Chemistry Commencement

Todd Martinez

The Department Commencement Ceremony will be on June 16th, 2024, at 12:30 pm PDT in the Sapp Center Auditorium.

2024 Commencement Speaker:

Todd Martinez, David Mulvane Ehrsam and Edward Curtis Franklin Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Photon Science at SLAC

Todd Martinez is the David Mulvane Ehrsam and Edward Curtis Franklin Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Photon Science at SLAC. A theoretical chemist, Todd Martínez, develops and applies new methods that predict and explain how atoms move in molecules. These methods are used both to design new molecules and to understand the behavior of those that already exist. His research group studies the response of molecules to light (photochemistry) and external force (mechanochemistry).

Current research in the Martínez lab aims to make molecular modeling both predictive and routine. New approaches to interactive molecular simulation are being developed, in which users interact with a virtual-reality-based molecular modeling kit that fully understands quantum mechanics. New techniques to discover heretofore unknown chemical reactions are being developed and tested, exploiting the many efficient methods that the Martínez group has introduced for solving quantum mechanical problems quickly, using a combination of physical/chemical insights and commodity video gaming hardware.

Martínez is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science, and the National Academy of Sciences.

To see past commencement ceremonies, visit our YouTube channel.

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