Sergio Garibay, UCSD

I am originally from Bakersfield California. Participating in Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA), a high school academic development program, sparked my interest in the field of chemistry. I obtained my B.S. in Chemistry at the California State University, Bakersfield. While at CSUB, I was an actively involved student affiliate of the American Chemical Society. Being a participant of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program and the Minority Access to Research Careers - Undergraduate Student Training for Academic Research program (MARC-U*STAR) were instrumental in helping me obtain my undergraduate degree and acceptance into graduate school. I am currently a second-year PhD student at the University of California, San Diego. I am utilizing knowledge of organic and inorganic chemistry to construct porous materials named metal-organic frameworks or coordination polymers. These crystalline modular materials have potential applications in gas storage, chemical separation and catalysis. I employ dipyrrins and dipyrrinato metal complexes as organic building blocks for the construction of these fascinating materials. I plan on a career in academia and hope to contribute to the scientific community while actively conducting studies in a leading research institution.