Dr. Samantha Yruegas knew Texas A&M University was the right place for her the moment she stepped into the chemistry lab during her New Student Conference in July 2010. Watching graduate students work and seeing the rotary evaporators in action sparked something inside her.
“I felt that bubble of excitement in my chest, and I knew this was going to be a great place for me!” Yruegas said.
That excitement grew into a career. Today, Yruegas is the James and Deborah T. Godwin Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Rice University, but her journey began in College Station, where she discovered her passion for inorganic chemistry and research.
Originally planning to attend medical school, Yruegas changed course after a transformative experience in her high school AP chemistry class, which inspired her to major in chemistry. With little lab experience at first, she was unsure what to expect, but things quickly changed after she joined the Chemistry Department at Texas A&M. Like many first-generation students, she didn’t know graduate school was an option or that you could get paid while earning an advanced degree. Texas A&M’s Chemistry Department made sure she understood those possibilities right from the start.
“Even as freshmen, they explained how students can begin undergraduate research and what the possibilities were thereafter,” she said. “All of these experiences were profoundly motivating.”
One of the most influential experiences of her time at Texas A&M was working in Dr. Oleg Ozerov’s lab. Ozerov is the Emile and Marta Schweikert Professor in Chemistry. In his lab, Yruegas discovered her love for inorganic chemistry, synthesis and working with gloveboxes—sealed enclosures used for handling air-sensitive materials.
“The first day I got to work in a glovebox remains one of my favorite memories, as well as performing my first air-free reaction on the Schlenk line, which is a system that removes air and moisture so we can safely handle sensitive chemicals,” Yruegas recalled.
Now, as a professor at Rice University, she has the opportunity to share similar moments with her own students.
“It’s so rewarding to see the twinkle of excitement in their eyes when they experience those techniques for the first time—just like I did years ago,” Yruegas said.
She credits much of her success at Rice to the support and encouragement she received from faculty at Texas A&M. Mentors like Dr. Holly Gaede, her chemistry advisor, and Dr. Marcetta Darensbourg, whose enthusiasm for bioinorganic systems was contagious, played a significant role in shaping her path.
“I took inorganic chemistry with Dr. Darensbourg, and I still look up to her and keep in touch with her,” Yruegas said. “I teach this course myself at Rice and try to bring the same level of excitement when I come into class every morning!”
At Rice, Yruegas leads the Yruegas Group, focusing on using earth-abundant metals to develop sustainable catalysts and organic materials. The group’s research includes synthetic chemistry, air-sensitive techniques and the development of new pharmaceuticals, optoelectronic devices and polymers.
Looking back on her journey, Yruegas acknowledges the strong foundation in chemistry and the valuable connections she made at Texas A&M. Now, as a professor, she works to bring that same energy and support to her students.
“Reach out to faculty and start research early,” Yruegas said. “The people you meet—professors and fellow students—will become collaborators, friends and mentors. Chemistry is an interconnected field, and networking is key.”