Seminars/Events

Chemistry Department Seminars

Chemistry Department Seminars will be in-person in SL 130 for Winter 2026, unless otherwise noted. Some seminars may be also be broadcast online and recorded. For access to online seminars and/or recordings, please see the Majors Canvas page or contact the chemistry department at chemistry@wwu.edu with W#.

The department strives to offer a diverse and vibrant seminar program. Each year leading researchers from outside the department, as well as faculty and graduate students from Western, present and discuss their cutting-edge research. This is an excellent opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and visitors to actively participate in the scientific community. In addition, many outside seminar speakers are recruiting graduate students for their respective programs and are eager to discuss their program. All are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Current Seminar Schedule

Welcome to the Winter Quarter 2026 Seminar Schedule!

Seminars will be in-person in SL 130 throughout the quarter, unless otherwise noted.

IN-PERSON Seminars typically take place on Friday from 3:15-4:15 pm in SL 130.

Seminar topics and titles will be posted as we receive additional information from speakers.

Winter Quarter 2026 Seminars

Friday, January 9

Title: Exploring Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Speaker: Dr. Tim Kowalczyk, Western Washington University and student panel

Location: SL 130

Friday, January 16

Title: Graduate School Opportunities in Canada at Simon Fraser University (and a Little About Organic Mixed Conductors)

Speaker: Dr. Loren Kaake, Simon Fraser University

Location: SL 130

Abstract: Simon Fraser University is a large public research university in the Vancouver, BC metro area which sits atop a 1000 ft mountain. The department of chemistry is a vibrant place with over 25 research active faculty members and close to 100 graduate students. Faculty research interests range from chemical biology, to inorganic chemistry, to nuclear medicine and nuclear science, to materials for renewable energy applications. The talk will introduce some of the topics of interest in the department and describe the steps necessary. If you wish to learn more, please visit the SFU chemistry website (https://www.sfu.ca/chemistry/graduate/prospective.html) and feel free to reach out to any of our faculty to inquire about openings.

Organic mixed conductors can transport both ions and electronic charge carriers. Many devices which leverage this property have been developed, including biosensors, energy storage materials, light emitting electrochemical cells, organic electrochemical transistors, and neuromorphic computing elements, to name a few. Structure-property relationships and fundamental mechanisms are vital to improving materials. I will describe how ions move via a diffusive process. I will also describe the importance of solubility interactions in describing mass transport properties in polymers. Time permitting, recent results on water desalination using conducting polymers will be described.

Friday, January 23

WWU Alumni Double-Header (with pizza!)

First Title: Industry Roles for Scientists: Regulatory and Quality Work Explained

First Speaker: Alexander Cutler, President of Cutler Consulting, LLC and Affiliate Assistant Professor, UW Pharmacy (B.S. Biochemistry, WWU ’14)

Location: SL 130

First Abstract: Alexander Cutler (B.S. Biochemistry, WWU ’14) returns to discuss his work in biomedical regulatory affairs—an industry role that connects scientific training to the development and oversight of medical technologies. After ten years consulting for device and biotech firms and teaching regulatory science at the University of Washington, he offers a clear look at how chemists and other scientists build stable, impactful careers in this field. The talk explains what regulatory and quality work actually involves, how technical skills translate directly into it, and why it represents a realistic professional path for those who enjoy science but prefer applied, cross-disciplinary work outside the lab.

Second Title: Making Molecules into Medicines, and Delivering Drugs to their Target Destinations

Second Speaker: Joseph "Joe" McCollum, Formulations Scientist, AAHI

Location: SL 130

Second Abstract: Joe McCollum (B.S. Biochemistry, WWU ’14) returns to the WWU campus to discuss roles in the pharmaceutical industry for WWU students. His seminar focuses on his experience in the vaccine industry, and translates how the skills learned in WWU classes directly apply to solving problems in pharmaceutical drug development. As a formulation scientist with broad experience, his seminar also contains real-world examples and personal anecdotes about how to be successful in this dynamic and rewarding field.

Friday, January 30

Joint CBE - Chemistry AMSEC Seminar / Rescheduled for Friday February 27

Title: STEM Entrepreneurship special joint seminar with College of Business and Economics

Speaker: Bob Kramer, Kramer Knives

Location: SL 130

Friday, February 6

Jean Dreyfus Lectureship

Title: Organometallic Chemistry in Catalysis and Materials Science

Speaker: Dr. Cathleen Crudden, Queen's University

Location: SL 130

Abstract: The use of N-heterocyclic carbenes to modify homogeneous metal catalysts is widespread since the high metal–NHC bond strength renders high oxidative and chemical stability to NHC–ligated metal complexes. Despite this fact, the use of NHCs to modify metal surfaces has received little attention until recently.

We will describe the use of NHC ligands to stabilize metal surfaces, including gold, copper, silver, platinum, ruthenium and cobalt. Self assembled monolayers prepared by the deposition of NHCs show molecular ordering on the surface and remarkable stability. The impact of NHCs on the chemistry of nanoclusters will also be discussed, including the preparation of chiral NHC-stabilized Au nanoclusters.

We will also describe advances in cross-coupling chemistry the preparation of complex chiral molecules of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. This will include the ability to cross-couple seemingly identical boron substituents with different electrophiles, taking advantage of inherent differences in transmetallation behaviour and the development of sulfones as novel electrophiles for Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling chemistry particularly in alkyl cross-coupling reactions.

Friday, February 13

Title: Windows into Disease with NMR Metabolomics

Speaker: Dr. David Rovnyak, Bucknell University

Location: On Zoom only (access requires login with your WWU account): https://wwu-edu.zoom.us/j/95088095472

Friday, February 20

Title: Biologically inspired mono-and bi-metallic complexes coordinated by redox-active ligands

Speaker: Dr. Linus Chiang, University of the Fraser Valley

Location: On Zoom only https://wwu-edu.zoom.us/j/98791552700

Abstract: In Nature, metalloenzymes utilize earth abundant metals in their active sites towards substrate activation. These reactivities are often attributed to the formation of metal-containing intermediates with unique electronic structures, such as oxidized metal centers and/or ligand species, or involvement of multiple metals cooperatively. These observations have attracted significant research interest towards the isolation and characterization of synthetic analogues in attempts to harness, or even improve upon these impressive reactivity feats. To this end, this seminar will discuss our group's efforts on the synthesis, spectroscopic (UV-Vis-NIR, X-ray absorption, EPR) and theoretical (DFT, TD-DFT) characterization, and electrochemistry of biologically inspired metal complexes. Their unique electronic structures were accomplished via ligand design: for example, we have recently reported a novel tetradentate bis(amidateanilido) ligand that not only stabilizes oxidized metal centers upon deprotonation, but can also undergoes ligand oxidation upon the addition of a suitable chemical oxidant. The resulting species, which contains an oxidized metal center coordinated by a ligand radical, are akin to Compound I in Cytochrome P450. Similarly, the synthesis and characterization of pyridazine-bridge bimetallic complexes coordinated by redox active iminosemiquinone ligands, inspired by particulate methane monooxygenase and galactose oxidase respectively, will also be discussed.