The Kiernicki lab is interested in recruiting highly motivated undergraduate students with a broad interest in synthesis.
Spring 2023
John Kiernicki, Principal Investigator
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John was born in Berlin, a small town in central Wisconsin and the self-proclaimed Fur and Leather Capital. He obtained an A.B. from Ripon College (WI) as a double major in Chemistry and History. John was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a summer in the lab of Hairong Guan at the Univ. Cincinnati for a 10 week crash course in synthesis. John continued studying the coordination chemistry of polydentate sulfur ligands with transition metals under the guidance of Mas Iimura until he departed for Lafayette, IN and graduate school at Purdue University. At Purdue, John worked almost exclusively with the actinide elements and obtained his Ph.D. under Suzanne Bart. Their work focused on utilizing redox-active ligands to perform multi-electron bond cleavage reactions. After Purdue, John relocated to Ypsilanti for a post doctoral appointment at the Univ. Michigan under Nate Szymczak where he investigated intramolecular boron Lewis acids to promote bond activation reactions. In 2021, John accepted a position at Drury University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics.
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Audrey Davis Audrey joined the Kiernicki lab in the spring of 2022 and has a strong interest in renewable energy. Her research in the Kiernicki lab is focused on designing in situ tunable organocatalysts. In the fall of 2022, Audrey was named a Judge Warren White Scholar for her academic excellence. Audrey is performing research with Dr. Kiel Neumann at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the summer of 2023. In her free time, Audrey enjoys spending time outdoors, running, and reading. She also plays multiple instruments and is very involved with her church.
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Lydia DunawayLydia joined the Kiernicki lab in the spring of 2022 and is interested in becoming a physician. She plans to attend Mizzou for medical school and was accepted into the Bryant Scholars Pre-Admissions Program. After her first year at Drury, Lydia was named a Judge Warren L. White Scholar for her academic achievements. Her research project is aimed at developing a working model to quantitatively establish bonding thermodynamics with redox-active hydrogen bonds. In her free time, Lydia enjoys anything music related, such as playing the flute, listening to music or watching musicals. In addition, she enjoys shopping, traveling, and partaking in outdoor acivities.
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Alexis WorkmanAlexis joined the Kiernicki Lab in January 2023 and plans to go into the medical field. Her research project involves measuring bond enthalpies in rigid systems containing redox-active hydrogen bonds. She is currently on both the Drury Track & Field team and the Drury Triathlon team. When not training or in class, Alexis enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family and close friends, as well as cuddling and playing with her dogs. In the fall of 2022, Alexis was named a Judge Warren L. White Scholar by Drury for her academic achievements.
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Mason HuebnerMason joined the Kiernicki Lab in March 2023 and plans to attend medical school following his time at Drury. His research is focused on the ligand design to better capitalize on hydrogen bonding interactions in coordination compounds. Upon completing his freshman year, Mason was named a Judge Warren White Scholar. He is an active member of Drury's Kappa Alpha Chapter, a Drury Orientation Leader, and a member of numerous clubs. In his free time, Mason likes spending time with family and friends, exercising, and being outdoors.
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Tori CarterTori joined the Kiernicki lab in the summer of 2023 and plans to become a physician. Her current research is focused on developing new zinc Lewis acid catalysts in collaboration with Prof. Albert Korir. In her free time, Tori enjoys hiking, spending time with her pets, and traveling. She is also involved with the Fine Arts on campus and helps set up the gallery.
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Sam CoxSam joined the Kiernicki lab in the summer of 2023 and has a strong desire to enter the medical field. Her research project targets implementing redox-active hydrogen bonds into coordination complexes of the f-block. She is a member of Drury Singers, Drury Chorale, and Drury Chamber Choir. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.
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Rana UmranRana officially joined the Kiernicki Lab in the spring of 2023 and is interested in pursuing a career in research and earning her Ph. D. in Chemistry. Her research project centers on quantifying the enthalpic changes in hydrogen bond strength as a function of redox state. She is an executive member of the International Student Association and is involved with Zeta Tau Alpha and the Drury Jazz Band. In her free time, Rana enjoys spending time with her family and friends, painting, sculpting, and outdoor activities.
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Gloria ChoiGloria joined the Kiernicki Lab for the summer of 2023 and aspires to become a surgeon. Her research project is focused on developing coordination complexes to study modular hydrogen bonding interactions with sulfur-containing substrates. In her free time, Gloria enjoys reading books, baking, and photography.
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