Current Research Students
Gideon Sullivan
Gideon has been studying the difference in product distribution in Sm-Barbier reactions with our without Ni catalysis
Gyedi
Gyedi carried out research Summer 2023, working to complete our study on THF storage and use in SmI2 reactions on the Schlenk line.
Josh
DSSI Summer 2023
Emilie Tobin
Peanut Edmonson
Peanut has started our study of SmI2-Ni catalysis
Past Research Students
Korka Fall (Drew ’23)
Korka worked in the Choquette from 2021- 2023. She is on her way to start her graduate career at Lehigh University.
In addition to her work in the Choquette lab, Korka also was an intern at Institute of Research and Health Epidemiology Surveillance and Formation (IRESSEF) Summer 2022 where she worked on blood tests to identify HIV pathogens, and studying the mutations forming from SARS-COV 2.
Aaron Yengbie (Drew ’23)
DSSI Summer 2022
Vanessa Sherwood
DSSI Summer 2022
Aline Krueger
Karima Shifa (Drew ’23)
Karima joined the lab in Spring 2022
Beyza Yilmaz (Drew ’22)
Beyza completed her work in the Choquette lab with an Honors thesis titled “Samarium Diiodide: Air-Free Synthesis Methods and Some Applications in Simple Reduction and Cross Coupling Reactions”. She is now in graduate school completing working towards her PhD at City University of New York (CUNY Brooklyn) in the Murelli Group
Caroline Tramontana (Drew ’22)
Caroline completed her work in the Choquette lab with an honors thesis and and almost “all wrapped up” project of our synthesis of SmI2 on the Schlenk Line! Caroline is currently studying medicine at
Riya Divekar (Drew ’22)
Riya is preparing the Choquette group for its first application to peptide synthesis. Following a proposal by Kayla Smalling, Riya is researching the ideas to start work when we are back on campus. Riya is now at
Molly Royek (Drew ’21).
Molly worked DSSI summer 2019 and summer 2020, completing work of the synthesis of SmI2 using Kagan’s method and also participating in the first RSCU program during COVID shut down. Molly is currently
Molly Thompson (Drew ’20)
Summer 2019 DSSI Molly^2 completed the work of comparing the Kagan synthesis of SmI2 to Imamoto’s method; and declared Kagan the winner! Molly is currently at
Giselle Rojas (Drew ’18)
Giselle joined the lab Spring 2017, and continued in the lab through the summer and the following two semesters until she graduated. She also helped train two new students entering the lab. Giselle is now a graduate student at Lehigh University, working in the Chen Lab
Kayla Smalling (Drew ’18)
Kayla joined the lab Summer 2017, working with air-free conditions for the first time, but excited to continue learning new organic lab techniques! Her incredible attention to detail and meticulous note taking helped the lab have new streamlined procedures for our THF-Na still and synthesis after only 8 weeks.
Domenico DiSalvo (Drew ’18)
Dom worked in the lab during the Spring 2017 semester. He was the first one to work on a synthesis project to obtain starting material for the SmI2/Ni coupling reaction. Through his hard work we determined isomers that formed through this synthesis, which prompted him to search through the literature for a new approach. Dom is currently at Rutgers Dental School.
Eugene Cyrus (Drew ’17)
Eugene had the unique position of being the first student to join the Choquette lab, Summer 2016. Being the first student means he worked through the issues of finding all of the glassware we needed, figuring out the best set up for stills, and painstakingly identifying where air leaks were in our system. Eugene continued to work in the lab from Summer 2016 through Summer 2017, advancing the work of synthesizing SmI2 so others could pick it up.
