Emily Frechette grew up in Portland Oregon, and after attending Saint Mary’s Academy in downtown Portland, she came to OSU to remain close to family and to stay surrounded by nature. Emily has a great love for running, reading, listening to music and cooking. Since high school her favorite book has been Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Emily’s passion for chemistry stems from the unknown of it all. She feels that it is a subject that will never be fully understood, and appreciates the broad and significant variety in real world applications, that the research can offer.
She got into research early on, and has been working with Zinc-based MOFs since her freshman year. She got in contact with Dr. Stylianou, who brought her into the lab that she works in today. After graduation she plans on continuing her education and going to medical school.
My name is Evan Park and I use she/her/hers pronouns. I grew up in bend, Oregon. Freshman and sophomore year I attended Bend Senior High School (Bend, OR). Junior and senior year I attended American Overseas School of Rome (Rome, Italy). I chose to pursue chemistry because I am very intrigued by the ability of chemistry to observe and predict reactions at the molecular level, and how widely this skill can be applied. After learning about the scientific explanations behind climate change and environmental disasters, I decided that it was my goal to use chemistry to solve these problems someday. I chose OSU because the environment and community are so welcoming and conducive to growth, and the science programs here are challenging and distinguished. I also chose to come here for the opportunity of trying out for the rowing team with no prior experience, which has proven to be an amazing experience after three years of learning how to row, excelling within my team, and even competing at the international stage in the sport. Post-graduation, I am planning on attending a graduate program to pursue a master’s degree in chemistry. I will use my final year of NCAA athletic eligibility to continue rowing at the collegiate level, and potentially pursue athletics at the national team level after that. Outside of school and rowing, I enjoy playing bass guitar with my friends, being in nature, and playing with my roommate’s cat. My favorite book is And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, because it leaves you with so many questions and ideas that you can read it over and over again! My favorite food is authentic Italian cacio e pepe pasta. I am proud to announce that I broke the OSU women’s rowing 2000 meter erg record this February, thanks to the support and encouragement of my coaches and teammates. The Oregon State women’s rowing team has offered me an amazing environment to explore and exceed my own expectations of myself both physically and mentally, and I have learned countless lessons about grit, teamwork, and the rewards of raw, hard work. Last summer, I was accepted into the Under 23 National Team selection camp, where I made the top boat, the women’s open weight 8+, and travelled to Plovdiv, Bulgaria for the Under 23 World Rowing Championships. After winning our first heat in a comeback race, my boat won in the finals by open water, taking home gold medals for the USA. My experience there is reflective of the daily hard work, time management, and effort that I put in at OSU, balancing my chemistry demands, 9 rowing practices per week, and holding an executive role on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as a Student Athlete Leadership Team representative.
Carley Beeman grew up in Golden, Colorado and attended Golden High School. She enjoyed high school chemistry classes, loved the puzzle and challenge behind the science, and thought she wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy or medical research.
Carley chose OSU for the strong academics and athletics present- coming to Oregon State allowed her to pursue Division 1 gymnastics while simultaneously getting an undergraduate degree in chemistry. She notes that the people here at OSU are also genuine and caring, and it felt like home. Carley joined Dr. Kolluri’s lab this term, researching pathways regulating cell cycle, cell death, and differentiation in relation to cancer cells. She was drawn to this research after taking part in the ASPET research fellowship at the University of Michigan last summer, where she studied the respiratory depression pathway of opioids in mice brains. After graduation, Carley hopes to pursue her PhD in a biomedical science field.
Outside of school, she loves spending time in nature with friends, camping and hiking. Her favorite book is the Giver, and favorite food is tacos al pastor. She has two brothers, making her the only girl in the family, and loves springtime in Corvallis when everything is in bloom.
Helen White grew up on Vashon Island, Washington where she attended Vashon Island High School. She chose to study chemistry because of her interest in radiochemistry, and because it paired well with her Radiation Health Physics degree.
Helen decided to go to OSU because of the campus and proximity to everyone she cares about. Compared to other schools, Oregon State had more to offer–academic and otherwise–so there wasn’t a doubt in her mind when it came to choosing a university.
