Miguel A. Garcia-Garibay

Miguel A. Garcia-Garibay serves as Dean of Physical Sciences at UCLA within the College of Letters and Sciences and is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, where he previously held roles as Department Chair and Vice Chair for Education.

His academic journey began with a B.S. from the University of Michoacan in Mexico, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia and postdoctoral training at Columbia University.

Garcia-Garibay's research focuses on solid-state organic chemistry, photochemistry, and crystalline molecular machines, exploring reactive intermediates and green chemistry applications. His work has established fundamental principles for controlling chemical reactivity in crystalline environments, with implications for quantum information science and sustainable synthesis.

Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong emphasis on photochemical quantum chains, electron diffraction techniques, and entangled radical pairs in nanocrystalline systems, demonstrating continued innovation in solid-state reaction dynamics and molecular machine design.

His scientific honors include:

• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• American Competitiveness and Innovation Fellowship
• National Science Foundation Creativity Award
• 2013 Inter-American Photochemical Society Award
• 2015 ACS Cope Scholar Award
• 2016 UCLA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award
• Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2019)
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020)

Garcia-Garibay has held significant editorial responsibilities including Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society (2009-2018) and service on multiple editorial boards. His national leadership includes two terms on the Chemical Sciences Roundtable of the National Academies and current membership on the NSF Mathematical & Physical Sciences Directorate Advisory Committee, reflecting substantial research impact and funding.

His research group pioneers the field of amphidynamic crystals, investigating rotational dynamics in molecular rotor arrays and their applications in quantum information processing and energy storage materials.