Chemistry Commencement

12:30 PM on Sunday, June 15, 2025 | Sapp Center

2025 Commencement Speaker:

Neal Devaraj, Professor and the Murray Goodman Endowed Chair in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California San Diego (UCSD)

He completed his undergraduate studies at MIT where he performed research in the laboratory of Prof. Moungi Bawendi. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry at Stanford University working under Profs. James Collman and Christopher Chidsey. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Ralph Weissleder at the Harvard Medical School, he returned to Southern California to join the faculty at UCSD. His research group at UCSD has developed approaches for the in-situ synthesis of synthetic cell membranes by using selective reactions to “stitch” together lipid fragments. This work has enabled the demonstration of self-reproducing lipid compartments and artificial membranes that can remodel their chemical structure. Recently, his lab has developed techniques to synthesize lipid species within living cells, enabling studies that decipher how lipid structure affects cellular function. For his lab’s work, he has been recognized by the American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry, being named a Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemistry, the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship. He completed his undergraduate studies at MIT where he performed research in the laboratory of Prof. Moungi Bawendi. He obtained his PhD in Chemistry at Stanford University working under Profs. James Collman and Christopher Chidsey. Following a postdoctoral fellowship with Ralph Weissleder at the Harvard Medical School, he returned to Southern California to join the faculty at UCSD. His research group at UCSD has developed approaches for the in-situ synthesis of synthetic cell membranes by using selective reactions to “stitch” together lipid fragments. This work has enabled the demonstration of self-reproducing lipid compartments and artificial membranes that can remodel their chemical structure. Recently, his lab has developed techniques to synthesize lipid species within living cells, enabling studies that decipher how lipid structure affects cellular function. For his lab’s work, he has been recognized by the American Chemical Society Award in Pure Chemistry, being named a Blavatnik National Laureate in Chemistry, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship, and the American Chemical Society Cope Scholar Award.

To see past commencement ceremonies, visit our Past Commencement Ceremonies and YouTube channel.

For more information about the University-wide commencement ceremony, please visit the university commencement site