Debbie Crans: Our Fearless Leader
Graduate Student Bios:
Zeyad Arhouma
Focus: Vanadium and polyoxometalates as anti-tuberculosis agents
Skills: bacterial culturing, growth studies, vanadium NMR
Origin: Libya
Education: B. S. in Zoology from Benghazi University (Libya)
Hobbies: pool, soccer
Year Joined: 2014
Cameron Van Cleave
Focus: Model membrane studies and bioinorganic chemistry
Skills: Langmuir monolayer studies, FT-IR, EPR
Origin: the mountains of New Mexico
Education: B.A. in Biochemistry – Earlham College (IN)
Interests: drawing, music (especially voice!), all the visual arts, languages
Year Joined: December 2016
Allison Haase
Focus: Analytical chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry, impact of transition metals on bacteria.
Skills: LC/MS, Skyline MS software, Originlab software, Langmuir monolayers.
Origin: Sugarland, TX.
Education: B.S. in Professional Chemistry from Sam Houston State University (TX)
Interests: Reading, video games, handicrafts
Year Joined: 2016
Heide Murakami
Focus: organic and inorganic synthesis, anticancer compounds
Skills: NMR spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy, speciation
Origin: Hawaii
Education: B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa
Hobbies: video games, D&D, reading, sleep
Year Joined: 2016
Maggi Braasch-Turi
Focus: organic synthesis of bioactive molecules
Skills: anhydrous and air-free technique, column chromatography & prep TLC, IR and NMR spectroscopy, MS
Origin: Owatonna, MN
Education: B.S. in Chemistry from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Hobbies: cross stitching, hiking, reading
Year Joined: 2020
Kate Kostenkova
Focus: synthesis, characterization and biological applications of vanadium-based anticancer compounds and lipid electron carriers
Skills: vanadium chemistry, inorganic and organic synthesis, NMR spectroscopy (1D and 2D), EPR spectroscopy
Origin: Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine / Spokane, WA
Education: B. S. Chemistry (with Biology minor) – Whitworth University (WA)
Hobbies: yoga, running, hiking, and cooking
Year Joined: 2018
Sam Zhang
Focus: biochemical analysis on inorganic compounds in vivo
Skills: LC/MS, TOF-MS, cell culture
Origin: Beijing, China
Education: B. S. in Professional Chemistry from St. Olaf College (MN)
Hobbies: archery, traveling
Year Joined: 2019
Nate Gasparovic
Focus: using NMR techniques to address environmental issues
Skills: NMR spectroscopy, Gaussian09 simulations
Origin: Pittsburgh, PA
Education: B. S. in Chemistry from Mercyhurst University
Hobbies: Movies, music, and museums
Year Joined: 2020
Andrew Bates
Focus: Organic Synthesis
Skills: NMR spectroscopy, prep TLC
Origin: Bloomington, IL
Education: B. S. in Chemistry from Colorado State University
Hobbies: Hiking, basketball, cooking, music
Year Joined: 2020
Skyler Markham
Focus: organic and organometallic chemistry
Skills: Pd chemistry, anhydrous technique, NMR
Origin: Topeka, KS
Education: B. S. in Chemistry from Fort Hays State University (KS)
Hobbies: disc golf, finding new parks to take my daughter to
Year Joined: 2020
Sarah Sanders
Focus: adding food preservatives to liposomes using thin-film hydration techniques
Skills: NMR, Igor Pro
Origin: Fort Collins, CO
Education: B. S. in Chemistry from Colorado State University
Hobbies: working out with friends, reading mystery novels, and painting
Year Joined: 2017
