People
Principal Investigator
Current Lab Members (summer 2025)
Dr. Brianna Jett, postdoctoral researcher
Elaina Feldman '25
Beau Crawford '26
Chloe Jahncke, Smith College '27
Alicia Funk-Walker '28
Anna McClendon '28
Collaborators
Dr. Robert V. O'Brien, Reed College
Dr. Phan T. Truong, Hendrix College
Former Lab Members
Zachary S. Mathe '17
thesis title: Synthesis of an Iridium Hydride Complex: Towards a Model System for Hydrogen Tunneling
Oleksandr Luschyk '17
thesis title: A Dusty Road: Palladium Catalysis via the Mizoroki-Heck Reaction
Cordero V. Ortiz '19
research assistant, palladium reclamation and quantification
Joshua B. Tsang '18
thesis title: Synthesis of a Heterobimetallic Iridium-Ruthenium Organometallic Complex: Towards the Investigation of a Large Kinetic Isotope Effect
Hunter N. Wise '18
thesis title: What the Heck: Collection and Quantification of Anthropogenically Emitted Palladium in Portland, OR
Marie B. Faulkner '21
research assistant, synthesis and characterization of bimetallic Ir-Ru complex
Maryam P. Ahmad '19
thesis title: Quantifying H2 Generation by 1H NMR
Elle Douma '19
thesis title: Investigation of an Unusually Large Kinetic Isotope Effect in the Dehydrogenation of Formic Acid by an Iridium-Ruthenium Catalyst
Alexandra W. Carlson '20
thesis title: Hydrogen Gas Production from an Iridium-Ruthenium Hydride complex
M. Josephine Keller '20
thesis title: Hydrogen Production Reaction of an Iridium Half-Sandwich Complex
Danielle A. Primka '21
research assistant, coauthor of "Evaluation of Air-Free Glassware Using the Ketyl Test"
Emily J. McLaughlin Sta Maria '22
research assistant, coauthor of "Large Isotope Effects in Organometallic Chemistry"
Amelia F. Schaeffer '23
research assistant, computational studies of a protonolysis mechanism
Leo H. Gartner '21
thesis title: Computational Investigation of Bimetallic Iridium-Ruthenium and Monometallic Iridium Formic Acid Dehydrogenation Catalysts
Emma Cooney '21
thesis title: Pipe for the Picking: Palladium Recovery and Quantification from Tailpipe Residue
Elizabeth A. Knight '21
thesis title: Quantifying the Effects of Hydrogen Bonding on the Protonolysis of Dimethyl(1,5-cyclooctadiene) Platinum (II) by Trifluoroacetic Acid with Density Functional Theory
Sophia G. Miller '22
thesis title: The Long Road to Reclamation:
Toward the Quantification and Reuse of Environmental Palladium Pollution
Caitlyn Y. Tong '22
thesis title: Generation of Hydrogen Gas by an Air-Sensitive Iridium-Ruthenium Catalyst
Natalie Y. Rogers '24
research assistant, computational studies of iridium complexes
Dr. Phan T. Truong
postdoctoral researcher, organometallic mechanisms
Jingtong Xu '23
research assistant, organometallic mechanisms
Zonghan Yu '23
research assistant, palladium reclamation
Ethan R. F. Gregor '23
thesis title: Investigation of Formic Acid Dehydrogenation with Alternatives to an Ir-Ru Catalyst
Joaquin S. Fernandez Odell '25
research assistant, C-H activation with Cu
Isaac M. Blythe
visiting graduate student, C-H activation with Cu
Irving Rettig
postdoctoral researcher, organometallic mechanisms
Sarah Ellis '24
thesis title: A Kinetic Investigation into the Mechanism of Pt–Methyl Bond Protonolysis
Megan Regier '27
research assistant, palladium reclamation and catalysis
Clement M. DaSilva '25
research assistant, computational organometallic mechanisms
Minh L. T. Nguyen '25
thesis title: Study of the Mechanism of Pt–Methyl Bond Protonolysis
Nathaniel W. Michaels '25
research assistant, computational and experimental organometallic mechanisms
Joe K. Bush '25
thesis title: The Electrochemical Characterization of a Cr-bisterpyridine Dimer Complex
Abriana J. Ferguson '26
research assistant, computational and experimental organometallic mechanisms
Elizabeth Spence '28
research assistant, palladium reclamation and instrumentation
Thomas Denton '27
research assistant, organometallic mechanisms
Maya Surbeck '27
research assistant, computational and experimental organometallic mechanisms
Past Group Photos
Summer 2024
Summer 2023
Summer 2022
Graduation celebration with current group, alumni, family & friends, spring 2022
Summer 2021
Mentors and graduating seniors, spring 2021
Virtual graduation party with current group and alumni, spring 2020
Summer 2019
Academic year 2018-2019
Summer 2018
Academic year 2017-2018
Summer 2017
Academic year 2016-2017