Currently, Helen is performing research in the radiation center on campus with Dr. Chemey’s group. In the winter she will transfer projects from analyzing crystalline structures they were creating in the lab to working on a radiochemical separations project. Previously, she worked on a computational project using a DFT program in order to simulate metal hexaboride structures and explore their capabilities in holding radioactive waste materials. To get into research, Helen emailed and asked around professors she was interested in working with. Since then, she notes it has been an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience. Helen plans on attending graduate school immediately after graduation, hoping to pursue a PhD in radiochemistry and focus on working in nuclear waste management.
Outside of school and work, she loves to be outside and enjoys going for walks, bouldering, running, and frolicking, all the things she says help keep her sane. Beyond that, she loves to read, which can be a much-needed break from chemistry. Right now, Helen’s favorite book is The Wall by Marlen Haushofer. It is a short, devastating, dystopian fiction that was written in 1963 which talks about a woman’s experience a person in a way that is not normally explored.
Helen’s favorite food is saltine crackers. She is the first in her family to go to college, which she adds is “an immeasurable privilege, especially in the state of the world now where a bachelor’s degree may afford a person a well-paying job.” She says that her biggest hope is to move into a financial place in her life where she can support those who have supported her in the past.
Nicholas Pogue grew up in Beaverton, OR, and attended Sunset High School. He has always liked science and knew he wanted to go into the field. Of all the different sciences, chemistry was Nicholas’ favorite, and the most interesting to him because of all the real-world applications. Everything in life can be traced back to chemistry!
After living in Oregon his whole life and knowing family members who attended, Nicholas knew he wanted to go to OSU. He says that it’s a great college, with amazing faculty, fantastic science programs, and a beautiful campus. After graduation, Nicholas plans to get his Master’s in Education and jump right into student teaching to begin his career as a high school teacher.
Outside of school, Nicholas enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing video games, reading, tennis, and watching movies. Some of his favorite movies include the Cars trilogy, Star Wars, Comic book movies, and the Fast and Furious Franchise. Nicholas’ favorite book is Triple Zero by Karen Traviss (part of the Star Wars Republic Commando series), and his favorite food is cereal- namely Wheaties and Reese’s Puffs. He is very grateful to have been nominated and selected for UGQ.
Casey Rummelhart grew up in Lake Stevens, Washington. He was drawn to chemistry after taking AP Chemistry at Lake Stevens High School, and initially wanted to become a high school chemistry teacher. Casey chose OSU because he wanted to go out of state but still remain close to home. He has enjoyed working as a general chemistry lab and lecture TA, and helping students in his job at the Mole Hole. Casey will be graduating this spring, after only three years, and has been accepted into the PhD program for chemistry where he will begin in the fall. This summer, he’ll joining the Desnoyer group conducting research in organic chemistry. Outside of school and work, Casey likes partying, playing Pokémon, and enjoying his favorite food, pho.
Matthew Nguyen has been named one of our Winter 2023 Undergraduates of the Quarter; and we’re so proud. Mathew is from Beaverton, Oregon and is currently studying chemistry here at Oregon State University. Being close to home as well as the largest research university in Oregon are the main reasons that Mathew decided to attend Oregon State. Mathew was never interested in chemistry until he took AP chemistry in high school, where he had a chance to develop his interest. Despite being in this course at the height of the pandemic, and only watching experiments through the screen, Mathew knew that this was the right pathway for him.
Beginning his freshman year, Mathew was quick to get into research. He was very eager to start experimenting and figuring out exactly what aspect of chemistry interests him the most. He asked his organic chemistry professor about labs to join, and one particular lab, Dr. Kyriakos Stylianou’s lab came up as a recommendation. After talking to various professors, and reading some recent publications, Mathew decided that the chemistry of Kyriakos’s lab was the most interesting and decided to make the commitment of attending the research meetings. Later on, he was able to officially join the lab and begin projects of his own.
Currently, Mathew is doing research on Metal Organic Frameworks, or MOFs. As of now, he is working on two different projects – one is studying a nickel-based MOF, and the other is studying a cerium-based MOF. The Nickel MOF project is focused on studying its water capture properties, in addition to experimenting with its synthetic pathways through the use of polymer beads. The cerium MOF project focuses on its properties in photocatalysis, in addition to finding new uses for this material. This Cerium project also extends into identifying new MOFs, where he is studying synthetic pathways for derivatives of the Cerium MOF.
