postdoctoral researchers
Dr. Lucas Karas
Research: TBD
Ph.D. University of Houston (2021)
Advisors: Judy Wu
M.Sci. UTFPR, Brazil (2017)
Advisor: Paulo Oliveira
B.A. UTFPR, Brazil (2015)
Interests: Sports (big soccer fan), trying to ski, walking with my dog Fika, Doritos
Dr. Arianne Hunter
Research: Developing asymmetric synthetic methodologies enabled by electrochemistry and optimized by data science tools.
Co-advised with Reisman Group (Caltech)
Ph.D. University of Oklahoma (2019)
Advisors: Indrajeet Sharma
B.A. Dartmouth College
Advisor: Gordon Gribble
Interests: Powerlifting, hiking, Steven Universe, and watching music history documentaries
Dr. Jamie Cadge
Research: Using data science tools for the development of metal-catalyzed homo Diels-Alder reactions
With Reisman Group (Caltech)
Ph.D. University of Bristol (2021)
Advisors: John Bower and Chris Russell
M.Sci. University of Nottingham (2016)
Advisor: Liam Ball
Interests: Cooking, playing piano, watching live music and films
Dr. Melissa Hardy
Research: Developing statistical models to predict the outcome of amide coupling reactions to develop an a priori reaction optimization platform.
With Pfizer
Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (2021)
Advisor: Richmond Sarpong
B.A. Grinnell College (2016)
Advisor: Stephen Sieck
Interests: Corgis, disney movies, cooking/baking, and video games
Dr. Avijit Hazra
Research: Electrochemical transformation of common organic functional groups, and developing predictive models for organocatalytic reactions.
Ph.D. University of Washington, Seattle (2021)
Advisor: Gojko Lalic
M.Sc. ITT Bombay, Mumbai (2014)
Advisor: Debabrata Maiti
B.S. University of Calcutta, Kolkata (2012)
Interests: Playing soccer, table tennis, hiking, cooking Bengali food, and watching FC Barcelona play
Dr. Andrey Varenikov
Research: Enantioselective allylic amination via C-H activation with dirhodium catalysts.
With Du Bois Group (Stanford University)
Ph.D. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (2021) Advisor: Mark Gandelman
B.S. Karazin Kharkiv National University (2012)
Advisor: Aleksander D. Roshal
Interests: Cycling, cooking, traveling, diving
fifth years
Hanna Clements
Research: Structural and statistical models of biocatalytic systems for mechanistic insight, reaction optimization, and metabolite partitioning behavior.
With Hyster Group (Cornell), Sherman Group (U of Michigan) and Rosen Group (UT Southwestern).
B.S. Biochemistry, Gonzaga University (2018)
Interests: Playing outside, chips and salsa, gardening, crafting, tea, beanies with pig tails
Adam Pancoast
Research: Development of anolytes for non-aqueous redox flow batteries, investigation of bipyrimidine scaffolds as electrophotocatalysts, and the study of N,N-bidentate ligands in asymmetric catalysis.
With Minteer Group (Utah), Sanford Group (Michigan), Toste Group (Berkeley), JCSER, Reisman Group (Caltech), Doyle Group (UCLA).
B.S. Chemistry, Augsburg University (2018)
Interests: Reading, hiking, traveling, playing with my dog
Ellyn Peters
Research: Molecular feature design and statistical modeling applied to mechanistic investigation and reaction development.
With Merck, Paton Group (CSU), Aspuru-Guzik Group (U of Toronto), Doyle Group (Princeton/UCLA), Gensch Group (TU Berlin).
B.S. Chemistry, Augsburg University (2018)
Interests: Dogs, outdoors, and northern Minnesota
fourth years
Brittany Haas
Research: Developing statistical models for the rate of amide coupling reactions in order to predict reaction success.
With Pfizer
B.S. Chemistry, University of St. Thomas (2019)
Interests: cooking, traveling, French onion soup, farmers' markets, cheese curds, hiking, and the color pink
Jordan Liles
Research: Development of novel Bronsted acid organocatalysts for enantioselective catalysis.
With Toste Group (UC Berkely)
B.S. Chemistry, Mercer University (2017)
Interests: Playing instruments, singing (poorly), snowboarding, Always Sunny, and Ethiopian food
Josh Tang
Research: Electroanalytical and electrosynthetic investigation into halogen-atom abstraction mechanism by Nickel-phosphine catalysts.
