than just funding for summer research. Although it is nice to receive financial compensation for all those hours spent in lab doing what I love to do, being a part of this fellowship is so much more rewarding.
Throughout the summer, the opportunities to meet with likeminded peers and professional chemists alike are numerous. Getting to take part in conversations with these people throughout the summer makes the research so much more fun and fulfilling. Presenting my research at the end of the summer was by far my favorite part of the fellowship. Everyone who is a part of SURF truly cares about the research we did over the summer and their interest is obvious through their insightful questions and insight. The presentation and poster session were opportunities to actually engage in discussion with very smart and inquisitive chemists, and I learned so much through those presentations alone.
It is humbling to be a part of such a group of talented and smart people and I appreciate the SURF committee for giving me the opportunity to do so.