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Link to Prof. Berben CV

Brief Biography

Louise Berben was born in Sydney, Australia. She received a Bachelor of Science degree with 1st class honors from The University of New South Wales in 2000, and in 2005 was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of California Berkeley for research undertaken with Professor Jeffrey Long. In 2006 Louise began postdoctoral research with Professor Jonas Peters at the California Institute of Technology and in July 2007, moved with the Peters research group to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In July 2009, Louise joined the faculty at the University of California Davis where her research program focuses primarily on synthetic and physical inorganic chemistry.

Professional History

Professor: Department of Chemistry, UC Davis, 2019 - present
Associate Professor: Department of Chemistry, UC Davis, 2014 - 2019
Assistant Professor: Department of Chemistry, UC Davis, 2009 - 2014
Postdoctoral Associate: CalTech and M.I.T., 2006 - 2009

Education

Ph. D., Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, 2005
B. Sc. (Hons 1), Chemistry & Applied Chemistry, University of New South Wales, 2000
A. Mus. A., Piano Performance, 1997

Sceondary Appointments

Visiting Professorial Fellow: School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, 2023 Director: UCOP Center for Conversion of Captured CO2, 2022 - present
Associate Editor: Chemical Society Reviews, RSC, 2017 - present

Teaching

CHE226 Transition Metal Chemistry Fall 2009 - 2022
This course covers advanced topics in inorganic chemistry. It is most directly aimed at first year chemistry graduate students however, it is open to anyone with an interest in inorganic chemistry. The course covers both transition metal electronic structure and bonding, and building on these concepts, moves on to cover transition metal reactivity. Some of the topics discussed include molecular orbital theory, electronic properties, transition metal substitution, cluster chemistry, electron transfer reactions, and organometallic chemistry.

Prerequisite knowledge for this class is CHE124A or equivalent; symmetry, molecular geometry, and molecular orbital theory. CHE210 covers some of this.

CHE124C Transition Metal Chemistry Spring 2012, 2014 - 2023

CHE2C General Chemistry Spring 2011
Electrochemistry, Transition Metal Chemistry, Main Group Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Nuclear Chemistry, Reaction Kinetics. Prerequisite is CHE2B.

CHE124A Inorganic Chemistry Spring 2010
This course covers the basics of symmetry and group theory and its application to molecular orbital theory of transition metal and main group compounds. The relationship between bonding and spectroscopy is covered using symmetry as a framework. In addition, the basics of bonding in solid state compounds is covered.

Contact Details
Louise A. Berben
University of California
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616

Tel: 530-752-8475
email: laberben-ucdavis.edu
Office: 3465 Chemistry Annex