Mason Bayles will walk across the stage on May 2 at Bartow Arena.Mason Bayles knew long before arriving at the University of Alabama at Birmingham that chemistry was his calling. What began as curiosity has evolved into a clear sense of purpose and dedication over the past four years.
His passion for science took shape during his sophomore year of high school when a simple experiment using pencil lead and paper sparked a deeper interest in chemistry. This moment confirmed that his future belonged in the subject.
A passion for science
A native of Jacksonville, Alabama, Bayles has continued to carry out an emphasis in continuous education and research as a College of Arts and Sciences triple major in; chemistry, immunology and mathematics, as well as a minor in Spanish. He considers chemistry his main calling and decided to take on two additional majors because of how well they complement chemistry and allow him to connect with colleagues in similar fields.
“With chemistry, you are building something brand-new, working with molecules that have never been synthesized, and that is why studying chemistry is so fascinating to me,” Bayles said.
During his time as a Blazer, Bayles took advantage of the Department of Chemistry’s Teaching Assistant Program. He served as a teaching assistant for over 30 sections of 100- to 300-level chemistry courses.
Bayles will be graduating summa cum laude with High Distinguished Honors from the Honors College and Honors in Chemistry.Through helping his peers in their classes, Bayles realized that chemistry is one of the most misunderstood sciences.
“Many individuals do not truly understand what chemistry is about or have had negative classroom experiences, and that creates anxiety toward the subject,” he said.
Bayles decided the best way to help other college students overcome “chemistry anxiety” is to become a professor himself and share his love of the subject to hopefully make an impact and change the perception of the scientific study.
“Teaching is one of the most valuable things in the world,” he said. “As a professor, you get to be a lifelong learner and study what you love every single day while also sharing that passion with new students.”
As a teaching assistant, Bayles has been able to get hands-on experience in classrooms designing course materials and working alongside professors, like Ash Curtiss, Ph.D., associate professor and coordinator of organic chemistry in the Department of Chemistry.
“In my 16 years in university life, I’ve never met an undergraduate more goal-driven to be a university professor than Mason,” Curtiss said. “He does everything he can to give himself the exposure to almost every aspect of the job. He has become the de facto head TA, and he has a good intuition for teaching.”
Excelling with honors
During his time at UAB, Bayles has built an impressive resume that has allowed him to get a head start in working toward his dream. He is a member of the UAB Honors College, a CAS Champion and a Chemistry Scholar, and he has received many awards from the Department of Chemistry for outstanding performance in the classroom and as a teaching assistant.
Additionally, Bayles was a member of the UAB Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society, where he served as president in his sophomore and junior years.
Bayles will begin his doctoral studies program this fall at Princeton University.Other accomplishments in his undergraduate career included being selected by the American Chemical Society to be the 2024 ACS undergraduate liaison, which is awarded to only one undergraduate student affiliate each year, and receiving the 2026 College of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s Award.
He has excelled as an undergraduate researcher in chemistry. He has received numerous research scholarships and awards, including a UAB Presidential Honors Research Fellowship and a prestigious National Science Foundation Fellowship to conduct research over the summer of 2025 at Texas A&M University. Most recently, he received an Honorable Mention for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
The next chapter
Bayles will graduate with his three degrees at the spring commencement ceremony at Bartow Arena on Saturday, May 2. He will be graduating summa cum laude with High Distinguished Honors from the Honors College and Honors in Chemistry.
After the celebration, he will spend his summer preparing to begin his doctoral studies program this fall at Princeton University, where he has been awarded the Princeton graduate school President’s Fellowship, an award offered to less than 10 percent of admitted students. His work there will focus on designing sustainable catalysts using Earth-abundant transition metals.
When looking back over his time at UAB, Bayles recognizes the emphasis UAB has on interdisciplinary learning and active involvement, for which he is grateful because it allowed him to grow in his studies and as an individual. Now, he is prepared for the next step in his journey to make a difference in the world and in one of the most misunderstood subjects.