People
Current Members
Raja Sk
Post-Doctoral Researcher (Spring 2023-present)
Raja is from West Bengal, India. He did his B.Sc. from the University of Kalyani, India. Then he joined IIT Kharagpur and completed his M.Sc. with a master’s thesis on synthesizing halogenated anthraquinone by anionic annulation. In December 2022, Raja earned his Ph.D. at IIT Kharagpur, where he worked on weakly coordinating ketone-directed C–H functionalization, and annulative π-extension reaction. He joined the Thomas Group in the spring of 2023, focusing on site- and stereoselective organometallic chemistry. He enjoys playing cricket in his free time.
Dang Ho
Post-Doctoral Research (Spring 2024-present)
Dang is originally from Vietnam. He graduated from VNU-HCM University of Science with a B.Sc. In 2019, he obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Strasbourg, where he worked with Dr. Jean-Pierre Djukic on synthesizing and characterizing Iridium silylene complexes. Dang was a postdoctoral researcher at the Medicines For All Institute-Virginia Commonwealth University under Professor Josh Sieber, his work focused on the mechanistic study of reductive coupling reactions of ketones and allenamides as well as synthesizing drugs and manufacturing pharmaceuticals. Dang joined the Thomas group in Spring 2024. He is currently working on organometallic chemistry. In his free time, he plays badminton and soccer.
Ravinder Kaur
Post-Doctoral Researcher (Summer 2024-present)
Ravinder is from Punjab, India. She obtained her bachelor's from PAU, Ludhiana where she worked in organic and natural product chemistry. She obtained her PhD from the University of Mississippi, where she worked with Dr. Jared Delcamp on designing, synthesizing, and characterizing small organic chromophores with applications in optoelectronics materials and bioimaging. Ravinder also practiced fabrication, optimizing and characterizing dye-sensitized solar cell optoelectronic devices.
She joined the Thomas lab in the summer of 2024 and is currently working on the development of ozonolysis and photoredox reactions. In her free time, Ravinder enjoys listening to music, walking, and reading.
Danniel Arriaga
Graduate Student (Fall 2020-present)
Danniel graduated from Iowa State University with his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a double major in Chemistry in December 2019. There, he worked on developing a synthesis for isothiazoles and the substituent effects of ESIPT fluorophores via Linear Free Energy Relationships under the direction of Dr. Brett VanVeller. In the Thomas Group, he is working on further developing ozonolysis reactions. In Danniel’s free time, he enjoys writing, running, and playing guitar.
Lupita S. Aguirre
Graduate Student (Fall 2020-present)
Lupita completed a B.Sc. in Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin and an M.Sc. in Chemistry at Texas State University under the direction of Dr. Christopher P. Rhodes. There she worked on the development of support catalysts using transition metal oxides for applications in fuel cells. She joined Dr. Thomas’ research group in Fall 2020 and her current research interest lies in the development of asymmetric Negishi cross-coupling reactions. In her free time, Lupita likes to walk, bake, and most of all spend time with her friends.
Jeanette Piña
Graduate Student (Fall 2020-present)
Jeanette obtained her Bachelor's degree in chemistry at the University of North Alabama. In the summer of 2019, she completed an REU for chemical engineering under the supervision of Prof. Jason E. Bara at the University of Alabama. While there she worked on the variation of monomer structures in order to understand the properties of imidazolium ionenes. In her last year, she worked under the supervision of Dr. Amanda Coffman on the synthesis of triarylsulfonium ionic liquids. In the Thomas Group, she is working on developing catalyst transfer polymerization reactions. In her free time, Jeanette likes to read and binge watch TV shows.
Seokmin Kang
Graduate Student (Summer 2022-Present)
Seokmin is from Seoul, South Korea. He completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry at Inha University where he worked on nucleophilic fluorination under Prof. Dong Wook Kim. During his time at Inha University, he also worked on covalent organic frameworks for bioimaging. Seokmin moved to TAMU in the Fall of 2020. He joined the Thomas Lab in the summer of 2022 and is working on developing ozonolysis. In his free time, Seokmin enjoys playing computer games, guitar, and basketball. Seokmin usually plays games and likes to eat delicious food.
Han-Hsiang Hsu
Graduate Student (Fall 2021-prsent)
Han-Hsiang obtained his Bachelor's degree from National Taiwan University, Taiwan, where he worked on transition metal cross-coupling reactions under the supervision of Professor Shiuh-Tzung Liu. He joined Dr. Thomas’ research group in Fall 2021 and his current research topic is on Negishi Coupling reactions. Outside of the lab, he also enjoys chemistry in kitchen, and playing the cello.
