Prof. Jeffrey with students in a pine forest at Lake Tahoe

Centers

Our centers

Our home for chemical ecology at UNR, and our hub for innovation and entrepreneurship at Lake Tahoe.

Our home at UNR

Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology

The Jeffrey group is part of the Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology at the University of Nevada, Reno, which Prof. Jeffrey co-founded and directs. The center asks how the compounds that organisms make shape the way they interact, from plants and the insects that eat them to microbes surviving extreme environments. Those questions reach across ecology, biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology, and the center brings researchers from all of them, in Nevada and around the world, to work on them together.

Fundamental questions

Testing core ideas in chemical ecology

Theory predicts strong but complex links between the chemical diversity of plants, their biological activity, the diversity of herbivores that feed on them and pressure from natural enemies. Center faculty and students test those links directly, combining field ecology, museum collections, new analytical tools and statistical modeling to discover new phytochemicals, probe the genetics of chemical defense and map how chemical variation shapes communities.

Nevada and the Great Basin

A center of excellence for the state

The center makes Nevada a hub for research at the interface of chemistry and biology and for bioprospecting in arid lands. Its work brings the natural resources of the Great Basin to light, supports employers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and agriculture, and creates paths from new drug and crop-protection leads to start-ups and licensed technology.

Outreach and training

Science beyond the lab

Everyone at the center takes part in outreach: teaching modules developed with K-12 teachers, research experiences for teachers and students supported by Earthwatch and NSF, and public exhibits at the university museums. Graduate students train across disciplines, including through an NSF Research Traineeship in chemical ecology.

$30M+in research grants
$3MNSF Research Traineeship for graduate students
Lake Tahoesymposia bringing the field together

Visit the Hitchcock Center

Podcast

Behind every scientist is a story

The Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology Podcast explores the people behind the science. In conversations with researchers, students and collaborators, we share the unexpected journeys, challenges and discoveries that shape careers in chemical ecology.

New episodes land on YouTube. Subscribe so you never miss one.

Subscribe on YouTube Browse all episodes

From the Hitchcock Center

Catch up on the center’s people, research and news in its newsletter and see highlights from this year’s symposium in the 2026 recap.

Read the newsletter 2026 symposium recap

Incline Village, Lake Tahoe

Tahoe Discovery Lab

39.25° N · 119.95° W · 6,225 ft

University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe

The Tahoe Discovery Lab is less a single room than a way of working that moves between the forest, the bench and the classroom. In each setting, UNR students and faculty bring their ideas to experts who can vet them: scientists, engineers, founders and technology leaders who live and work around the lake. We also open the door to the wider community, so that what we discover ends up in people’s hands, especially here at Tahoe, where many care deeply about sustainability.

Visit the Tahoe Discovery Lab website ↗

Prof. Jeffrey talking with a group of students in a pine forest at Lake Tahoe — Learning outdoors with students at the Lake Tahoe campus

Students walking a forest path on the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe campus — The University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe campus, home of the Tahoe Discovery Lab

Three settings, one lab

The forest

The Sierra Nevada is our outdoor laboratory and classroom. Questions start in the landscapes and ecosystems the Tahoe community knows and wants to protect.

The bench

In the lab, ideas become data, molecules and prototypes: something concrete that experts can test, challenge and improve.

The classroom

Courses, workshops and public events bring experts and neighbors through the door to question ideas, share hard-won experience and decide what is worth building.

Our principles

Discovery first

Real innovation starts with real science. We begin from questions in chemistry, biology and materials, and let the discovery lead.

Design with people

We pair the rigor of the lab with human-centered design, so scientists learn to ask who a discovery is for and what problem it solves.

Learn from those who have done it

Local entrepreneurs and leaders in technology fields mentor students and faculty, share what worked and what failed, and open doors.

Build for the long term

We favor sustainable ideas with real-world use, and we want them to reach people faster than a typical academic path allows.

How the community comes together

Mentorship

Students and faculty are matched with innovators from the Tahoe region who advise on projects, careers and the path from idea to product.

Innovation courses

Immersive weekend courses at the Lake Tahoe campus bring industry professionals, start-up founders and CEOs into the room with students. See this semester’s courses or read about the first course.

Fellowships

Hitchcock TDL Fellows are senior graduate students who work at the interface of research and industry, one in each pillar.

Students at every level

Credential and certificate pathways for UNR students, and outreach to K-12 students through Next Gen STEM and dual-credit programs.

Two pillars

Biomedical & Biotech

Discovery chemistry with applications in health and biotechnology, including fellowship research on novel UV resistance in microorganisms.

Energy Solutions

Electrochemistry, semiconductor technology and energy materials, led by Prof. Christopher Barile and built around industry partnerships.

This semester at Tahoe · Fall 2026

INNV 250 · 3 credits · three weekends

Learn to Build a Startup

A course for future founders and innovators that follows the entrepreneurial process from discovery to market validation and venture growth. Each weekend is fully immersive at the Lake Tahoe campus, with guest lectures from CEOs, founders and industry professionals and one-on-one conversations through panel discussions.

Sep 25–27The Innovator’s MindsetHow entrepreneurs identify unmet needs, uncover hidden opportunities and turn observations into actionable insights.
Oct 9–11From Idea to MarketEvaluating markets, designing business models, creating competitive advantages and planning for growth.
Nov 13–15Collaboration & Entrepreneurial LeadershipForming effective teams, engaging customers, building partnerships and communicating ideas that inspire action.

INNV 410 · Oct 23–25

Semiconductor Innovation: Pathways to Innovation

An immersive weekend at the Lake Tahoe campus on semiconductor innovation, taught by JP Park of the College of Engineering.

INNV 410 · 1 credit · Nov 6–8

Applications of LC-MS

An immersive weekend on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry that combines theory with hands-on laboratory training. Trainees learn to perform, evaluate and communicate quantitative chemical analyses for academic and industrial settings.

Pharmaceutical scienceForensic analysisEnvironmental analysisAnalytical chemistryFood safety

Questions about enrolling? Email Prof. Jeffrey.

Community engagement

Upcoming · Tahoe Talk Series

Tahoe Talk Series, free public lecture: From CO2 to Smart Windows, with Dr. Christopher Barile. Thursday, October 15, 5:30 PM, Prim Library, UNR at Lake Tahoe, Incline Village. Register free.

From CO₂ to Smart Windows: Chemistry for a Better Energy Future

Dr. Christopher Barile · Thursday, October 15, 2026, 5:30–7:30 pm · Prim Library, 999 Lake Tahoe Blvd, Incline Village · Free · Join in person or on Zoom

How can chemistry help build a cleaner energy future? Prof. Barile shares work from his lab on turning carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals, and on “smart” windows that switch between clear and dark to help buildings save energy.

Open doors at the lake

The Tahoe Discovery Lab is built to be shared. Our courses, talks and community gatherings bring students, scientists, entrepreneurs and Tahoe neighbors into the same room to test ideas and talk about what sustainable innovation could look like for the region.

Join the email list to hear about upcoming Tahoe Talks, community events and new weekend courses. Choose the topics you care about and we will only send what fits.

Get involved

Innovators can mentor, speak or partner on a project. Students and faculty can join a workshop, apply for a fellowship or bring an idea to test.

Tahoe Discovery Lab website ↗ Connect with the lab