As a UC Davis associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the College of Letters and Science, Jesús Velázquez employs his chemistry expertise to synthesize materials useful for environmental remediation, transforming carbon dioxide-based waste streams, and energy conversion and storage. With his sights set on transforming the world for the better through chemistry, Velázquez, ever humble, never fails to thank the family members and academic mentors who guided his life path. Their imprint echoes into today, informing how he mentors and teaches.

In a new paper appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Professor of Chemistry Frank Osterloh and his colleagues unveiled a new type of solar cell that might be used in tandem with current commercial solar cell technologies to improve solar conversion efficiency and produce clean hydrogen fuel.