People – The Sanford Group

Dr. Melanie Sanford

Melanie Sanford grew up in Providence, RI. She received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Yale University in 1996 where she worked with Professor Bob Crabtree studying C–F bond functionalization. She then moved to Caltech where she worked with Professor Bob Grubbs investigating the mechanism of ruthenium-catalyzed olefin metathesis reactions. After receiving her PhD in 2001, she worked with Professor Jay Groves at Princeton University as an NIH post-doctoral fellow studying metalloporphyrin-catalyzed functionalization of olefins. Melanie has been a professor at the University of Michigan since the summer of 2003.
Curriculum Vitae

Marc Hanosh

Lab Manager & Administrative Support

Master’s in Public Health 2018
University of Michigan

Time: 2019-Present
[email protected]

Hometown: Metro Detroit, MI

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Dr. Allison Wong

B.A. Chemistry 2018
Williams College
Advisor: Dr. Anthony Carrasquillo

Ph.D. Chemistry 2025
University of Minnesota
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Lamb

Time: 2025-Present
Project: C-H Activation
[email protected]

Hometown: Concord, MA

Dr. Andrew Cruz

B.A. Chemistry 2020
Rutgers University
Advisor: Dr. Ralf Warmuth

Ph.D. Chemistry 2025
University of Michigan
Advisor: Dr. John Wolfe

Time: 2025-Present
Project: C-H Activation
[email protected]

Hometown: North Bergen, NJ

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Dr. Sydney Towell

B.S. Chemistry 2021
Harvey Mudd College
Advisor: Dr. Adam Johnson

Ph.D Chemistry 2026
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Advisor: Dr. Aleksandr Zhukhovistkiy

Time: 2026-Present
Project:
[email protected]

Hometown: West Chester, PA

Sabrina Reich

B.S. Chemistry 2022
Michigan State University
Advisor: Dr. Robert Maleczka

Time: 2023-Present
Project: C-H Activation
[email protected]

Hometown: Rochester Hills, MI

Abdias Noel

B.S. Chemistry 2021
University of Florida
Advisors: Dr. Alexander J. Grenning, Dr. Simon E. Lopez

Time: 2023-Present
Project: Fluorination
[email protected]

Hometown: Naples, FL

Zoe Wachtel

B.S. Chemistry 2023
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Advisor: Dr. Lisa Olshansky

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Organometallics
[email protected]

Hometown: Oak Park, IL

Emily Jimenez

B.S. Pharmaceutical Chemistry 2023
UC Davis
Advisor: Dr. Jared T. Shaw

Time: 2024-Present
Project: C-H Activation
[email protected]

Hometown: Ceres, CA

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Julia Viana Bento

M.S. Chemistry 2022
UFRN, Brazil
Advisor: Dr. Amanda Duarte Gondim

Time: 2024-Present
Project: C-H Activation
[email protected]

Hometown: Natal, Brazil

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Samuel Greco

B.S. Chemistry 2022
University of Texas at San Antonio
Advisor: Dr. Oleg Larionov

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Fluorination
[email protected]

Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Ziyan (Vico) Wang

B.S. Chemistry 2024
Emory University
Advisor: Dr. Cora Macbeth

Time: 2025-Present
Project: Organometallics
[email protected]

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Sheikh Nahiyan

B.S. Chemistry 2024
Yale University
Advisor: Dr. Nilay Hazari

Time: 2025-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
[email protected]

Hometown: Ventnor City, NJ

Calvin Goldsmith

B.S. Chemistry 2024
Oakland University
Advisor: Dr. Zacharias Kinney

Time: 2025-Present
Project: Fluorination
[email protected]

Hometown: Pontiac, MI

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Angie Lopez

B.A. Chemistry 2025
University of California
Advisor: Dr. Ana Bahamonde

Time: 2026-Present
Project: Organometallics
[email protected]

Hometown: Eastvale, CA

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Melissa Yu

B.S. Chemistry 2023
The University of North Carolina
Advisor: Dr. Abigail Knight

Time: 2026-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
[email protected]

Hometown: Allendale, NJ

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Amari Howard

B.S. Chemistry 2024
Rowan University
Advisor: Dr. Gustavo Moura-Letts

Time: 2026-Present
Project: Fluorination
[email protected]

Hometown: Penn Grove, NJ

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Angie Magaletti

B.A. Chemistry 2024
Indiana University-Purdue University
Advisors: Dr. William L. Scott and Dr. J. Geno Samaritoni

Time: 2026-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
[email protected]

Hometown: East White Plains, NY