Dr. J. Terence Blaskovits
Assistant Professor
Biography
Terry was born in Montreal, Canada, and raised in nearby Greenfield Park. He obtained a BSc and an MSc in Chemistry from Laval University, under the supervision of Professor Mario Leclerc, where his research focused on the synthesis and development of conjugated polymers via direct heteroarylation polymerization for organic photovoltaic applications. Supported by an NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship and a Richard J. Schmeelk Canada Fellowship, he completed his PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, under the direction of Professor Clémence Corminboeuf. His doctoral dissertation, focused on the computational design of organic optical materials, was recognized with both the EPFL Doctorate Distinction and the Best Thesis in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering awards. Following a brief postdoctoral stay at EPFL, Terry moved to the University of California, Berkeley, as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow to work alongside Professor Martin Head-Gordon on advanced electronic structure methods and molecular property prediction. In July 2024, Terry joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor, concurrently holding a Canada CIFAR AI Chair position at Amii. Outside of chemistry, Terry is an avid endurance athlete, a classically-trained musician, and has taught music and science at Gandhi Ashram School in rural northern India in 2018-2019.
Awards
2024 Best thesis in chemistry & chemical engineering (EPFL)
2024 Thesis distinction award (for top 8% of EPFL PhD theses)
2017 Richard J. Schmeelk Canada Fellowship
2017 FRQNT Scholarship for Canadian Francophonie
2016 NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship
2016 NSERC Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement
2016 German Academic Exchange Service Study Scholarship (declined)
2016 Medal of the Lieutenant-Governor of Québec for Youth, Government of Québec
2016 Canadian Society for Chemistry silver medal
2016 Lucien-Piché Foundation – Paraza Pharma Scholarship, Order of Chemists of Québec
2012 Schulich Leader Scholarship
2012 Governor General of Canada’s Academic Bronze Medal