Quantum chemist Schoop wins Beckman Young Investigator Award

Leslie Schoop, an assistant professor of chemistry, is one of 10 winners of the 2019 Beckman Young Investigator Awards for faculty within the first three years of a tenure-track position.

Schoop works at the interface between chemistry and physics, using chemical principles to find and synthesize quantum materials with exotic physical properties. Her research has implications for nanotechnology and quantum computing. Quantum materials “can be hosts of completely new physics and can even help to increase our understanding of the universe,” she said.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation described the award winners as “the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences.” Each of the recipients will receive about $600,000 over four years, contingent upon demonstrated progress after the second year of the award. Since 1990, the Beckman Young Investigator program has given 360 awards totaling more than $98 million.

Schoop and her fellow winners will give presentations at an August symposium in Irvine, California.