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Collaborating to Improve Undergrad Research in Computational Chemistry

The 2026 annual MERCURY Conference for undergraduate computational chemistry will be held the week of July 20, 2026. MERCURY is delighted to have Prof. Daniel Crawford and the Molecular Sciences Software Institute host the conference on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA.

The conference includes six outstanding plenary speakers, an undergraduate poster session, and evening social and networking events. The conference is an excellent forum for undergraduates to present their work and to learn from experts in the field, allowing them to put their own research into perspective. It is equally valuable as a networking event for faculty working with undergraduates. Undergraduates from all types of institutions are invited to come present their work.

How to Get Here

About the MERCURY Consortium

The consortium, known as the Molecular Education and Research Consortium in Undergraduate computational chemistry (MERCURY) was founded in 2001 with the goal of establishing research collaboration among seven computational chemistry faculty from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). The consortium members share NSF-funded computational facilities and meet at an annual MERCURY conference to network and present their research.

Visit the Main Mercury Website

See details about the consortium, our mission, and learn how to get involved.

See the Past Conference from 2025

Look at last speakers and workshops from the Pittsburgh conference in 2025!
Workshop

MolSSI Special Workshop

The Molecular Sciences Software Institute will offer a workshop for undergraduate students that focuses on Molecular Docking with Python.

The workshop is open to undergraduate students and faculty attending the MERCURY Conference at no additional charge, thanks to sponsorship from the Molecular Sciences Software Institute.

Please indicate on your registration form if you plan to attend the MolSSI workshop.

schedule

Travel and Schedule Information

Participants attending the MolSSI workshop should plan to travel to Blacksburg on Monday, July 20.

Other conference attendees should plan to arrive the afternoon of Wednesday, July 22.

The conference kicks off on Wednesday night with the opening reception at Wednesday night. All times are in Eastern Time (EST, UTC-05:00).

The conference schedule is subject to change, so please check back for updates.

  • 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

    Dorm Check In

  • 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

    MolSSI Workshop

  • 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

    MolSSI Workshop

  • 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

    Dorm Check In for General Conference Attendees

  • TBD

    Welcome Reception For All Attendees

  • TBD

    Check back for updates

    as the schedule is finalized

  • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

    Check back for updates

    as the schedule is finalized

  • 1:00 PM and beyond

    Conference Conclusion and Farewell

    Safe travels home everyone!
Speakers

Who’s speaking

We have a number of invited speakers coming to talk about their works and experiences teaching and training computational chemistry.

Denise Okafor

Denise Okafor

Penn State

Leili Zhang

Leili Zhang

IBM

Rob Parrish

Rob Parrish

Nvidia

Ryan Fortenberry

Ryan Fortenberry

University of Mississippi

Sharani Roy

Sharani Roy

UT Knoxville

Valerie Welborn

Valerie Welborn

Virginia Tech

Register

Sign up to attend the conference!

Registration fees include on-campus housing in a dormitory (specific dorm will be chosen in early May) and meals during the conference. Note that conference attendees staying in the dorms will need to bring their own linens, towels, and all other needed toiletry items.

Deadlines

Conference and Workshop Registration Deadline: June 29th, 2026

Abstract Submission for Poster Deadline: Friday July 10th

Students who wish to present a poster during the poster session at the conference should submit their abstract at the link below. The abstract is limited to 150 words and one graphic. The graphic you upload will be shown during your flash talk. If you need help preparing your abstract, please consult the American Chemical Society abstract writing tips or talk to your research advisor.

$150 USD

Undergraduate Student
Double Occupancy
  • Occupancy accommodation with another attendee.
  • Shared room at on-campus dorm.
  • Meals during the conference.
  • Optional access to the MolSSI workshop.
  • If staying in dorm:
    MUST bring their own linens (twin bed), towels, and all other needed toiletry items.
Register Now

$200 USD

Undergraduate Student
Single Occupancy
  • Single occupancy accommodation.
  • Room at on-campus dorm.
  • Meals during the conference.
  • Optional access to the MolSSI workshop.
  • If staying in dorm:
    MUST bring their own linens (twin bed), towels, and all other needed toiletry items.
Register Now

$350 USD

Grad Students
Post-Docs
Faculty
  • Atendees can request on-campus lodging through this choice, or…
  • Attendees can make their own lodging arrangements.
  • See Recommended Lodging
  • Meals during the conference.
  • Optional access to the MolSSI workshop.
Register Now

Submit Abstract for Poster

  • YOU MUST STILL REGISTER TO ATTEND!
  • The abstract is limited to 150 words and one graphic.
  • The graphic you upload will be shown during your flash talk.
  • For help writing, please consult the American Chemical Society abstract writing tips or talk to your research advisor.
Submit Abstract
Sponsors

Sponsors and Donors for the Mercury Conferences

This Year’s Sponsors

2025 Conference Sponsors

2024 Conference Sponsors

Venue Information
July 22-24, 2016

Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Vriginia Tech)
Blacksburg, VA; U.S.A.

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