Cheng-Chun Chen
Graduate Student (Fall 2022-present)
Cheng-Chun is from Taiwan. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at the National Central University, where he worked on the oxidation of arenes and benzannulation under the supervision of Professor Hou, Duen-Ren. He joined the Thomas Group in the fall of 2022 and is working on developing asymmetric rearrangement. Cheng likes to watch movies and fun YouTube videos and cook during his free time.
Wentao Cen
Graduate Student (Summer 2023-present)
Wentao is from Guangzhou, China. He received his Bachelor's degree in material science from South China University, where he worked on polyimide synthesis under Dr. Mingjun Huang. He is currently working on nickel and palladium complexes and the synthesis of phosphine ligands. In his free time, Wentao practices jiu-jitsu
Shu-Kai Chen
Graduate Student (Fall 2023)
Shu-Kai is from Nantou, Taiwan. He received his Bachelor's degree in chemistry from the National Taiwan University where he worked on the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with Prof. Shiuh-Tzung Liu. He joined the Thomas Group in the fall of 2023 and is currently working on lithium chemistry. Shu-Kai likes to spend time with his friends and he enjoys playing badminton. He also listens and plays percussion music.
Daniel Sarna
Graduate Student (Fall 2023)
Daniel is from Tyler, Texas. He received his Bachelor's degree in chemistry from Texas A&M where he worked on immobilizing a nickel catalyst on silica with Prof. Bluemel. He joined the Thomas Group in the fall of 2023 and is currently working on lithium chemistry to functionalize oxygen heterocycles.
Ben Brekke
Graduate Student (Summer 2024-present)
Ben is from Burnsville, Minnesota. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in chemistry from Concordia College at Moorhead. Ben conducted research with Kadarikasmy Mariappan at the University of South Dakota on the synthesis of Ruthenium complexes for their application in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. He also conducted research with Prof. Courtney Roberts at the University of Minnesota on the synthesis of electronically biased boryl-aryl triflate arynes. Ben joined the Thomas Group in the Summer of 2024, where he is currently working on the development of asymmetric Negishi cross-coupling reactions. In his free time, Ben likes to watch and play all kinds of different sports
Griffin Batson
Graduate Student (Fall 2024-present)
Griffin is from Quincy, Massachusetts. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Centre College. While there he worked under Prof. Vaness Song on organic semiconductor synthesis. He also conducted research at the University of Copenhagen under Prof. Jørn Christensen on the synthesis of PAMAM dendrimers. Griffin also participated in research at the University of Helsinki, where he worked for Prof. Rober Luxenhofer on diketomorpholine polymers. He joined the Thomas lab in the fall of 2024 and is conducting research on lithium complexes. In his free time, he enjoys golfing and watching football.
Kyangzi Calderon Cerquera
Graduate Student (Fall 2024-present)
Kyangzi is originally from Cali, Colombia, and holds an Associate's Degree and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Universidad del Valle (cum laude), along with an M.Sc. from Justus-Liebig Universität in Germany. In the Thomas Group, her research focuses on organometallic chemistry, catalysis, and lithium-based catalytic processes. Outside the lab, she enjoys baking, exploring new places, and engaging in STEM outreach.
Diego Elizalde Segovia
Graduate Student (Fall 2024-present)
Diego is from Mexico City, Mexico. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Under the direction of Prof. Manuel José Amézquita Valencia, he worked on asymmetric catalysis using manganese and rhenium complexes, also applying them in studies against cancer cells. In the fall of 2024, Diego joined the Thomas lab, he is currently focused on developing nickel organometallic complexes. In his free time, he enjoys swimming and playing video games.
Nilay Patel
Graduate Student (Fall 2024-present)
Nilay is from Baltimore, Maryland. He obtained his bachelor's degree in biochemistry from McDaniel College. While there he conducted research with Prof. Peter Craig on cobalt and zinc schiff-based complexes as COVID-19 protease inhibitors. After graduating he took a gap year and conducted research on protein structure elucidation with Prof. Edward Twomey at Johns Hopkins University. He joined the Thomas lab in the fall of 2024 and is conducting research on nickel-catalyzed cross–coupling reactions. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors.
Chung-En Su
Graduate Student (Fall 2024-present)
Chung-En is from Chia-Yi, Taiwan. He obtained his MS of chemistry from National Taiwan University. Under the direction of Prof. Sheng-Hsien Chiu, he worked on supramolecular chemistry. In the fall of 2024, Chung-En joined the Thomas lab, he is currently focused on developing new silyl lithium methods. In his free time, he enjoys hip-hop dancing and watching youtube.
