For our fall service event, the Pompano Lab enjoyed writing and decorating letters for seniors through the organization Letters Against Isolation. Our letters were sent to Meals on Wheels in Santa Monica, CA.
June 18, 2025
At the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont, we assisted in spreading mulch, pulling weeds, and pruning plants to help maintain the gardens. We also received a tour and learned all about the future plans for building the garden, the stream restoration, and ongoing programs. Thank you to the Gardens for having us!
January 27, 2025
Dr. Pompano spoke on NPR Marketplace about the ramifications of NIH grant reviews being cancelled. Listen here: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/01/27/national-institutes-of-health-research-funding-meetings-trump-administration
On Sept 13-14, Professor Pompano traveled to Washington DC to participate in the Rally for Medical Research to help represent the American Association of immunologists (AAI) and biomedical researchers in Virginia. She worked with Jacob Schumacher, who is featured in the fifth photo and the Director of Government Affairs for AAI. On this day each year, biomedical researchers and patient advocates visit their Congressional representatives in the House and Senate to make the case for sustained and robust NIH funding.
If you are interested in advocating for this important issue, especially in an era of tight federal budgets, contact your representatives through the Legislative Action Center: https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/AACR/Home
Sophie and Jon started a department wide DEI Journal Club this summer! Please read the rest of the article here (interviewed by Hannah): https://chemistry.as.virginia.edu/news/story/8771.
The Pompano lab was delighted to meet alumni from the Department of Chemistry, ranging from recent grads to folks who graduated 50 years ago. PhD student Sophie Cook presented a poster at the research fair, and Hannah Musgrove ran a booth about the Chemistry Science Communications booth. Later, Sophie led tours of our lab for interested alumni! Thanks all for visiting, and please let us know if you would like more information about our research.
In July and August, 2021, the UVA Department of Chemistry faculty mobilized to put together a brand new, virtual workshop for future faculty in the chemical sciences, titled New Faces in Chemistry: A Future Faculty Workshop. Co-organized by Prof. Rebecca Pompano and Prof. Marcos Pires, the 5-day workshop sought to level the playing field for future faculty applicants from diverse backgrounds. Recognizing that the application process is opaque to many trainees, and that this can reduce the diversity of the application pool for highly competitive faculty positions, we established this workshop to share critical information on making a competitive faculty job application. The workshop was open to all, and was targeted it especially to those from underrepresented backgrounds (women, URM, first-gen, LGBTQ, and self-identified diversity). Approximately 50 participants attended the workshop each day from across the USA and around the world.
Faculty from across the entire Chemistry department pitched in to share their advice, expertise, and tips, on topics including: how to choose what positions to apply to; preparation of a strong cover letter, CV, research statement, diversity statement, and teaching statement; planning to fund your lab via grant writing; and preparation for strong interview and negotiation of startup.
We were fortunate to draw on the depth of resources previously created by the UVA PhD Plus program, provided by Sonali Mujamdar, PhD.
Next, in Phase II of the workshop that commenced in August, Chemistry faculty are volunteering their time to provide 1-on-1 feedback for participants on elements of their faculty job application. Approximately half of the workshop participants signed up for Phase II of the workshop. Feedback from this program has been very positive.
New Faces in Chemistry : A Future Faculty Workshop
July 12 – 16, 2021
Virtually at the Univ of Virginia
We hope to see many of our participants go on to exciting faculty careers across the country, and perhaps even here at UVA one day!
On July 26, Prof. Pompano had the honor of speaking with UVA students and postdocs who are exploring potential careers as faculty members in the PhD+ STEM Future Faculty series, organized by Dr. Sonali Majumdar. She shared her experiences and advice regarding lab startup packages and managing the finances of a successful laboratory. Running a lab is like running a small business, after all!
In March, Pompano Lab member Maura Belanger volunteered as a judge for the 2019 Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair, where hundreds high school and middle school students from all over the state came and shared their projects! This annual event is a great way to get students interested in science and interact with the community at large. It’s always an inspiration to see these students get excited about sharing their experiments! Congrats to all the winners this year!!
Prof. Pompano hosted the ACS Women Chemist’s Committee for their annual Career Panel Event on October 4, 2018. We were thrilled to meet three highly successful chemists with all different career histories:
Dr. Bonnie Landy, co-founder and director of brewery operations at Winchester Brew Works in Winchester, VA. BS and MS in Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Linnette Watkins, professor and department head of Chemistry and Biochemistry at James Madison University. PhD in Chemistry.
Ms. Debbie Winetzky, applications chemist and product manager at BIO-CAT in Troy, VA. Over 20 years in the chemical industry across the country.
It was a great experience for the students in attendance. Many thanks for Dr. Stephanie Mabry for organizing!
pompanogroup@virginia.edu
Department of Chemistry
University of Virginia
PO BOX 400319
Charlottesville, VA22904
409 McCormick Road
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA22904
(434) 924-7723
Chemistry 107
See Getting Here for a map and directions to the Chemistry building.
Lab Summit, 2025
Lab Summit, 2024
Lab Summit, 2023
Lab Summit, 2022
Lab summit, Feb 2020
Group Picture, 2016
