Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Santa Clara University. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Utah. His research focuses on developing new organic reactions for small molecule transformations, including transition metal-catalyzed processes using tetrahydroxydiborane and methods for quaternary carbon formation. Stokes leads a lab producing innovative work in catalysis, nanoparticle functionalization, and photocatalytic systems.

Education: B.Sc. University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004), PhD University of Illinois-Chicago (2011), Postdoc University of Utah (2011-2014). Awards include Hellman Fellowship (2018), Thieme Chemistry Award (2017), and NIH postdoctoral support (2012). Active in grant-funded research including NSF initiatives for chemistry education and nanoparticle applications.

Key research areas include: 1) Transition metal-catalyzed hydrogenation reactions, 2) Acid-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation involving quaternary carbons, 3) Liquid crystal templating for nanoparticle assembly, and 4) Development of new deuteriation methods. Recent work emphasizes sustainable methodologies and materials applications.

Lab members have received prestigious fellowships including Clare Boothe Luce and De Novo awards. Stokes maintains collaborations with institutions like UC Davis and industry partners including Genentech. His group's work has been published in top journals such as JACS, ACS Catalysis, and Nature Communications.