Research and Teaching Excellence
Our faculty pursue questions ranging from the fundamental nature of matter to the analysis of complicated networks and the treatment of disease. As researchers, they collaborate across disciplines and break boundaries, offering rich opportunities for the students, postgraduates and visiting scientists who work with them. As educators, they mentor and model in the spirit of teaching excellence for which the school known. Our faculty--past and present--have received prestigious awards and recognitions and many are members of top scientific societies. Faculty member profiles can be found on each of our four department websites:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics,
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics,
- Chemistry,
- Mathematics, and
- Physics.
Nobel Prize
Hannes Alfven
Department of Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1970
Paul Crutzen
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1995
Maria Geoppert Mayer
Department of Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics, 1963
Mario Molina
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1995
Linus Pauling
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1954), Peace (1962)
Roger Tsien
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2008
Harold Urey
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1934
Fields Medal
Michael Freedman
Department of Mathematics
1994Shing-Tung Yau
Department of Mathematics
1982Efim Zelmanov
Department of Mathematics
1994
Breakthrough Prize
James McKernan
Department of Mathematics
Mathematics, 2018
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
Jack Dixon
Department of Chemistry
Michael Freedman
Department of Mathematics
George Fuller
Department of Physics
Fan Chung Graham
Department of Mathematics
Nigel Goldenfeld
Department of Physics
Terence Hwa
Department of Physics
Cliff Kubiak
Department of Chemistry
Brian Maple
Department of Physics
J. Andrew McCammon
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Kim Prather
Department of Chemistry
Lu Sham
Department of Physics
Harold Stark
Department of Mathematics
Susan Taylor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Mark Thiemens
Department of Chemistry
Ruth Williams
Department of Mathematics
Efim Zelmanov
Department of Mathematics
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Salah Baouendi
Department of Mathematics
Jack Dixon
Department of Chemistry
Michael Freedman
Department of Mathematics
Nigel Goldenfeld
Department of Physics
Fan Chung Graham
Department of Mathematics
Vicki Grassian
Department of Chemistry
Kenneth Intriligator
Department of Physics
David Kleinfeld
Department of Physics
Clifford Kubiak
Department of Chemistry
Brian Maple
Department of Physics
J. Andrew McCammon
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
MIchael Norman
Department of Physics
Kimberly Prather
Department of Chemistry
Linda Rothschild
Department of Mathematics
Ivan Schuller
Department of Physics
Harold Stark
Department of Mathematics
Susan Taylor
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Mark Thiemens
Department of Chemistry
Nolan Wallach
Department of Mathematics
Ruth Williams
Department of Mathematics
Efim Zelmanov
Department of Mathematics
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Dimitri Basov
Department of Physics
Steven Boggs
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michael Burkart
Department of Chemistry
Robert Continetti
Department of Chemistry
Edward Dennis
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Massimiliano Di Ventra
Department of Physics
Peter Ebenfelt
Department of Mathematics
Fan Chung Graham
Department of Mathematics
Vicki Grassian
Department of Chemistry
Benjamin Grinstein
Department of Physics
David Kearns
Department of Chemistry
David Kleinfeld
Department of Physics
Natalia Komarova
Department of Mathematics
Elizabeth Komives
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Aneesh Manohar
Department of Physics
Brian Maple
Department of Physics
J. Andrew McCammon
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics
Tadeusz Molinski
Department of Chemistry
Joseph O'Connor
Department of Chemistry
Kimberly Prather
Department of Chemistry
Linda Rothschild
Department of Mathematics
Michael Sailor
Department of Chemistry
Lu Sham
Department of Physics
Audry Terras
Department of Mathematics
William Trogler
Department of Chemistry
John Wheeler
Department of Chemistry
Wei Xiong
Department of Chemistry
Guggenheim Fellowship
Neal Devaraj
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Akif Tezcan
Department of Chemistry
UC San Diego Distinctions
Revelle Medal
Edward Dennis
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Fan Chung Graham
Department of Mathematics
Katja Lindenberg
Department of Physics
J. Andrew McCammon
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Lu Sham
Department of Physics
Joseph Watson
Department of Chemistry
Distinguished Teaching Award (since 2015)
Leesa Anzaldo
Department of Mathematics
Adam Burgasser
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Thomas Bussey
Department of Chemistry
Alison Coil
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Daniel Gonzales
Department of Physics
Todd Kemp
Department of Mathematics
Brian Leigh
Department of Chemistry
Eric Michelsen
Department of Physics
Avaneesh Narla
Department of Physics
Oleg Shpyrko
Department of Physics
Phil Tsai
Department of Physics
Ming Xiao
Department of Mathematics
Distinguished Research Award (since 2000)
Vicki Grassian
Department of Chemistry
David Kleinfeld
Department of Physics
Kimberly Prather
Department of Chemistry
Ivan Schuller
Department of Physics