Cynthia Larive facts for kids

Cynthia Larive is an American scientist and a leader in education. She is currently the chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. A chancellor is like the main leader or president of a university.

Before this role, Dr. Larive was a professor of chemistry. She also served as a top leader at the University of California, Riverside. Her scientific work uses special tools to study tiny parts of chemicals. These tools include nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry.

Education and Learning

Cynthia Larive has studied a lot! She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science, from South Dakota State University in 1980. Then, she received her Master of Science degree from Purdue University in 1982.

Later, in 1992, she earned her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Riverside. A Ph.D. is the highest degree you can get in many fields. It means she became an expert in chemistry.

Her Career Journey

Dr. Larive started her teaching career as a professor in the chemistry department at the University of Kansas. In 2005, she moved to the University of California, Riverside.

She also became the editor-in-chief of the Analytical Sciences Digital Library in 2004. This is a big online library for science information.

In 2017, Dr. Larive took on a very important leadership role at the University of California, Riverside. She became the interim provost and executive vice chancellor. This means she was a main helper and leader for the university's top boss. She was given this job permanently later that year.

On May 16, 2019, it was announced that Dr. Larive would become the new chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. She officially started this role on July 1, 2019. She took over from the previous chancellor, George R. Blumenthal.

Her Scientific Research

Dr. Larive is a bioanalytical chemistry expert. This field uses science tools to study living things and chemicals. She uses tools like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and mass spectrometry. These tools help her understand what chemicals are made of and how they work.

A big part of her research is about studying very, very small amounts of samples. She helped create special tools that can measure tiny drops of liquid, as small as 25 nanoliters! This helps scientists learn about things like how different sugars are built.

Her work also helps in creating new medicines. It can also check how pure medicines are. Dr. Larive's research helps identify chemicals in food. This can tell us if foods like wine, olive oil, and pomegranate juice are real and pure.

Awards and Honors

Cynthia Larive has received many awards for her important work. In 1995, she won the National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

She also received awards from the American Chemical Society (ACS). These include the J. Calvin Giddings Award for Excellence in Education in 2007. She also won the Award for Volunteer Service to the American Chemical Society in 2015. In 2018, she received the Award for Distinguished Service to the Field of Analytical Chemistry.

Dr. Larive is also a special member, called a Fellow, of several important science groups. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since 2008. She is also a Fellow of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) since 2004, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) since 2011.