People

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
mhanosh@umich.edu

Hometown: Metro Detroit, MI



Dr. Kartik Maity

M.Sc. Chemistry 2013
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur

Ph.D. Chemistry 2019
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur
Advisor: Dr. Kumar Biradha

Time: 2023-Present
Project: Flow Batteries
kmaity@umich.edu

Hometown: Haldia, India


Dr. Daniel Brandes

B.A. Chemistry 2018
Williams College
Advisor: Dr. Jimmy Blair

Ph.D Chemistry 2023
Yale University
Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Ellman

Time: 2023-Present
Project: C-H Activation
dbrandes@umich.edu

Hometown: Cranston, RI


Frances Gu

B.Sc. Honors Chemistry 2019
University of British Columbia
Advisor: Dr. Glenn Sammis

Time: 2020-Present
Project: Fluorination
frgu@umich.edu

Hometown: Beijing, China


Jonathan Hall

B.A. Chemistry & Math 2019
Williams College
Advisor: Dr. Anthony Carrasquillo

Time: 2021-Present
Project: Organometallics
jrhhall@umich.edu

Hometown: Long Island, NY / Adams, MA


Alexander Bunnell

B.A. Chemistry 2019
Bard College
Advisor: Dr. Emily McLaughlin

Time: 2021-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
abunnell@umich.edu

Hometown: New Haven, CT


Ila Castro De La Torre

B.S. Chemistry 2020
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Advisor: Dr. Alexander Spokoyny

Time:2022-Present
Project: Organometallics
iycastro@umich.edu

Hometown: Ecuador


Taylor Spiller

B.S. Chemistry 2021
University of Texas at San Antonio
Advisor: Dr. Doug Frantz

Time: 2022-Present
Project: Fluorination
tspiller@umich.edu

Hometown: Seagraves, TX


Joshua Thedford

B.S. Chemistry 2021
University of Georgia
Advisor: Dr. Aaron Thompson

Time: 2022-Present
Project: Organometallics
thedford@umich.edu

Hometown: Atlanta, GA


Bobby Wolesensky

B.S. Chemistry 2021
New York University
Advisor: Dr. Dirk Trauner

Time: 2022-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
bobbyw@umich.edu

Hometown: Liberty Hill, TX


Sabrina Carneiro

B.A. Chemistry 2021
Pomona College
Advisor: Dr. Nicholas D. Ball

Time: 2022-Present
Project: C-H Activation
sabnc@umich.edu

Hometown: Sao Paolo, Brazil


Emily Nolan

B.A. Chemistry 2021
St. Olaf College
Advisor: Dr. Elodie Marlier

Time: 2022-Present
Project: Organometallics
elnolan@umich.edu

Hometown: Guilford, CT


Sabrina Reich

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

Time: 2023-Present
Project: C-H Activation
reichsab@umich.edu

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
nabdias@umich.edu

Hometown: Naples, FL


Zoe Wachtel

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

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Organometallics
zwachtel@umich.edu

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
emilyji@umich.edu

Hometown: Ceres, CA


Julia Viana Bento

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

Time: 2024-Present
Project: C-H Activation
jvbento@umich.edu

Hometown: Natal, Brazil


Samuel Greco

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

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Fluorination
gsamuel@umich.edu

Hometown: San Antonio, TX


Sheikh Nahiyan

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

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Cross-Coupling
snahiyan@umich.edu


Hometown: Ventnor City, NJ




Calvin Goldsmith

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

Time: 2024-Present
Project: Fluorination
calgold@umich.edu

Hometown: Pontiac, MI