2022 Impact Report

2022 Impact Report UC Berkeley College of Chemistry

Dean’s Report

Dear College of Chemistry Family, Another fall is upon us, and we are nearing the end of the College of Chemistry’s 150th anniversary. In true Berkeley Chemistry fashion, our milestone anniversary came with more milestone achievements. Perhaps most notable was the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which was awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi (Ph.D. ’93, Chemistry), a former Professor of Chemistry who spent her formative years and did her Nobel-winning work at UC Berkeley.

Fiscal year 2022 was a terrific success for philanthropy in the College. With a total of $33M raised, it was our second highest fundraising year ever. Of that total, $18M was raised for Heathcock Hall, and $8.2M was raised for faculty and student programs.

Long-time supporter of the College, and Chemical Engineering alum, Bruce Stangeland (Ph.D. ’67, ChemE) and his wife Susan (B.S. History) became ‘Builders of Berkeley’ members this year, donating more than $1M over time. Advisory Board Member Herbert Hooper (Ph.D. ’90, ChemE) and his wife, Leila Hooper, generously donated a $1M toward Heathcock Hall in honor of his research advisor, Professor Emeritus John Prausnitz. And Mr. and Mrs. Chen of PMP Tech, Inc. made a substantial commitment for the purchase of a Bruker 500 MHz Cryoprobe Spectrometer, an instrument that will significantly expand our NMR research capabilities across the College and campuswide.

We are welcoming five new assistant professors to the College during academic year 2022-23: Ziyang Zhang (chemical biology), Hendrik Utzat (physical chemistry), and Jennifer Bergner (physical chemistry) in the Department of Chemistry; Aditi Krishnapriyan (machine learning/AI) in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and Robert Saxton (chemical biology) jointly in the Departments of Molecular & Cell Biology and Chemistry. We are so pleased to have recruited these amazing young scholars; they are all truly exemplary and will further enhance our vibrant community of exceptional teachers and researchers.

Our faculty continue to inspire us and the community with their entrepreneurial spirit and focus on public service. This year, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor David Schaffer became Director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, a campus complex for science-based startups and programs for scholars and researchers. Chemistry Professor Peidong Yang began a partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners to explore the development of technology that will convert air into sugar. These are but two examples of our faculty playing important leadership roles in the service of science and technology.

Finally, so far we have fundraised just over $130M for Heathcock Hall, well on our way towards the finish line of $150M. The generosity of the Berkeley College of Chemistry community will help us realize our vision for this next pillar of chemical and chemical engineering excellence in the form of a state-of-the-art research facility. Your critical support will have a lasting impression on our faculty, students, and researchers. Thank you for your partnership and investment towards solving global issues and improving our society.

Douglas S. Clark Dean, College of Chemistry | Gilbert N. Lewis Professor

Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Highlights

Heathcock Hall Capital Campaign

Annual Fund Campaign Our Highest Fundraising Year Ever!

Campaign Priorities

More Information For a more detailed look at this year’s Impact Report visit our website at chemistry.berkeley.edu