Members Page

Principal Investigator

Dave Martin

Dave Martin was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and spent a lot of time growing up hiking, camping and snowboarding in the Canadian Rockies west of Calgary. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia, where he did research in the group of Prof. Greg Dake. Dave also spent one year in Siegen, Germany as an exchange student where he developed an appreciation for polyglots and delicious German beers. In 2005, he moved to Montreal for an internship at the Merck-Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research, working in the Medicinal Chemistry Department. In 2006, Dave started graduate school at the University of California, Irvine where he worked with Prof. Chris Vanderwal on the application of Zincke aldehydes toward the synthesis of Strychnos alkaloids, including a short synthesis of strychnine. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 2011, he moved to Princeton, NJ to pursue post-doctoral research in the lab of Prof. Dave MacMillan. His work in the MacMillan group involved new applications of photoredox catalysis, including the direct beta-arylation of aldehydes and ketones. In July 2014, Dave joined the Chemistry Department at the University of California, Riverside before moving to Iowa in 2019. When not in the Chemistry building, Dave can be found running, brewing or hitting the slopes.

Graduate Students

Hoang Dang
hoang-dang@uiowa.edu

B.S. California State University, Long Beach
Lab Position: HBIC / Resident DJ
Type: Secretly Anxious
Quote: "Can you please walk faster?"

Cory Ludwig
cory-ludwig@uiowa.edu

M.S. SUNY, Oswego
Lab Position: Bad-Luck Charm
Type: Always Mysterious
Quote: "It could always be worse."

Mikayla Wymore
mikayla-wymore@uiowa.edu

B.S. + B.A. University of Iowa
Lab Position: Apprentice Wizard of Photocatalysis
Type: The Observant One
Quote: "Whatever floats your boat."

Clarence Peiris
clarence-peiris@uiowa.edu

B.S. The Open University of Sri Lanka
Lab Position: Total Synthesis
Type: Curious
Quote: "Always be cool"

Logan Evans
logan-evans@uiowa.edu

B.S. Monmouth College
Lab Position: WEBMASTER EXTRAORDINAIRE FIRST CLASS LORD of the SERVER COUNT of the KEYBOARD III
Type: Humble
Quote: "Draw Acetone"

Henry O'Callaghan
henry-ocallaghan@uiowa.edu

B.S. University of Nebraska Lincoln
Lab Position: Begrudging Mailman
Type: Bidoof/Satellite Hooligan
Quote: "This is a stupid idea, but if it works, it's the best idea I've ever had"

Emmanuel Yeboah Bonsu
emmanuel-bonsu@uiowa.edu

M.S. University of Ghana
Lab Position: Soccer Addict
Type: Slow but Sure
Quote: "You will survive"

Ebuka Onyeyilim
ebuka-onyeyilim@uiowa.edu

M.S. University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Lab Position: Total Synthesis
Type: Derivatives
Quote: "You can do it"

Post-Docs

Jacob
jacob-hackbarth@uiowa.edu

Ph.D. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Lab Position: The Inquirer
Type: Fire
Quote: "My first DnD campaign, I was a rogue."

Ayesha Khan
ayesha-khan@uiowa.edu

Ph.D. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences
Lab Position: Go Up, Go Down, Stop, Again
Type: Air-sensitive, Heat-sensitive, Light-sensitive
Quote: "Allah will see your pursuit not accomplishment

Isiakia Owolabi
isiaka-owolabi@uiowa.edu

Ph.D. Muroran Institute of Technology, Japan
Lab Position: The Runner
Type: Water
Quote: "No limit."

Undergraduate Students

Jennifer Suarez
jennifer-suarez@uiowa.edu

Lab Position: The Undergrad
Type: Energetic
Quote: "Hot Take: Ketchup is better than ranch"

Lily Poci
lily-poci@uiowa.edu

Lab Position: TBD
Type: TBD
Quote: TBD

Thomas "Tommy" Phillips
thomas-a-phillips@uiowa.edu

Lab Position: Taste Tester
Type: Organomercury
GHS Signal Word: Danger
Quote: "Never trust aroms... They lie."