After he completes his undergraduate degree Mathew will be moving on to complete his Masters in chemistry. Past this Mathew is deciding between pursuing a Ph.D. or going to medical school. Both of which have been dreams of his. Right now, Mathew is just focused on pushing out publications.
Outside of the chemistry lab, Mathew can be found rock climbing or preparing for meetings with the Vietnamese Student Association for which he is an officer. He can also be found playing the guitar or eating Phở.
We’re so proud of everything Matthew has accomplished so far, and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes in the future.
We’re delighted to announce that Stormy Macomb has been named one of the Winter 2023 Undergraduates of the Quarter.
Stormy grew up on the Oregon Coast in the small town of Warrenton, right on the mouth of the Columbia River. Stormy chose to pursue chemistry because she fell in love with how chemistry surrounds everyday life- it made sense to her. After being homeschooled through high school, she received a GED to attend community college, where she attended college with her mom and brother. It was Stormy’s mom who inspired her to pursue education in addition to chemistry, fostering her love for helping people learn. “I couldn’t be where I am today without her,” Stormy writes.
Now, Stormy attends Oregon State, pursuing chemistry and education and working as a general chemistry TA. After OSU, she plans on getting a Master’s in Education and interning at a local high school. Her long term goal is to be a high school or community college chemistry teacher in her hometown, working to encourage more interest in STEM.
Outside of school, Stormy likes to read fiction and paint scenery. She cooks and bakes regularly, and enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering with her husband and friends. Stormy’s favorite book is Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, and her favorite food is French fries (or any other form of potato).
We’re so proud of Stormy and everything she’s accomplished while at OSU. We can’t wait to see what she does in the future.
Taylor Linsday grew up in a small town bordering the northwest corner of Albuquerque called Rio Rancho, New Mexico. She chose OSU at first because she was initially drawn to major in Earth Sciences with an Ocean Science option, but quickly changed to chemistry in order to challenge herself and get a broader degree.
Taylor got into research with the help of one of her experimental chemistry professors, who put her in contact with researchers after she mentioned her love of mathematics one day in class. Now, Taylor works in Dr. May Nyman’s group as an undergraduate involved in their carbon capture project. Currently she assists in the synthesis of several tetraperoxo structures so their carbon capture abilities can be characterized.
Outside of academic pursuits, she enjoys swimming, rock climbing, and playing the flute (or a member of its family) in band ensembles. Taylor is a part of OSU’s Spirit and Sound marching band in the fall and during the offseason plays in the basketball and campus bands.
Her favorite book is either The Outsiders or The Lost City of the Monkey God. Some of her all-time favorite foods include sopapillas, green chile, tamales, enchiladas, or any Mexican cuisine.
Looking to the future, Taylor plans on attending grad school here in Oregon but is still figuring out what she wants to focus on studying in that time.
We’re so proud of Taylor and everything she’s accomplished while at OSU, and we can’t wait to see what she does in the future.
Jacob Lessard grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon and attended Grants Pass High School. He has always had an interest in how life works at the molecular level and appreciates how chemistry allows him to investigate both material and biological sciences.
Growing up in Oregon, OSU stood out to Jacob due to its reputation for science education and the abundant research opportunities available. After taking an integrated lab course taught by Dr. Kyriakos Stylianou (CH 462), Jacob felt inspired to reach out and show interest in this professor’s research, particularly the use of metal organic frameworks as catalysts for the synthesis of organic molecules. Since then, he’s been performing research under Dr. Stylianou in the Materials and Discovery lab, focusing on studying metal organic frameworks as photocatalysts for the synthesis of deuterated drug molecules.
Outside of school, Jacob enjoys watching sports, hiking, camping, cooking, and traveling. His favorite book is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, and his favorite food is jambalaya.
After graduation, Jacob plans on attending graduate school and continuing his focus on materials chemistry and catalysis.
We couldn’t be more proud of Jacob, and wish him all the success in his current and future research and education.
