We partake in a number of activities during our biweekly meetings, such as research presentations, Chemistry Jeopardy, faculty seminars, etc.. Additionally, we host numerous events throughout the year, such as the annual Gregory L. Hillhouse Memorial Lecture and Research Lab Tours. See below for more details regarding these activities and events.
- Gregory L. Hillhouse Memorial Lecture
- Research Lab Tours
- "Your Path to Chemistry" Speaker Series
- Hillhouse Faculty-Student Basketball Game
Gregory L. Hillhouse Memorial Lecture
Professor Gregory Hillhouse was a professor in the Department of Chemistry at UChicago from 1983 to his passing in 2014. In addition to his prominent work as an organometallic/inorganic chemist, he was known as an ardent supporter of the undergraduate chemistry community, serving as the faculty advisor for Benzene and the undergraduate advisor for the Chemistry Department. The Department of Chemistry has established the Gregory L. Hillhouse Memorial Chemistry Undergraduate Fund to honor Greg's legacy. This fund will support an annual Gregory Hillhouse Lecture, for which the undergraduate Chemistry majors will invite and host prominent speakers. The Fund will also support fellowships to enable undergraduate majors to pursue research in Chemistry labs in the summer. See here for more information regarding contributions to the fund.
Previous speakers for the annual Gregory L. Hillhouse Memorial Lecture have included:
- 2017: Martin Karplus
- 2016: Daniel Mindiola
- 2015: Peter Wolczanski
- 2014: Jonas Peters
- 2013: Vy M. Dong
- 2012: Harry B. Gray
Research Lab Tours
Benzene recently began hosting research lab tours for undergraduate students who are interested in research opportunities in the Department of Chemistry. Many professors, from theorists to experimentalists, opened up their labs to give interested undergrads an inside look at the incredible research being done by the numerous postdocs, graduate students, and other undergraduate students in their groups. If you are interested in this event, please contact one of the student board members for more information.
"Your Path to Chemistry" Speaker Series
Every quarter, Benzene hosts a current UChicago faculty member to come to a meeting and speak about his or her own experiences in his or her path to chemistry, as each individual's path varies widely. These talks are meant to facilitate discussion between faculty and students, as well as provide insight about the different opportunities available in the field of chemistry.
Previous speakers for the "Your Path to Chemistry" series have included:
- Winter Quarter 2018: Scott Snyder
- Spring Quarter 2017: Stuart Rowan
- Winter Quarter 2017: Yossi Weizmann
- Autumn Quarter 2016: Bozhi Tian
- Spring Quarter 2016: Richard Jordan
- Winter Quarter 2016: Paul Nealey
- Autumn Quarter 2015: David Mazziotti
Hillhouse Faculty-Student Basketball Game
In the spring of 2016, a faculty-student basketball game was inaugurated in honor of Professor Hillhouse, who was a fiercely competitive intramural athlete, tremendously skilled at both basketball and softball. He also played pickup basketball with President Barack Obama. The game will increase connections between faculty and students of the chemistry department and honor Professor Hillhouse with one of his favorite sports.