Dr. Eugene Pinkhassik
Eugene Pinkhassik graduated from Kazan State University and obtained his PhD in Chemistry in the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague where he worked with Dr. Ivan Stibor. He was a visiting scientist at the University of Parma, Italy, with Dr. Rocco Ungaro and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder, with Dr. Josef Michl.
Dr. Sergey Dergunov
Gillian Macusi
Email her at gillian.macusi@uconn.edu.
Weiyu Zhang
Weiyu Zhang joined the Pinkhassik Lab in Fall 2015. She graduated with her B.E. in chemical engineering from Jilin University in China. During this time, she worked on utilizing nanoskiving to fabricate plasmonic gaps that contribute to applications in nano-optics as well as nanoelectronics. She is now in the polymer chemistry division, and is working on fine control of loading and release of small molecules through hollow polymer nanocapsules. She is also a founding member of the Joint Safety Team in the Department of Chemistry at UConn.
Connect with her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about the UConn Joint Safety Team here.
Email her at weiyu.zhang@uconn.edu.
Jessica A. Martin
Jessica A. Martin joined the Pinkhassik Lab in Fall 2016. She graduated with her B.A. in chemistry from Heritage University in Toppenish, WA in Spring 2016. During this time, she worked on codling moth genetics at the Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory of the USDA with Dr. Steve Garczynski for 3.5 years, while also building science and career events for the Science Club and the Medical Sciences Club on her campus. She is now completing her PhD in Chemistry at the University of Connecticut with her thesis focused on studying the graduate student-led laboratory safety team movement as a tool both to strengthen academic research laboratory safety culture and as a means of better preparing PhD-level chemists for industry. She is a founding member of the Joint Safety Team (JST) at UConn, an active member of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety (ACS-DCHAS), chair of the Younger Chemists Committee of the Connecticut Valley Section-ACS, a DAAD RISE Pro Alumna, and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow.
Future Plans: I want to utilize my passions for chemical safety, green and sustainable chemistry, public communication, and problem-solving to build a team of innovative go-getters who do well by doing good.
For a list of her publications, see her ORCID iD 0000-0002-4083-0848 or click here.
Connect with her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about her in an interview here.
Learn more about the UConn Joint Safety Team here.
Learn more about ACS-DCHAS here.
Learn more about the CVS-ACS here.
Or just ask her all about this stuff at jessica.a.martin@uconn.edu.
Cristian Aviles-Martin
Cristian Aviles-Martin joined the Pinkhassik Lab in Fall 2017. As an undergraduate, Cristian worked under Dr. Luis Alamo on the synthesis of inorganic quantum dots directed towards photocatalytic applications. He obtained his B.S. in chemistry with a minor in biology from Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce, PR. During his time there he worked with the American Chemical Society student chapter as a green chemistry director. He switched to the analytical/polymer chemistry division for his graduate studies and is now working on establishing through-shell communication in polymer nanocapsules. He is an NSF LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Fellow, and volunteers as a tutor and experiment demonstrator at Wyndham Technical High School in Willimantic, CT.
Connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Email him at cristian.aviles_martin@uconn.edu.
Learn more about him in an interview here.
Kevin Rivera
Kevin Rivera joined the Pinkhassik Lab in Spring 2018. As an undergraduate, Kevin worked in the lab of Dr. Lopez in nanoemulsification of biocompatible polymers for colorectal cancer treatment. He then worked in the labs of Drs. Weiner and Morell on the synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and silver-graphene quantum dots (AgGQDs) by pulsed laser deposition and in the synthesis of graphene oxide electrodes for rechargeable battery and super capacitor applications. He obtained his B.A. in chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. He is currently in the analytical chemistry division for his graduate studies and is now working on C-H bond activation using polymer nanocapsules. He is an NSF LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Fellow, and volunteers as a tutor and experiment demonstrator at Wyndham Technical High School in Willimantic, CT.
Future Plans: I intend to work on the development and/or improvement of the intake of diabetic medicines in an industrial environment.
Email him at kevin.e.rivera@uconn.edu.