What an incredible week at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Chemistry as we hosted the 5th Houk Research Conference (HRC)! Guided by this year’s theme, "Bridging Computation, Experiment, and Data," the event brought together an extraordinary global community to celebrate the scientific legacy of Professor Kendall N. Houkat UCLA.
We are proud to share some highlights from this fantastic gathering:
- 120 Attendees: We welcomed 120 registered participants representing 47 world-class institutions and companies.
- 20 Invited Lectures: Leading voices in physical organic chemistry, machine learning, and catalysis delivered 20 exceptional talks across the three days.
- "AI for Research & Education" Panel: A major highlight of the program was Friday's panel discussion, which brought together experts to tackle the future of machine learning in physical organic chemistry and chemical education.
- 54 Poster Presentations: Our poster sessions showcased 54 brilliant abstracts, featuring outstanding contributions from graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduates driving tomorrow's chemical breakthroughs.
Beyond the sessions at the O'Hara Student Center, attendees enjoyed unforgettable networking experiences, from our opening reception at the Chevron Science Center to a scenic Three Rivers cruise aboard the Gateway Clipper Fleet.
A massive thank you to the conference co-organizers—our very own Prof. Peng Liu (University of Pittsburgh) and Prof. Zhongyue (John) Yang (Vanderbilt University)—as well as our sponsors, the ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry and Wiley, for making this milestone event possible!
