Eugene Kwon, B.A.
Pronouns: he, him, his
Doctoral Student
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
SDSU / UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Chemistry
College of Sciences
SDSU / UC San Diego
Primary Email: [email protected]
Secondary Email: [email protected]
Building/Location
Chemical Sciences Laboratory
5500 Campanile Dr.
San Diego,
CA
92182
Website Links
Bio
Eugene Kwon is a joint Ph.D. student in Chemistry at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. Under the mentorship of Professor Yuezhi Mao, his current research focuses on computational chemistry, particularly excited-state electronic structures, molecular photophysics, and the development and benchmarking of computational approaches for molecular excited states.
Before beginning his doctorate, Eugene studied chemistry at Pomona College, where his research experiences spanned organic synthesis, biochemistry, SuFEx chemistry, chemoinformatics, and computational modeling.
His broader interests include connecting computational predictions with experimental chemistry and bridging traditionally "dry" and "wet" laboratory approaches.
Beyond research, Eugene is interested in mentorship, education, and expanding access to scientific and professional opportunities for students from varied backgrounds.
Education
- B.A., Chemistry, Pomona College, 2023
Areas of Specialization
Computational Chemistry, Excited-State Quantum Chemistry, Molecular Photophysics, Chemoinformatics
Fun Facts
Eugene is a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, has lived in four countries, has studied five languages, enjoys extremely spicy foods (including eating wasabi on its own), and can comfortably eat whole lemons and limes with the peel on.
Outside chemistry, he enjoys cooking, learning about nutrition and cultures, exploring new places, video games and interactive media, narrative writing, and journaling.
Mentors
Awards & Honors
Michael Edward and Ann Rosner Sixtus Endowed Scholarship in Sciences, SDSU (2025)
Korean American Scholarship Foundation Recipient, Western Regional Chapter (2025)
ACS Division of Organic Chemistry, Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry (2023)
LA5 Scholar, Rotary Club of Los Angeles (2019)
Research
Eugene's doctoral research focuses on computational approaches for molecular excited states and photophysical chemistry. His work includes developing and benchmarking computational workflows using the Restricted Open-Shell Kohn-Sham (ROKS) approach for molecular excitation energies; investigating the photophysics, photoisomerization, and excited-state relaxation pathways of molecular systems; and developing explicit-solvent molecular dynamics workflows toward condensed-phase photochemistry and future QM/MM studies.
Presentations
-
- Kwon, E. (Presenter) & Mao, Y. Assessing the Restricted Open-Shell Kohn-Sham Approach for Accurate Prediction of Molecular Excitation Energies. San Diego State University Student Symposium, San Diego, CA. (Spring 2026).
- Kwon, E. (Poster Presenter), Cammarota, R., Lee, K., & Ball, N. Developing Computational Models for the Access of Sulfamides via Sulfur-Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) Reactions. American Chemical Society National Meeting, Indianapolis, IL. (Spring 2023).
Service
Officer, Chemistry Peer Advisory League (ChemPAL), UC
San Diego (2024 - Present).
Health Advocate, Health Bridges, Pomona College & Pomona Valley Hospital Health Center (2021 - 2023).
College Advisor, Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), Pomona College (2019 - 2023).