Neil Garg

Neil K. Garg
Neil Garg is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA.
Born (1978-12-18) December 18, 1978 (age 45)
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNYU (B.S., 2000)
California Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 2005)
AwardsDavid A. Evans Award, Robert Foster Cherry Award, Elias J. Corey Award, Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, Guggenheim Fellowship, Mukaiyama Award, RSC Horizon Prize
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
Doctoral advisorBrian M. Stoltz
Other academic advisorsMarc Walters (Undergraduate, NYU); Larry Overman (Postdoc, UC Irvine)
Websitehttps://garg.chem.ucla.edu

Neil K. Garg is currently a Distinguished professor of chemistry and holds the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair at the University of California, Los Angeles.[1][2]

Garg's research is focused on the chemical synthesis of organic compounds, with an emphasis on the development of new strategies to prepare complex molecules possessing unique structural, biological, and physical properties. His group challenges long-standing paradigms of reactivity. He has made breakthroughs in catalysis, especially strong bond activation of esters and amides using nickel catalysts, and in the understanding and utilization of strained intermediates, such as arynes, cyclic alkynes, and cyclic allenes. His laboratory has completed the total syntheses of many natural products, including welwitindolinones, akuammilines, tubingensin alkaloids, and lissodendoric acid A.[3] In 2020, Garg co-Founded ElectraTect, Inc.[4]

Garg is also a prominent educator and has received many accolades for his classroom teaching, including the Cherry Award.[5] He has inspired a series of student-created music videos[6] to encourage students to learn organic chemistry. He has led other projects, such as the Organic Coloring Book series,[7] The O-Chem (Re)-Activity Book,[8] the Backside Attack smartphone app,[9] QR Chem,[10] RS Chemistry,[11] Virtual Reality Chemistry,[12] ChemMatch,[13][14] Biology And Chemistry Online Notes (BACON).[15] and #MentorFirst.[16][17] In 2023, Garg created a successful summer camp called Chem Kids to teach organic chemistry to children.[18]

Career[2][19]

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Garg received his B.S. from New York University in 2000. He went on to earn his Ph.D. at the California Institute of Technology, where he studied organic chemistry under the supervision of Brian Stoltz as a DoD NDSEG Fellow, completing his studies in 2005. Upon completion of his graduate work, he held an NIH post-doctoral appointment in the laboratory of Larry Overman at University of California - Irvine from 2005 to 2007.

Garg was promoted to Distinguished Professor at UCLA in 2020. In 2018, he became the inaugural holder of the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair in Chemistry & Biochemistry. He has served as Vice Chair for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (2012-2016) and (2023–present) and served as the Department Chair (2019–2023).[2] He also served as Faculty-in-Residence in the UCLA dormitories from 2012-2021.

Awards and honors

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Garg has received more than fifty honors and awards for his research and teaching.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Neil K. Garg". ucla.edu. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "About Neil". Garg Lab. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  3. ^ "Publications". Garg Lab. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  4. ^ "ElectraTect". Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "How did organic chemistry become so beloved at UCLA? Professor Neil Garg is glad you asked". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  6. ^ "Garg Music Video Hall of Fame". Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  7. ^ "The Organic Coloring Book". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  8. ^ "The O-Chem (Re)-Activity Book". Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "Backside Attack". iTunes. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  10. ^ "QR Chem". Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  11. ^ "R/S Chemistry". rschemistry.com. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  12. ^ "VRChem". Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "ChemMatch". Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  14. ^ "UCLA researchers seek to inspire love for chemistry with educational website". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  15. ^ "Biology And Chemistry Online Notes". Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "#MentorFirst". Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Ippoliti, Francesca M.; Chari, Jason V.; Garg, Neil K. (May 11, 2022). "Advancing global chemical education through interactive teaching tools". Chemical Science. 13 (20): 5790–5796. doi:10.1039/D2SC01881K. PMC 9132018. PMID 35685782.
  18. ^ "Organic chem for kids? UCLA program immerses youngsters in notoriously challenging subject". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  19. ^ a b "Neil K. Garg – John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation…". Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  20. ^ "ACS announces its 2025 National Award winners". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
  21. ^ "Molecular Strainers - 2024 Organic Chemistry Horizon Prize: Perkin Prize in Physical Organic Chemistry winner". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  22. ^ "AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science Recipients | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  23. ^ "Mukaiyama Award | SSOCJ | The Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan". Mukaiyama Award | SSOCJ | The Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  24. ^ "Neil Garg, UCLA students, his daughters win Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prize". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  25. ^ "Pericyclases | 2021 Organic Division Horizon Prize: Bioorganic Chemistry Award winner". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  26. ^ "Leete Award". ACS Division of Organic Chemistry. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  27. ^ "ACS James Flack Norris Teaching Award | UCLA Chemistry and Biochemistry". www.chemistry.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  28. ^ "Announcing the 2019 NYU Alumni Award Honorees".
  29. ^ "UCLA's Neil Garg wins country's leading teaching award and its $250,000 prize". Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  30. ^ "Neil K. Garg *Award Recipient". Robert Foster Cherry Award | Baylor University. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  31. ^ "Past Recipients". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  32. ^ "Neil Garg named 2015 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching California Professor of the Year". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  33. ^ "Past Recipients". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
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