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May 2026

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Wednesday, May 20th, 2026
11:00am – 12:00pm
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High Energy Theory Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Charlie Cummings, University of Pennsylvania,
11:00am – 12:00pm
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PhD Thesis Defense

Noyes 153 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
The Total Synthesis of Aleutianamine, (–)-Crotonolide D, and (–)-Crotonine G
Hao Yu, Graduate Student, Chemistry (Stoltz Group), Caltech,
12:15pm – 1:00pm
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Fellowships Advising Information Session - GEM / Quad

4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Astronomy Colloquium

Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
TBD
Zeljko Ivezic, Professor, Department of Astronomy, University of Washington,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar

South Mudd 365
TBD
Marilyn Raphael, UCLA,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Materials Science Research Lecture

Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
Interpreting short range order with electron microscopy
Andrew Minor, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, UC Berkeley,
7:30pm – 8:30pm
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POSTPONED: Watson Lecture - Kirby Nielsen

Beckman Auditorium
Kirby Nielsen, professor of economics; William H. Hurt Scholar,
Thursday, May 21st, 2026
8:00am – Ongoing
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Registration for Fall Term and Registration for Summer Graduate Research

10:00am – 11:30am
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Future Faculty Workshop Series: Faculty Job Process Workshop

Center for Student Services 360 (Workshop Space)
11:00am – 2:00pm
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Craft Your Own Festival Freebies

Caltech Hall TechHub
11:00am – 12:24pm
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Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar

Gates-Thomas 135
X-ray Based Full Field Stress-Strain Measurements in Metals
Angkur Shaikeea, Assistant Professor of Aerospace; Bren Scholar, The Lynn Booth & Kent Kresa Department of Aerospace, California Institute of Technology,
12:00pm – 1:00pm
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High Energy Physics Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Jackie Lodman, Harvard University,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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APACT presents "In conversation with Melissa Magsaysay: Journalism, Brand Building and Storytelling Across a Changing Media Landscape"

Location to be announced
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Biochemistry Seminar

Gates Annex B122
Patrick Sung, Professor of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, UT Health San Antonio,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Physics Colloquium

Online and In-Person Event
Particles of the Moment
David Hertzog, Arthur B. McDonald Professor of Physics, Director of CENPA, Department of Physics, University of Washington,
5:00pm – 7:00pm
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Celebration of Excellence 2026

Dabney Hall, Garden of the Associates
Friday, May 22nd, 2026
11:00am – 12:00pm
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High Energy Theory Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Sabrina Pasterski, Perimeter Institute,
12:00pm – 1:00pm
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IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

East Bridge 114
Benjamin McDonough, University of Colorado, Boulder,
1:00pm – 2:00pm
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PhD Thesis Defense

Braun Laboratory 152
Cai Tong Ng, Graduate Student, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, California Institute of Technology,
1:30pm – 2:30pm
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PhD Thesis Defense

Chen 100
Jan Gregrowicz, Graduate Student, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, California Institute of Technology,
2:00pm – 3:00pm
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TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Title to be announced
Semih Tuna, Graduate Student, Metzger Group, Department of Physics, Columbia University,
3:00pm – 4:00pm
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Susan and James Wu Aerospace Colloquium

Guggenheim 133 (Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall)
The Kinematics of Life The Evolving Role of Robot Kinematics in Bio-Nanotechnology
Kazem Kazerounian, Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Conneticut,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Inorganic-Organometallics Seminar

Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
Fernando Guerrero, Graduate Student (Agapie Group),
8:00pm – 9:30pm
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CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS

Dabney Hall, Lounge
Monday, May 25th, 2026
All Day
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Credit Union Closure

Multiple locations - See event detail for more information
Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
12:00pm – 1:00pm
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NB/CNS Seminar - Bing Brunton

Broad 100
Embodied intelligence: From connectomes to body models
Bing Brunton, Professor & Richard and Joan Komen University Chair, University of Washington, Seattle,
12:15pm – 1:00pm
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Fellowships Advising Information Session - Switzer / Environmental Fellowships

4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Banks-McKelvey Memorial Lecture

Baxter Lecture Hall
Credibility in an Era of Chaos: Rebuilding Trust Between Universities and Society
Arthur Lupia, Vice President for Research and Innovation, Gerald R. Ford Distinguished University Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Michigan,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Chemical Physics Seminar

Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
Revisiting Woodward–Hoffmann Allowed and Forbidden Electrocyclic Reactions
Kendall N. Houk, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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DIX Planetary Science Seminar

South Mudd 365
Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
11:00am – 12:00pm
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High Energy Theory Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Siwei Zhong,
Siwei Zhong, Stony Brook University,
1:00pm – 2:00pm
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PhD Thesis Defense

Chen 130
Shawn Yoshida, Graduate Student, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, California Institute of Technology,
3:00pm – 4:15pm
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Laboratory Safety Orientation Training

Online Event
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Astronomy Colloquium

Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
TBD
Chung-Pei Ma, Professor of Astronomy and Physics, UC Berkeley,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar

South Mudd 365
TBD
Daniel McCoy,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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High Energy Physics Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Giuseppe Lucente, SLAC,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Ulric B. and Evelyn L. Bray Social Sciences Seminar

Baxter B125
Topic to be announced
Tanya Rosenblat, Professor of Information, School of Information and Professor of Economics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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W. N. Lacey Lectureship in Chemical Engineering

Gates Annex B122
From Electronics Skin to NeuroString
Zhenan Bao, K. K. Lee Professor, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering, of Chemistry, and of Bioengineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University,
5:00pm – 7:00pm
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3rd Annual First-Gen Dinner Party ft. First-Gen Industry Professionals

Center for Student Services, 2nd Floor, Common Area
Thursday, May 28th, 2026
3:30pm – 5:00pm
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2026 Leadership Awards & Prizes Ceremony and Reception

Chen 100
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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Physics Colloquium

Online and In-Person Event
Ruben Verresen, Assistant Professor, Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago,
4:00pm – 5:00pm
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W. N. Lacey Lectureship in Chemical Engineering

Gates Annex B122
Skin-inspired Electronic Polymer Design
Zhenan Bao, K. K. Lee Professor, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science and Engineering, of Chemistry, and of Bioengineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University,
Friday, May 29th, 2026
All Day
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Last Day of Classes for Seniors and Graduate Students

8:00am – 5:00pm
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Last Day for Presenting Theses for the Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Engineer

8:00am – 9:00am
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PhD Thesis Defense

Chen 100
Nicholas Friesenhahn, Graduate Student, Chemical Engineering (Mayo Lab), Caltech,
11:00am – 12:00pm
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High Energy Theory Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
TBA
Minjae Cho, University of Chicago,
12:00pm – 1:00pm
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IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

East Bridge 114
Samson Wang, IQIM Postdoctoral Scholar,
1:30pm – 2:30pm
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PhD Thesis Defense

Noyes 153 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
Jee Won Yang, Graduate Student, Chemical Engineering (Shapiro Group), Caltech,
2:00pm – 3:00pm
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TAPIR Seminar

Online and In-Person Event
Title to be announced
Jayana Saes, Graduate Student, Physics Department, UIUC,
8:00pm – 9:30pm
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CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS

Dabney Hall, Lounge
Saturday, May 30th, 2026
8:00am – Ongoing
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Study Period for Seniors and Graduate Students

3:00pm – 4:30pm
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CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS

Dabney Hall, Lounge
Sunday, May 31st, 2026
3:00pm – 4:30pm
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CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS

Dabney Hall, Lounge