B. A. Chemistry, East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University, 2013
Ph.D Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2020
Postdoctoral Researcher, PULSE Institute, SLAC National Accelerator Lab, 2020-2023
Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco, 2023- Present
Natalia Powers-Riggs received her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University, where she double majored in Chemistry and East Asian Studies. She completed her PhD at Northwestern University where she used X-ray scattering and time-resolved optical spectroscopy to study structure and photoactivity of organic assemblies. She then joined the Solution Phase Chemistry group in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory as a postdoctoral researcher, where she used X-ray scattering and spectroscopy to study structural and electronic changes to transition-metal catalysts immediately following photoexcitation.
At USF, the Powers-Riggs group will explore structure and function of assembled photosynthetic mimics in order to develop design principles for complex architectures with efficient light absorption. Students will have opportunities to design and synthesize molecular building blocks, as well as use a wide range of characterization techniques to study structural assemblies and the resulting photophysics. These techniques make use of both instruments at USF and X-ray techniques at surrounding national lab facilities.