Neil grew up in the great state of New York, where he enjoyed hiking, working at Blockbuster Video, selling Cutco knives, and even conducting the door-to-door ‘dog census’ for the town of East Fishkill. Neil attended NYU and obtained his BS Degree in Chemistry in 2000. Although he initially considered pursuing a medical degree, his passion for chemical research and teaching lured him first to an NSF summer research program in Strasbourg, France, and then to a doctoral program at Caltech. After receiving his PhD, Neil studied at UC Irvine for two years as an NIH postdoctoral fellow before joining the faculty at UCLA in 2007. In 2012 he was promoted to Associate Professor and began serving as Vice Chair (2012-2016) in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. In 2013, he was promoted to the rank of Professor. He is currently the Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and holds the Kenneth N. Trueblood Endowed Chair position.

Neil maintains an organic chemistry research laboratory on campus that consists of many remarkably talented doctoral and undergraduate students (http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/Faculty/garg/Garg_Group/Home.html). Their research efforts span the discovery of new chemical reactions, the understanding of how organic molecules react, and the chemical synthesis of biologically important molecules that may ultimately benefit human health.

Neil also relishes the opportunity to teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels (http://www.chem.ucla.edu/dept/Faculty/garg/Garg_Group/Teaching.html). He is a popular teacher of Chem 14D (undergrad organic chemistry) and challenges his students each year to produce high quality chemistry music videos. In 2012, his Chem 14D class was featured in the magazine LA Weekly as being one of the best classes in Los Angeles. He also teaches a Fiat Lux course called “Chemicals: Friends or Foes?”, where students discuss the impact of chemicals on our society.

Neil joined the FIR program in 2012 and is currently Faculty in Residence Lead. Neil previously served as an RA in the NYU dormitories and a housing community coordinator at Caltech. He and his wife Lindsey actually first met at an ‘ice-cream social’ event that Neil organized in the NYU dorms. They, along with their daughters, Elaina and Kaylie, and twin toddlers, Andy and Brendan, enjoy being a part of the UCLA residence life community.