Division of Physical Sciences

Interview with new faculty Chenfanfu Jiang

Meet Chenfanfu Jiang—an extraordinary mathematician that will be joining the UCLA Physical Sciences Division during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Geologists solve half-century mystery of a two billion year old rock holding animal traces

Geologists have been baffled by perforations in an Australian quartzite rock, identical in shape to burrows made in sands by crustaceans; the original sandy sediment is a billion years older than the oldest known animals. An international team of scientists has now resolved the mystery.

Welcome our 2021 new faculty to the Division of Physical Sciences

Abigail DoyleChemistry & BiochemistrySaul Winstein Chair of Organic Chemistry Prof. Doyle joined the department as a Full Professor effective July 1, 2021. Her office and laboratory are located in the Molecular Science Building. Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Prof. Doyle received her A.B. and A.M. summa cum laude in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Harvard…

Virtual reality boosts and retunes brain rhythms crucial for learning and memory

New research shows that VR therapy can be used for the early diagnosis and treatment of memory disorders, ranging from Alzheimer’s to ADHD.

Reappointment of Miguel García-Garibay as Dean of Physical Sciences

On July 2, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Emily Carter circulated the announcement below: Dear Colleagues: Following a customary five-year administrative review, Chancellor Block and I have asked Miguel García-Garibay to continue to serve as dean of the Division of Physical Sciences at UCLA. I am pleased to inform you that he has accepted the…

Continuing the Fight Against COVID-19

From mathematics to virology, scientists in UCLA’s Division of Physical Sciences have taken the mechanisms they specialize in and applied them to creating tools to combat COVID-19.

New developments in analyzing data

New developments in analyzing data A perspective article by Dr. Jingyi Jessica Li, associate professor of statistics, was published in the journal Patterns, a new data science journal of Cell Press. The article can be read here. Co-authored by Dr. Xin Tong at University of Southern California, Dr. Li’s article offers practical guidelines for choosing…

Honoring Professor Olga Radko

UCLA Mathematics Professor Olga Radko (1975-2020), Founder of Los Angeles Math Circle Pioneering UCLA mathematics professor Olga Radko died of ovarian cancer on June 29 at the age of 45. She was known for her work in the field of Poisson geometry, in particular her complete classification of two-dimensional Poisson structures, objects now sometimes referred…

Physics lab makes new materials

UCLA physicists overcome challenges to make new materials with optimized properties Ni Ni’s lab discovers the first ferromagnetic topological insulator Ni Ni, a UCLA associate professor of physics, is one of the world’s most influential and highly cited researchers. Among her many major publications are two very recent discoveries. She and her research team reported in Nature…

UCLA Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences to receive $4.1 million

Gift to support endowed chair in oceanography, key to the future of the planet UCLA’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences has received a $4.1 million gift commitment – the largest in the department’s history – from adjunct professor Lawrence W. Harding, Jr. (“Larry”) to establish the Lawrence Harding Endowed Chair, which will support a…