With CSOE
B.S. Chemistry, Nankai University (2015)
Interests: Comics, movies, Marvel and DC
third years
Tim McFadden
Research: Leveraging electrochemistry to enable expedient access to reaction rate data.
With Minteer Group (Utah), CSOE
B.A. Marketing, Loyola University Chicago (2011)
Interests: Reading, climbing, open water swimming, and working for free
Beck Miller
Research: Using machine learning and MLR analysis to globally optimize dirhodium catalysts along with carbene and nitrene substrates for C-H insertion.
With Du Bois Group (Stanford), Houk Group (UCLA)
B.A. Chemistry, Smith College (2020)
Interests: Coding, rugby, weight lifting, and making a mess in my kitchen
Veronica O'Connor
Research: Developing a novel, hybrid class of chiral phosphoric acid catalysts via a combinatorial fragment-driven workflow to be used in both kinetic studies and reaction development.
With Toste Group (UC Berkeley)
B.S. Chemistry, Hillsdale College (2020)
Interests: Volleyball, backpacking, skiing, cooking, tea, Star Wars, the Midwest.
Mohammad Samha
Research: Linear regression modeling of hydrogen bond donating catalysis utilizing thiourea and square amide organic catalysts.
With Jacobsen Group (Harvard)
B.S. Chemistry, Southern Utah University (2019)
Interests: Studying, family time and the occasional video game.
Natalie Seeger
Research: Identification and parameterization of improved phosphine ligands for stereoselective cross couplings.
With Genentech, Buchwald Group (MIT)
B.S. Chemistry, Montana State University (2016)
Interests: Growing food, cooking food, eating food [especially bread], construction projects, playing outside, and one pot reactions
second years
Sara McCormack
Research: synthesis and computational analysis of new materials for nonaqueous redox flow batteries
With JCESR
B.S. Chemistry, University of Denver (2021)
Interests: powder skiing, cooking, looking at trees, water sports, and brightly colored molecules
Austin LeSuer
Research: Molecular parameterization and statistical modeling of phosphine ligands for Kraken
B.S. Biochemistry, Brigham Young University (2021)
Interests: Reading, board games, piano, hiking, eating carbs
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Sierra Hart
Research: Characterization of P, N ligand activity using statistical modeling to provide mechanistic insight and reaction optimization
With: Bayer
B.S. Chemistry and Applied Mathematics, Weber State University (2021)
Interests: yellow rain boots, keeping my (black) dogs off my (white) couch, and shopping for my next post-test consolation plant!
Therese Wild
Research: Electrochemical synthesis and mechanistic investigation of Co and Ni catalysis
B.A. Chemistry (2021) B.S. Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo, (2021)
Interests: Hiking, climbing, watching the worst reality TV you can find, Trolli peach rings
first years
Alex Ring
Research: Electrosynthetic and electroanalytic techniques to study Ni complexes
With: CSOE
B.S. Chemistry, University of Utah (2022)
Interests: skiing, painting, camping, and watching Survivor
Haruka Takenaka
Research: TBD
B.S. Chemistry, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2021)
Interests: eating, cooking, fish, anything related to food, watching anime, sleeping, saving money, traveling
Zrinko Juric
Research: Development of novel chiral phosphoric acid organocatalysts
B.S. Chemistry, University of Zagreb, Croatia (2021)
Interests: dogs, volleyball, Mediterranean beaches, history, traveling, food, movies, and TV shows
undergraduate students
Clarissa (Reece) Goh
Research: Use of physical organic tools and spectrophotometric techniques to determine correlations between catalytic activity and enantioselectivity of chiral phosphoric acid organocatalyts
B.S. Biochemistry, University of Utah (expected 2026)
Interests: writing, reading, overanalyzing film, karaoke, listening to music, painting, trying new foods, and staring into the void
Anna Bell
Research: TBD
B.S. TBD
Interests: TBD
lab manager and research associates
Dr. Sarah Lefave: Lab Manager
Ph.D. Chemistry, The University of Utah (2021)
Advisor: Matthew Kieber-Emmons
B.S. Chemistry, The University of Central Florida (2013)
Advisor: Yi Liao, Michael Leuenberger
Interests: Doggos, climbing, hiking, pretending to chef, sauces, proteins, tunneling, and talking about the weather.