Fall/Winter 2022 Alumni Magazine

Chemistry's Student Leaders

Constructing the department, one committee at a time

By UNC Chemistry Communication

Photo courtesy of Hanne Henriksen

Hanne Henriksen is a 4th year graduate student in the Waters Lab. After completing her undergrad at San Diego State, she conducted research in two different labs, studyingorganometallics and peptide stapling. When she joined UNC Chemistry, she became involved in several committees, like the Sustainability Committee and Joint Safety Team (which she now chairs).

Photo courtesy of Sarah Sutton

Sarah Sutton is a 5th year graduate student in the Cahoon Lab and Papanikolas Lab. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Mississippi, and she currently specializes in ultrafast pump probe microscopy. She participates in a number of committees and clubs both within the department and the university, and was formerly President of the Association of Chemistry Graduate Students (ACGS).

Photo courtesy of Hawa Keita

Hawa Keita is a 5th year graduate student in the Meek Lab. She hails from Brooklyn originally, with strong Malian roots. After completing her undergrad at UW- Madison, she conducted research in the Yoon Laboratory, studying Lewis acid catalyzed triplet energy transfer in visible light photocatalysis. Since joining UNC Chemistry, she has jumped headfirst into committee work, becoming involved with the Graduate Studies Committee and the UNC Chapter of NOBCChE, while also co-chairing the graduate student subcommittee of the department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Photo courtesy of Allison Smith

Allison Smith is a 4th year graduate student in the Miller Lab. Her work involves developing new methods for hydricity determination, comparing solution and surface hydricities, and using hydricity as a guide for assembling catalytic systems for liquid fuel generation. She, too, is present on a number of committees, including the Graduate Committee for Professional Development (GCPD), which she co-chairs with Jennica, and AM_WISE, where she is treasurer.

Photo courtesy of Lauren McRae

Lauren McRae is a a 5th-year graduate student in Scott Warren’s group, studying a combination of computational and experimental approaches to the discovery and synthesis of new crystalline phases. Her undergraduate degree comes from the University of Richmond. She has also participated in a number of committees and groups within the department and university and is currently the student cochair for the Chemistry Department's Sustainability Committee.

Photo courtesy of Jennica Kelm

Jennica Kelm is a 3rd year graduate student in the Dempsey Lab. Her research focuses on understanding surface defects on semiconductor quantum dots for renewable energy Photo courtesy of Jennica Kelm applications. She received her undergraduate degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. She also participates in a number of department and university committees and activities, including co-chairing the Graduate Committee for Professional Development (GCPD) with Allison.

Supraja Chittari is a 3rd year graduate student in the Knight Lab, from Vienna, VA. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, and now Photo courtesy of Supraja Chittari studies nonequilibrium phase behavior using temperature-dependent polymers and stochastic Markov state models. She is also currently the Chemistry co-chair for Allies for Minorities and Women in Science and Engineering (AM_WISE).

If you are a Chemistry Graduate Student, and are interested in getting more involved with the department, we would be happy to have you. Please reach out to the chair of whichever committee you are interested in joining (the committee roster for the 2022-2023 academic year can be found at the QR code to the right).