Upcoming event: 

CACS-ACS seminar celebrating ACS 150th, Cal ACS 125th, & CACS 45th Anniversaries 

"Two centuries of chemistry, one afternoon of ideas" 

Saturday, November 7, 2026 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM 

Latimer Hall Room 120 (Presentations), Tan Kah Kee Hall Lobby (Lunch), UC Berkeley 

Click here for registration 

Prof. Jian Qin, Stanford University 

"Engine, Entropy, Information, and Chemical Science" 

Abstract: The second law of thermodynamics were hinted at in Carnot’s ingenious analyses of engine efficiency. The concept of entropy was not introduced until Clausius’s synthesis and presentation of Carnot’s work. The microscopic origin and statistical interpretation of entropy were revealed much later, so was the application of the second law in chemical science. After two centuries, we still teach and talk about Carnot efficiency, Carnot engine, and Carnot’s somewhat abstract analysis of work and heat, which is particularly relevant in the time when energy efficiency and sustainability become crucial. In this talk, I will go over the few historical developments linked to the discovery of the second law and the statistical definition of entropy. Brief excursion will be made to the linkage between entropy and quantification of information contents. The goal is another attempt at demystifying entropy and convincing the general audience that it is indeed about counting. 

Bio: Jian Qin is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering in Stanford University. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Materials Science from Tsinghua University, and his Ph.D. from University of Minnesota under the supervision of Profs. David Morse and Frank Bates. Following postdoctoral fellowships at Pennsylvania State University, with Prof. Scott Milner, and The University of Chicago, with Prof. Juan de Pablo, he joined Stanford University as a Terman Faculty Fellow in 2016. His research applies statistical mechanics to the modeling of polymeric materials, emergent behaviors in soft matter, and electrolytes. He has held the Kadanoff-Rice Fellowship and has been recognized by the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, the Hellman Faculty Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the ACS PMSE Arthur Doolittle Award, the ACS PMSE Young Investigator Award, the Tau Beta Pi (Stanford) Teaching Honor Roll, and the APS Dillon Medal. 

Prof. Bingqing Cheng, UC Berkeley

"Machine Learning in Simulations and Materials" 

Abstract: Machine learning is rapidly changing how chemists and materials scientists model molecular and condensed-phase systems. In this talk, I will give a broad introduction to what machine learning can and cannot do, with an emphasis on how it is being used in chemistry: learning structure-property relationships, automating simulation workflows, and extracting interpretable insights from large datasets. I will then focus on machine learning interatomic potentials (MLIPs), which learn quantum-mechanical potential energy surfaces from electronic-structure data and make it possible to run large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, enabling reliable predictions of thermodynamics and kinetics of materials and chemicals. 

Bio: Bingqing Cheng is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. She received dual bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hong Kong and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, an M.Phil. in Materials Science from the University of Hong Kong, and a Ph.D. in Materials Science from EPFL in 2019. She was a Junior Research Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge before joining the Institute of Science and Technology Austria as an Assistant Professor in 2021 and UC Berkeley in 2024. Her research develops computational methods that use statistical mechanics, atomistic simulation, and machine learning to understand and predict the behavior of materials and chemical systems. She has been recognized by the Volker Heine Young Investigator Award, JCP Best Paper by an Emerging Investigator Award, an ERC Starting Grant, and an NIH MIRA. 

Program: 

• 11am: Registration and social time (Latimer Hall)

• 11:30am: Welcoming remarks from ACS and CACS leaders (Latimer Hall)

• 12–1pm: Lunch (Tan Hall)

• 1–1:45pm: Prof. Qin's presentation (Latimer Hall)

• 1:45–2:30pm: Prof. Cheng's presentation (Latimer Hall)

• 2:30–3pm: Anniversaries cake celebration and group photo (Tan Hall)

Parking info: 

Paid public parking is generally available in UC Berkeley campus lots on Saturdays. No football game on Saturday 11/7.

Arriving from the north (via Hearst Ave) 

• Foothill Parking Lot — 2800 Hearst Avenue. An outdoor surface lot near the northeastern edge of campus, approximately a 5–8 minute walk to Tan Hall. This is one of the closest options, although the walk is a bit hilly.

• Lower Hearst Parking Structure (Level 2) — Enter via Scenic Avenue. Please use the designated Gold Zone on the east side of Level 2 for public hourly parking. Approximately 10–15 minute walk to Tan Hall, with a relatively easy, more relaxed walking route.

Arriving from the south (via College Ave) 

• Underhill Parking Garage — 2645 Haste Street (between Haste Street and Channing Way). A multilevel parking structure offering public hourly parking, approximately 15–20 minute walk to Tan Hall. The route through central campus is pleasant and relatively gentle, although there is some gradual uphill walking toward Tan Hall.

Parking rate: Standard UC Berkeley visitor parking is currently listed at $2/hour, up to $20 per day. Please check posted rates and payment instructions upon arrival, as rates and special-event restrictions are subject to change.

Additional parking options: On-campus parking is limited and cannot be guaranteed. If the recommended lots are full, we encourage you to consider public parking garages surrounding campus, such as Center Street Garage, Oxford Garage, or Telegraph-Channing Garage. Parking a little farther away is also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a leisurely stroll through UC Berkeley's beautiful campus before joining us! Please allow an additional 15–20 minutes for parking and walking to the venue.

Useful Links: 

• UC Berkeley Campus Parking Map

• UC Berkeley Visitor Parking Information

• City of Berkeley Public Parking Garages

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