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

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

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

Visitors

Yash Bharadwaj
2021
Mumbai, India

Jonah Stiel
2016
Topeka High School, Topeka, Kansas