Seung Hoon Lee
Visiting Scholar (November 2024-Present)
Seung Hoon is from Seoul, Korea. He is currently a PhD student at POSTECH in Korea. He works with Prof. Hyung Min Chi's on the synthesis of N-heterocycles with HFIP. He joined the Thomas lab in November of 2024 and will be working with Cheng-Chun on developing new organolithium reagents. In his free time he enjoys eating delicious food and going to the gym.
Hai Ly
Undergraduate (Spring 2022-present)
Hai is a sophomore undergraduate and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He is from Houston, Texas. His research focuses on mechanistic studies of palladium complexes. He enjoys longboarding and listening to jazz. Hai also enjoys cooking.
Raquel Gonzalez
Undergraduate (Spring 2023-present)
Raquel is currently an undergraduate freshman and is a chemistry major. She was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, and grew up in the D(M)V. She joined the Thomas Lab in the Spring of 2023. Her research is focused on the synthesis of organolithiums using lithium dendrites. Outside of the lab, she enjoys listening to music, especially 90s hip-hop, going for walks, and finding new places to eat!
Ryan Grove
Undergraduate (Spring 2023-present)
Ryan is a sophomore undergraduate from San Antonio, Texas. He is a chemical engineering major. Ryan joined the Thomas group in the Spring of 2023 and is working on developing asymmetric rearrangement. He is a violist, scuba diver, and a gamer in his free time.
Nicole Adams
Undergraduate (Spring 2024-present)
Nicole is from Highland Park, TX. She is currently a junior majoring in Biomedical Science. Nicole joined the Thomas Lab in the spring of 2024 where she is currently working on the development of phosphine ligands. During her spare time, she loves going to the dog park with her dog, volunteering, and spending time outdoors!
Austin Coleman
Undergraduate (Spring 2024-present)
Austin is from Fort Worth, Texas. He is a sophomore and is a Biomedical Sciences major. Austin joined the Thomas Lab in Spring 2024, where he currently working on developing ozonolysis reactions. In his free time, Austin enjoys going to the gym and traveling.
Max
Lab Dog
Max enjoys chewing model sets and barking at cars.
ROESY
Lab Mascot
ROESY enjoys enforcing safety protocols and guards the NMR probes.
Past Members
Alexis Lugo
Undergraduate (Fall 2022-Spring 2024)
Alexis graduated from Texas A&M in Spring 2024 and was raised in Houston, TX. Her research focused on the development of asymmetric Negishi cross-coupling reactions. Currently, Alexis is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Vanderbilt University.
Alex Sung
Unndergraduate (Spring 2022-Spring 2024)
Alex graduated from Texas A&M in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and he is from Katy, Texas. His research focused on asymmetric Negishi cross-couplings reactions. Currently, Alex is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Vanderbilt University.
Michael Crockett
Post-Doctoral Researcher (Fall 2020-Fall 2022)
Michael received his Ph.D. at Boston College where he studied iron-based catalysts for Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling in the Byers Group. Michael joined the Thomas Lab in August 2020 where his research focused on stereo- and site-selectivity in organometallic chemistry. Currently, Michael is working at Snapdragon Chemistry, Inc. in Massachusetts.
Levi Litwiller
Graduate Student (Fall 2020-Fall 2022)
Levi joined the Thomas Lab in October 2020 and received his M.S. degree in December 2022. During his time in the Thomas Group, he studied enantioselective cross-coupling reactions. Currently, Levi is working at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management in Indianapolis, IN.
Andrew Nguyen
Undergraduate (Spring 2021-Spring 2022)
Andrew graduated from Texas A&M in May 2022 and is from Sugar Land, Texas. His research focused on method development for the elaboration of heterocycles. Currently, Andrew is working at Amgen in Boston, Massachusetts.
Desirée Young
Undergraduate (Summer 2021)
Desirée graduated from Texas A&M in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Her research focused on mechanistic studies of palladium complexes. Currently, Desirée is working as a chemist at Framergy in College Station, Texas.
Miguel Garcia
Undergraduate (Fall 2020-Summer 2021)
Miguel graduated from Texas A&M in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Mathematics. His research was focused on investigating the reactivity of ozonolysis reactions. Currently, Miguel is working at Exxon Mobile in Baytown, Texas.
Jonathan Cobb
Undergraduate (Fall 2020)
Jonathan graduated from Texas A&M in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. His research focused on synthesizing ligands to control stereoselectivity in organometallic chemistry.