Alumni

Graduate, Postdoctoral, and Post-baccalaurate Alumni

Joseph Karnes, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2020 to July 2024
B.S., Wichita State University; Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2024

Emily Mikeska, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2020 to June 2024
B.S., Abilene Christian University; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2024
Current position: Postdoctoral Appointee, Heavy Element Chemistry, Argonne National Laboratory

Riddhi Golwankar, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2020 to May 2024
M.S., Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2024
Current position: Postdoctoral Appointee, C-IIAC, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Position immediately following graduation: Postdoctoral Scholar, Shoshani Group, KU

Christian Nilles, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2020 to December 2023
B.S., North Dakota State University; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2023
Current position: Postdoctoral Appointee, Chemical & Fuel Cycle Technologies, Argonne National Laboratory

Wade Henke, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2018 to May 2022
B.S., University of Kansas, 2017; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2022
Recipient of the KU Takeru Higuchi Doctoral Progress Award (Top Thesis & Overall Superior Achievement in Chemistry)
Current position: Chemist, Proctor & Gamble, Chicago, Illinois

Julie Hopkins Leseberg, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2018 to April 2022
B.S., University of St. Mary (Leavenworth, KS) 2017; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2022
Recipient of the KU Ernest Griswold Award (Top Thesis in Inorganic Chemistry)
Current position: Research Chemist, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Kingwood, Texas

Chelsea Comadoll, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, Summer 2020 to December 2021
B.S., Appalachian State University, 2017; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2021
Current position: Assistant Professor, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Amit Kumar, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2017 to June 2021
B.Sc., St. Xavier's College, Mumbai; M.Sc., Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2021
Recipient of the KU Ernest Griswold Award (Top Thesis in Inorganic Chemistry)
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Eric Schelter Group, University of Pennsylvania

Yun Peng, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2016 to July 2020
B.S., Missouri State University, 2015; Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2020
Current position: Postdoctoral Scholar, Jier Huang Group, Marquette University

David Sconyers, Ph.D.
Graduate Student, January 2016 to June 2020
B.S., Texas Tech University, 2015; Ph.D. in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2020
Recipient of the KU Ernest Griswold Award (Top Thesis in Inorganic Chemistry)
Current position: Staff Scientist, Benét Laboratories, Watervliet Arsenal, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command

Davide Lionetti, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, January 2016 to June 2019
B.S. in Chemistry, Notre Dame; Ph.D. in Chemistry, Caltech
Current position: Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA

Katie (Cannon) Johnson
Graduate Student, January 2017 - March 2019
Master of Science in Chemistry (Honors), University of Kansas, 2019
Current position: Assistant Professor, Tulsa Community College

Keaton Prather
2016-2018
Current position: Graduate Student, University of Notre Dame, Tsui Group

Tyler Kerr
2016-2017
Current position: Graduate Student, UC Irvine, Yang Group

Undergraduate Alumni

Dermot O'Connor
REU 2026
St. Olaf College (Northfield, Minnesota), Class of 2027

Aubrey Brown
REU 2025
Carthage College (Kenosha, Wisconsin) Class of 2026

Cecilia Paranjothi
2022-2025
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2025
Current position: Graduate student, California Institute of Technology

Celine Khalife
2022-2025
B.A. in Chemistry with Honors, 2025
Current position: Student, KU School of Medicine

Colleen Thach
2023-2025
B.S. in Chemistry, 2025
Current position: Graduate student, Brown University

Aidan Thomas
REU 2024
MidAmerica Nazarene University, Class of 2025

Claire Dopp
2019-2023
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2023
Position after graduation: Graduate student, University of Rochester, Matson Group

Reagan Shippy
REU 2023
University of Central Missouri, Class of 2025

Emma Cosner
2019-2022
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2022
Current position: Graduate student, California Institute of Technology, Manthiram Group

Jonah Stiel
2018-2022
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2022
Current position: Graduate student, UC Irvine, Evans Group

Natalie Lind
REU 2022
Fort Lewis College, Class of 2023

Erin Arnold
2021-2022
B.S. in Chemistry, 2022

Gabriel Benitez
REU 2021
Colorado Mesa University, Class of 2023

Emily Boyd
2017-2019
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2019
Current position: Graduate Student, California Institute of Technology, Peters Group

Will Moore
2016-2019
B.S. in Chemistry with Honors, 2019
Current position: Graduate Student, UC Irvine, Evans Group

Micah Anderson
REU 2019
Jackson State University, Mississippi, Class of 2020
Current position: Dental School Student, University of Missouri at Kansas City

Daniel King
REU 2017
St. Olaf College, Class of 2019
Current Position: Graduate Student, University of Minnesota, Gagliardi Group

Ngan Tran
2017-2018
University of Kansas, Class of 2020

Clara Stanton
2017
University of Kansas, Class of 2018

Julie (Hopkins) Leseberg
REU 2016
University of St. Mary (Leavenworth, Kansas) Class of 2017

* No REU program was held in 2020 due to Covid-19 and in 2018 due to the move from Malott Hall to Gray-Little Hall. 

Visitors

Yash Bharadwaj
2021
Mumbai, India

Jonah Stiel
2016
Topeka High School, Topeka, Kansas