Congratulations to Luis Valencia, a fifth-year student in the Cui Lab, for receiving the 2026 STAR Award.
Luis received this honor at the 2026 Graduate Student Awards Ceremony, where graduate students from the Department of Chemistry were celebrated for their achievements in awards, grants, and fellowships over the last academic year. The STAR (Safety, Training, and Research) Award recognizes individuals who are dedicated to fostering a culture of laboratory safety within the department.
Luis is a steadfast advocate for safety in the lab, consistently exemplifying best practices by utilizing all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), maintaining an organized workspace, promoting proper waste management, and cultivating an environment that prioritizes safety. His contributions to the Cui Lab include:
- Leading safety discussions at the beginning of weekly research meetings
- Sending monthly emails with important safety updates and community information
- Delivering annual safety presentations with clear visual protocols for various situations
- Conducting 1-2 quarterly walkthroughs to ensure compliance with safety standards
- Serving as a reliable resource for colleagues, proactively finding innovative solutions to safety issues
His peers in the Cui Lab, Christina Lee and Krishna Raghavan, note, “Luis has kept our lab community safe, encouraged safe practices, and served as a central resource for safety-related queries. He has spearheaded significant improvements to our lab’s safety culture, and truly values the well-being of his peers.”
Professor Bianxiao Cui praises Valencia, stating, "Luis is an exemplary lab safety officer. I am truly grateful for his efforts in establishing a safe laboratory environment for everyone."
Started in 2016, past recipients of the STAR Award include:
- 2016 Jessica Vargas (Wender Lab) & Chris Kalnmals (Trost Lab)
- 2017 Lecturers in Chemistry: Heidi Vollmer-Snarr, Megan Brennan, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann
- 2018 Todd Eberspacher
- 2019 Amanda Nelson & Jack Reidy
- 2022 Kayla Barker (Bertozzi Lab), Sam Hung (Fayer Lab) & Sebastian Fica-Contreras (Fayer Lab)
- 2023 Ashley Saunders (Liu Lab)
- 2024 Julia Dressel (Waymouth Lab)
- 2025 Pournima Narayanan (Congreve Lab)
Congratulations again, to Luis Valencia for this well-deserved recognition and for joining the ranks of past recipients who are dedicated to promoting lab safety within the department!