Graduate Students

Zetandro Banarjee
zetandro-benarjee@uiowa.edu

M.S. Missouri State University Southeast
Lab Position: Trained on Every Instrument
Type: Morally Opposed to Hand Columns
Quote: "WHAT'S UP [insert name here]!"

Anayah Ferris
anayah-ferris@uiowa.edu

B.S. University of the Virgin Islands
Lab Position: Soca Executive
Type: Lowkey Bougie
Quote: "Oh chicken!"

Madeline Parker
madeline-parker@uiowa.edu

B.S. University of Dubuque
M.S. University of Iowa, 2021
Lab Position: The Safety Queen
Type: The one with school spirit
Quote: "My humor is like my hard cider: medium-dry."

Bill Weigel
william-weigel@uiowa.edu

B.S. Cal Poly, Pomona
Ph.D. UC Riverside, 2020
Lab Position: Wit Master
Type: Fire/Fighting
Quote: "Is 14% yield good enough?"

Kyle Arriola

B.S. University of Redlands
Last known whereabouts: Graduated with PhD from UC Riverside (2022)

Abigail Feceu

B.S. Cal Poly, Pomona
Ph.D. UC Riverside, 2019
Lab Position: Tsarina
Type: Amicably sassy, Sinfully polite
Quote: "I could be wrong, but im not."

Dana Chambers

B.S. North Carolina State University
Ph.D. UC Riverside, 2019
Lab Position: Queen Bee
Type: Sassy, approach with coffee
Quote: "Is it nap time?"

Taylor Alexander

B.S. Indiana University, Bloomington
Lab Position: Print Master General
Type: Formula 1 Weightlifter
Quote: "Does anybody want coffee?"

Travis Clay

B.A. Berea College
M.S. University of California, Riverside, 2017

Jake McClinton

B.S. University of Nebraska
M.S. University of California, Riverside, 2016

Raymond Sullivan

B.S. University of San Diego
M.S. University of California, Riverside, 2016

Josiah Jackson
Rotation Student

B.S. Bradley University
M.S. University of California, Riverside, 2016 (Beran Lab)

Post-Docs

Shalini
shalini@uiowa.edu

Ph.D. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
Lab Position: Learner
Type: Nucleophile
Quote: TBD

Mersad Raeisi
mersad-raeisi@uiowa.edu

Ph.D. Ohio University
Lab Position: Nano Car King
Type: Coffee and Protein Bars
Quote: "Sure."

Esmat Sodagar

B.S. Birjord University, Iran
MS: Shiraz University, Iran
PhD: Modares University, Iran
Sabbatical: University of Pennsylvania Quote: "The most effective way to do it, is to do it"

Haibin Yang

B.S. Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
PhD: Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry
Post-doc: Stockholm University, Sweden

Undergraduate Students

Darrell Smith
darrell-smith@uiowa.edu

Lab Position: Genius in Training
Type: Serotonin + Questions
Quote: "Have a wonderful day!"

Vaani Gupta
vaani-gupta@uiowa.edu

Visiting scholar from Grinnell College
Lab Position: Spring Intern
Type: N/A
Quote: N/A

Isabella Jacobsen
isabella-jacobsen@uiowa.edu

Visiting scholar from Grinnell College
Lab Position: Column Queen
Type: Garage Rock Vinyl
Quote: "I want my data and I want it now."

Lauren Sangster

B.S. University of California, Riverside, 2017
Major: Biochemistry
Awards: UE Mini-Grant Recipient
Current Position: Masters program at University of Toledo

Johny Man Nguyen

B.S. University of California, Riverside, 2017
Major: Chemical Engineering
UC LEADS Scholar
Current Position: Graduate Student, Vanderbilt University

Jack I-Chieh Wang

B.S. University of California, Riverside, 2016 (honors)
Major: Biochemistry
Awards: HHMI EXROP recipient, 2016 ACS Organic Undergraduate Award winner
Current Position: Graduate Student, Yale University