Office location: Mudd 447
Area of Specialization: Polymer Chemistry/Mechanochemistry
My research focuses on the molecular-level development of sensitive, colorful, and
near-infrared (NIR) mechanofluorophores for damage sensing in polymeric materials
and bio-imaging applications.
Area of Specialization: Physical Chemistry, Photochemistry
My primary research interest is in determining structure-function relationships in photoactive compounds using spectroscopic techniques. My current work focuses on the effect that substituent effects have on the rate of photoinduced geometric change in heterocyclic azo compounds.
Office Location: Mudd 573
Area of Specialization: Photochemistry, Time Resolved Spectroscopy, Data Analysis
Fifth year graduate student in the Young lab.
Office Location: Mudd 632
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
I am currently a Ph.D. student in the Dr Glover Lab, where my research focuses on engineering and characterizing plant-derived lipid droplets. Specifically, I explore how these biomimetic systems can be used to separate pharmaceutical and personal care products from aqueous environments. I quantify and analyze partitioning behavior using liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques.
Office Location: Mudd 567
Area of Specialization: Physical Chemistry
My research sits at the intersection of sustainability and innovation, where I focus on improving carbon capture technologies using supercapacitive swing adsorption. Specifically, I investigate the rate-determining step in CO₂ adsorption kinetics and design catalysts to accelerate the process. In addition, I explore advanced electrode designs to boost both adsorption efficiency and kinetics, because when it comes to capturing CO₂, faster is always better—especially when the planet’s on the clock. Broadly, my work aims to contribute to scalable and effective carbon capture solutions in the fight against climate change.
Office Location: Sinclair 315
Area of Specialization: Computational Photochemistry
In my research, I use density functional theory to make energetic predictions to aid in elucidating photochemical mechanisms. My research extends to modelling explicit solvent environments of these mechanisms using solvent models, molecular dynamics simulations, and time-dependent density functional theory to answer questions of mechanistic favorability and kinetics in response to changes in solvent environments and solvent/solute interactions.
Office Location: Mudd 757
Area of Specialization: Physical Organic Chemistry
I am a current student in the Flowers lab. My research is focused on mechanistic studies into samarium (II) mediated reductions by using stopped flow spectrophotometry to monitor reaction kinetics. In my free time I enjoy traveling.
Office Location: Mudd 632
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
The primary focus of my research is the study of the secondary structure of a membrane protein commonly found in plant seed lipid droplets called oleosin. This protein is known to stabilize the structures of lipid droplets. To study the structure, I utilize NMR spectroscopy to determine the local conformations of oleosin. These local arrangements are then used to construct a three-dimensional model of oleosin. With this information, we hope to gain insight into the function of oleosin and how it stabilizes lipid droplets. Outside of the lab, I am a recreational scuba instructor and active public safety diver.
Office Location: Mudd 567
Area of Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry
My research focuses on identifying the mechanism of Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption (SSA) for carbon dioxide capture. Using in-situ spectroscopic techniques and titration of charged electrodes, I aim to study the underlying processes that drive SSA. This understanding will enable improvements in CO₂ sorption capacity and make the technology more practical and scalable.
Office Location: Mudd 648
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
I am a graduate student in Damien Thévenin’s lab. Previously published work focused on an immunotherapy using a fusion of a pH-sensitive peptide and a nanobody to target cancer cells in their acidic environment. The targeted cancer cells displayed the nanobody on their surface such that they were subsequently destroyed by natural killer cells, while sparing healthy cells at a neutral pH. Current work is aimed at expressing and purifying the transmembrane and intracellular domains of a class of membrane proteins and reconstituting them in nanodiscs as a lipid membrane mimic. Further experiments will be conducted in order to understand the structure and activity of the reconstituted proteins. In my free time, I enjoy music, playing the guitar, ukulele, and piano, crocheting, reading, and walking on nature trails.
