Angel Yahir Gomez earns chemistry degree from top-ranked Ivy League school
PASO ROBLES — On Tuesday, May 27, Angel Yahir Gomez is scheduled to graduate from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry. Following a four-year period of undergraduate study on the East Coast, the local graduate will return to the West Coast to pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Gomez is an alumnus of Lillian Larsen Elementary School and a graduate of Paso Robles High School. He was accepted to Princeton University, a prestigious Ivy League institution currently ranked as the top undergraduate school in the United States, in 2021 with a full-ride scholarship. Angel officially began his academic career at Princeton in August of 2021 and after four years, he will graduate as a chemistry concentrator. Throughout Angel’s studies, he worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Roque Research Laboratory, conducting research in catalysis and organometallic chemistry.
One of Angel’s most significant achievements at Princeton is his senior thesis, titled “Photo induced [Ni]–CF3 Cleavage Enabled by Ligand-Centered Radicals.” This 173-page senior thesis reports a new method for activating a specific type of chemical bond involving a transition metal and a CF3 functional group, which is relevant to pharmaceutical drug design. Traditionally, researchers modify the properties of transition metal complexes to enhance their reactivity and efficiency. However, Angel and his colleagues have taken a novel approach to breaking these strong chemical bonds by utilizing light energy and a photo responsive unit under mild reaction conditions. Angel’s senior thesis is an extension of a larger research project, for which a manuscript is being prepared for publication in a scientific journal.
Although Angel’s four years at Princeton are over, his academic journey is far from finished. He has been accepted to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he will continue his studies in chemistry. Caltech has an acceptance rate of 2.7%, underscoring the competitive nature of its admissions process. Once at Caltech, Angel will receive a stipend to support his research and academic endeavors. This opportunity at one of the world’s leading scientific institutions will allow him to further develop his research skills and contribute to cutting-edge advancements in chemistry. Following his time at Caltech, Angel hopes to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship and eventually establish his own research laboratory.
Angel’s family and friends are beyond proud of him, his sister Stephanie stating “We are so proud of Angel, he has worked so hard to get to where he is and we can’t wait to see how much more he accomplishes, he is simply a great example to follow.”
Feature Image: Paso Robles High graduate Angel Gomez is about to also become a Princeton University graduate. Contributed Photo
