Long before Tugba Selvi was using mass spectrometry to identify molecules made by bacteria, she was a child in a small town in Tekirdag, Turkey, who wanted to be a teacher.
"Since I was little, I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher," Selvi said.
Today, Selvi is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry at the 夜色视频, where she pursues that dream alongside a second passion she discovered here: research.
Learning without a safety net
Selvi attended public schools, where teachers shaped the rest of her life.
"I was lucky to meet some really talented and inspiring teachers along the way," she said. "They always encouraged my curiosity, contributed to my love for science and played a big role in my life pursuing higher education."
"Academia could allow me to combine both things I loved: teaching and doing research in chemistry."
Selvi is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Growing up in a lower-income household meant navigating obstacles many of her classmates did not face. In Turkey, students commonly enroll in private preparatory courses, known as "dershane," to get ready for the country's highly competitive university entrance exam.
"I wasn't able to attend one because it was financially out of reach for my family, so I had to rely mostly on public school resources and teach myself a lot of the material," she said.
Scholarships carried her through high school and university as did her family's belief in her.
"They may not have been able to provide every opportunity financially, but they always did everything they could to support my education," Selvi said.
Falling in love with chemistry
Selvi enrolled at Middle East Technical University in Ankara to study chemistry education, but she discovered something she hadn't planned on.
"I fell in love with science and, more specifically, with chemistry," she said. "I realized that academia could allow me to combine both things I loved: teaching and doing research in chemistry."
Selvi graduated as valedictorian. She went on to earn her master's degree before coming to the 夜色视频 to pursue her doctorate.
Searching for new medicines in bee microbes
Selvi's research focuses on natural products chemistry, specifically the discovery of new antifungal compounds produced by microbial communities that live alongside insects. She studies the symbiotic bacteria associated with solitary bees and the chemical compounds those bacteria produce.
"What motivates me is the idea of using science to contribute to something that can benefit humanity."
Her work blends analytical chemistry with biological and genomic approaches. Using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, she separates and characterizes the many molecules the bacteria make, then pairs that information with genomic data to link compounds to the biological systems that may produce them.
"By bringing together these different types of information, we can narrow down complex mixtures and identify compounds that may have antifungal activity," she said.
Natural products have long played an important role in medicine, and Selvi hopes her work could eventually help address problems such as fungal infections.
"Ultimately, what motivates me is the idea of using science to contribute to something that can benefit humanity," she said.
A summer of science, from Tahoe to Ithaca
This summer, Selvi spent a week at the University's Lake Tahoe campus for the Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology Symposium 2026. The symposium draws researchers from around the world, many of whom return year after year.
"I think a big part of that is because they have fallen in love with Tahoe," she said.
The symposium also connected Selvi with scientists well outside her own specialty.
"Thanks to the Hitchcock Center and the generous support behind the symposium, researchers from different institutions, countries and scientific backgrounds came together," she said. "It was really inspiring to hear about their research and have conversations that went beyond my own area."
Selvi with her research poster at the Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology Symposium 2026, held at the University's Lake Tahoe campus.The Lake Tahoe campus is home to the Tahoe Discovery Lab, a functioning research laboratory made possible by Christopher Jeffrey, professor of chemistry, director of the Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology and the newly appointed Harold Walter Siebens Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship.
Selvi's group collaborates with Rachel Vannette, a professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California, Davis. The lab offers a natural meeting point between the two institutions.
"In that sense, the lab feels like more than just a place to conduct research," Selvi said. "It is becoming a hub that connects people and institutions that might otherwise be separated by distance."
Beyond the science, Selvi said, the setting made the experience even more special.
"Tahoe itself is absolutely beautiful," she said. "Being surrounded by the lake, mountains and nature makes it such a unique and inspiring place to work and learn."
Selvi outside the University's Lake Tahoe campus, where she spent a week this summer for the Hitchcock Center for Chemical Ecology Symposium.The following week, Selvi traveled to Ithaca, New York, for the International Society of Chemical Ecology 2026 meeting, and presented a poster on using insect-associated microbial communities for antifungal drug discovery. One highlight, she said, was discussing research with others in her field.
"I love that we get to share our knowledge and love for research," she said.
Tugba Selvi presents her research poster on antifungal drug discovery at the International Society of Chemical Ecology 2026 meeting in Ithaca, New York.Another highlight was discovering how small the chemical ecology community can be. At the meeting, she finally met one of Vannette's former students, now at another university. Although both collaborated with Vannette, they had never met in person. Comparing notes, they found several similarities in their research.
Back in the classroom
Selvi's childhood dream is alive in the teaching labs on campus. Last year, she served as a teaching assistant for the organic chemistry laboratory courses CHEM 345 and 348. This year, she is teaching CHEM 347, Laboratory Techniques of Organic Chemistry I.
"The most memorable part has been seeing how far I have come ... I am now doing something I once only dreamed about."
"Teaching and the connections I build with my students are very valuable to me," she said. "Looking back, I think the most memorable part has been seeing how far I have come and realizing that I am now doing something I once only dreamed about."
After graduating, Selvi hopes to build a career that combines research in natural products and drug discovery with teaching and mentoring students.
For students considering a career in chemistry, her advice is inspirational in nature: "I would tell them to believe in themselves and not let their circumstances define what they can achieve. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to use something you love to make a meaningful contribution to the world."
