Haley Petersen G5

Haley is a graduate student who joined the Luca lab in December 2019. She aspires to use chemical research to address fundamental sustainability issues and currently focuses on carbon dioxide conversions. She received her B.S. in chemistry from the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she worked with the Lichtenberger group on [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimetic electrocatalysts. She is the recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship 2021!

Contact: Haley[dot]petersen[at]colorado[dot]edu

Phil (Phuc) Pham G4

Phil got his B.E. in Chemical Engineering from HCMC University of Technology in 2018, where he did his undergraduate research on metal-organic frameworks as heterogeneous catalysts and heterocycle synthesis via C-H bond activation. Phil traveled across the Pacific Ocean to join the Luca lab as a graduate researcher in December 2020. Phil is now studying metal-oxo complexes for selective oxidation of organic molecules.

Contact: phuc[dot]pham[at]colorado[dot]edu

Hunter Koltunski G2

Hunter is a graduate student who joined the lab in December of 2022. He earned his B.S. at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire where he worked with the Glogowski group on synthesis and characterization of stimuli responsive polymers for applications in architectural coatings. Hunter is now working on electrochemical methods for alkane activation and carbon capture.

Contact: hunter[dot]koltunski[at]colorado[dot]edu

Quinn Brink G1

Quinn is a graduate student who joined the Luca group in December of 2023. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from Gonzaga University in May of 2023, where he did his undergraduate research on the florescent properties of α,β-unsaturated ketones. Currently, he works on the synthesis, characterization and electricity-driven depolymerization of bio-derived polyesters.

Contact: qubr4957[at]colorado[dot]edu

Holly Jones UG

Holly is a postbaccalaureate student who joined the Luca lab in August 2023. After living in New Zealand for almost ten years, Holly returned to the US to make a career pivot from classical piano to chemistry/pre-health. Her research revolves around novel methods of dehydrogenation. In particular, she is investigating the storage and release of hydrogen equivalents at ambient temperatures and pressures through chemical storage in LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers). This new chemistry can disrupt the traditional fossil fuel industry and revolutionize hydrogen fuel technologies.

Ariana Nygren UG

Ari joined the Luca group in August 2023 and works on the synthesis of organometallics for electrochemical transfer hydrogenation reactions of alkanes.

Alumni

Emmet Miller, BS 2022

Jaclyn Katsirubas, BS, 2023, PhD student at Caltech

Tessa Myren, PhD 2021, Amgen

Taylor Stinson – BS, 2020

Chloe Huntzinger -BS 2020

Zachary Mast – BS 2021

Anna Barrow – BS 2021 (Bates)

Mikayla Hudak -BS 2020 (Gonzaga)

J. William Horstman – graduate research assistant – MS

Charles Martin – graduate research assistant -MS, Instructor CU Boulder Chemistry

Alyssia Lilio – postdoctoral scholar – 2017-2018 – LAPD forensics

Trevor Donadt – research staff 2017-2018, Cornell Engineering Graduate Program