5th YEAR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Marie Hart
Marie grew up in small towns in both Colorado and Minnesota. She attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD and came to CSU after graduating. Currently, she’s investigating the selective fluorination of pyridines. Outside of lab she enjoys baking, hiking, fishing, hunting, exploring local restaurants, and spending time with her cat.
Dane Brunner
As a recent graduate from the University of Kansas, Dane came to CSU to research difficult chemical transformations faced by the pharmaceutical industry, including his current project of selective functionalization of pyridines . He enjoys film, cooking, spending time with his cat, and hiking.
Ben Uhlenbruck
Ben grew up in Missoula, MT and attended the University of Montana. He came to Fort Collins for grad school with his Fiance and new puppy after working in industry for 3 years. Ben recently joined the McNally lab and works on the chlorination of pyridines. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, and backcountry skiing.
4TH year graduate students
Amanda Melanese
Amanda grew up in San Diego California and attended California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) in undergrad. At CSUSM, she worked under the guidance of Dr. Robert Iafe researching microwave-assisted gold catalysis. In the McNally lab, she currently is working on etherification of pyridines. When she's not in lab, you can find her cooking, traveling, thrifting, or at a brewery.
Jake Selingo
Jake was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Scranton in 2021, where he did undergraduate research for Dr. Arthur Catino working on a new method for the synthesis of tetraarylmethanes. He joined the McNally group in November 2021 and has been working on photochemical transformations. Outside of lab, Jake enjoys playing guitar, working on his photography, hiking, and spending time with friends.
3Rd year graduate students
James Klinkenberg
James was born in Roseville, Minnesota and earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Minor in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. While at UMN, he did medicinal chemistry research with Dr. Steven Patterson working on a new series of anti-giardia drugs as well as using peptidomimetic molecules to treat degenerative brain diseases. James joined the McNally lab fall of 2022 where he is working pyridine functionalization via phosphonium salts. When not in lab, James enjoys going to bars, biking, playing guitar, cats, and hacky sack.
Kaila Steenback
Kaila grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Scranton in 2022, where she did undergraduate work for Dr. Arthur Catino on a new synthesis of tetraarylmethanes. She joined the McNally group in November 2022 and is working on the selective halogenation of pyridines. Outside of lab she enjoys watching sports, reading, and hiking.
David Thomas
David is from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received his B.A. from The College of Wooster in May 2019. At Wooster David worked with Dr. Paul A. Bonvallet on developing a new templated synthesis of dibenzo-24-crown-8 ether. After working in industry for 3 years he decided to return to grad school. David joined the McNally lab in November 2022 and is working on isotopic labeling. He enjoys biking, playing basketball, cooking, and spending time with friends.
2nd Year Student
Jake King
Jake is from Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry with minors in Computer Science and Psychology from Allegheny College in 2023 while researching photochemical [2+2] cyclizations of sulfonated ene-allene systems under Prof. Shaun Murphree. A member of the Paton group at CSU since Fall 2023, Jake works extensively to provide computational support for the projects in the group. Aside from chemistry, he enjoys lifting weights, hiking, cooking, and going to concerts.
Undergraduate Student
Zachary Podlesh
Zachary is from Los Altos California. He just completed his undergraduate degree at Colorado State University. Zachary joined the McNally group in February 2024. He is currently working on functionalizing pyridines via phosphonium salts. In his free time Zach likes to play hockey, ski, and hanging with friends.