Aurora de Tagyos ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) Named a 2023-2024 Beckman Scholar

CCS student scholar accepted into prestigious program for her work on decomposition of donor acceptor stenhouse adducts (DASA)

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation announced their 2023-2024 Class of Beckman Scholars. The Beckman Scholars Program is an institutional award that spans three years with limited-submission by invitation only and two student awards per institution. Aurora de Tagyos ‘24 (CCS Chemistry & Biochemistry) along with Jessy Gonzalez ‘24 (CoE Chemical Engineering), were the two UCSB students selected to receive the prestigious award. A 15-month research experience, the program mentors exceptional undergraduate students in the fields of chemistry, biological sciences or interdisciplinary combinations thereof who aspire to become scientists. 

As a Beckman Scholar, Aurora will receive mentorship while working on her research at UCSB as well as have the opportunity to attend professional scientific research meetings. In July, Aurora attended the Beckman Symposium, an annual event that aims to foster collaboration and promote shared scientific knowledge through scholar presentations. Next year, Aurora will present her findings alongside her class of fellows.

Aurora’s research focuses on donor-acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs): a class of visible light activated photochromic molecules. As Aurora explains, “These molecules possess different properties depending on light exposure and are highly tunable, making them of great interest for controlling stimuli responses. I specifically work with a molecule in this class that we modified with an extra methyl group, which resulted in a reversion back to the starting materials being observed. My research project works to determine the mechanism, or the "how," of reversion as well as investigating potential applications for this process.”

CCS congratulates Aurora and Jessy, and wishes them much success with this prestigious program! 

More information about the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation is available here.