Chemistry students win numerous awards

It was a busy year for awards, despite the constraints of a pandemic. In May, the Department of Chemistry celebrated students, faculty and staff with an online awards and graduation event called Celebrating Student Success. Because of generous donors, the department was able to give almost $500,000 in student support. See the winners of department and other awards below.

Two students named to QISE-NET’S Fall 2020 Cohort

Two WQI graduate students, Chuanhong (Vincent) Liu (McDermott Group) and Cecilia Vollbrecht (Goldsmith Group), have had their projects awarded funding through QISE-NET, the Quantum Information Science and Engineering Network. Run through the University of Chicago, QISE-NET is open to any student pursuing an advanced degree in any field of quantum science. Liu, Vollbrecht, and other students in their cohort earn up to three years of support, including funding, mentoring and training at annual workshops. All awardees are paired with a mentoring QISE company or national lab, at which they will complete part of their projects. Liu and Vollbrecht explain their projects below.

UW-Madison chemists chosen as part of Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative

A group of UW-Madison chemists have been selected to participate in a Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) for the United States Army. This fundamental research, which begins in May, will explore new material combinations and responsive material designs. The total award for the project is $6.25 million over five years, with $1.03 million going to the Boydston group at UW-Madison and the rest to researchers at partner institutions.