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Born in 2001, Sukriyo hails from West Bengal, India. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science (Research) degree, majoring in Chemistry and pursuing a minor in Biology. At IISc, he explored the field of NHC-organocatalysis under the mentorship of Prof. A. T. Biju. He also worked with Prof. Nils Metzler-Nolte at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum on a DAAD-WISE fellowship, focussing on the synthesis of novel metal-based anticancer compounds. In 2023, Sukriyo moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group to study the development of artificial metalloenzymes for unique synthetic applications. He is a recipient of the Quad Fellowship, a multilateral initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the US. Beyond the laboratory, Sukriyo is fascinated by the nuances of history and geopolitics, and loves to immerse himself in Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless creations.
Email: rj.conk@berkeley.edu
RJ was born in 1999 in Dover, Delaware. He attended the University of Richmond and received a B.S in Chemistry and a B.A in Philosophy. There he worked with Dr. Mike Norris on electroreduction of CO2 to methanol. Outside of the lab, he enjoys cooking, playing music, and the outdoors.
Email: madeline_fitzgerald@berkeley.edu
Madeline grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and received her B.S in chemistry with a minor in computer science from Davidson College. At Davidson, she worked with Prof. Hanna Key, a Hartwig Group alum, on the diastereodivergent synthesis of amines as enabled by amine transaminase enzymes. She also spent a summer in Keary Engle’s lab at The Scripps Research Institute where she studied the use of transient direct groups for palladium catalyzed alkene functionalization. Madeline joined the Hartwig Group in 2024, to develop reactions of metalloenzymes. Outside of the lab, Madeline enjoys taking dance classes and exploring the Bay Area.
Email: shirleyguo@berkeley.edu
Shirley was born in Fuzhou, China but spent her adolescent years in North Potomac, Maryland. She received her BS from UC Berkeley where she worked in the lab of Professor Richmond Sarpong in pursuit of the total synthesis of the cortistatin family of natural products. She then completed her MS at the University of Chicago in the lab of Professor Viresh Rawal where she worked on the total synthesis of Catharanthine. Shirley spent a few years back east working in the pharmaceutical industry both as a process chemist and as a member of the Catalysis Group at BMS where she developed a fondness for catalysis while working on a homogeneous Ni Suzuki methodology for application to process scale. In 2021, Shirley joined the Hartwig group to further pursue her interests in catalysis. Outside of lab she is found almost exclusively in dance studios.
Email: nhadler@berkeley.edu
Nicholas, originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of South Florida. There they conducted research under Prof. Mike Shi, focusing on new methodologies in gold catalysis. Currently working in the Hartwig Group, Nicholas applies machine learning, chemoinformatics, and high-throughput experimentation to transition metal catalysis. Outside the lab, Nicholas enjoys making pottery, hiking in the Bay Area, and gardening.
Email: gabeherrera@berkeley.edu
Gabe was born in southern Mexico but grew up in Houston, TX. He received his BA from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study in May 2021, where he developed a concentration in chemistry and bioethics. At NYU, Gabe worked in the lab of Prof. Tianning Diao doing photocatalysis and inorganic synthesis. At Berkeley, Gabe is working under the mentorship of both Prof. John Hartwig and Prof. Polly Arnold, studying artificial metalloenzymes with f-block elements. In his free time, Gabe enjoys watching TV and playing with his pugs.
Email: calvin_huffman@berkeley.edu
Calvin was born in 2000 and grew up near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended Purdue University and earned a B.S. in Chemistry. While there, Calvin worked in Prof. Chris Uyeda's lab on the synthesis of terpene alkaloids via an intramolecular [4+1] cycloaddition. In 2023, Calvin moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group. Outside of the lab, Calvin enjoys hiking, reading, and listening to music.
Email: a_johnson@berkeley.edu
Andrew was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan but grew up in California. He graduated from UCSB with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2025. He studied ROMP polymer characterization with Professor Andrea Carlini and later transferred to Professor Liming Zhang's lab to work on asymmetric catalysis. He plans to gain experience with cross coupling reactions in the Hartwig Group. Outside the lab, he enjoys walking around, reading manga, and playing video games.
Email: ijoyner@berkeley.edu
Isaac was born and raised in Columbus, Indiana. He attended Indiana University for his undergraduate studies and earned B.A’s in both chemistry and French. While at IU he conducted research in the lab of M. Kevin Brown studying Ni-catalyzed 1,2-arylboration of unactivated alkenes. He came to Berkeley in fall of 2020 to study the use of artificial metalloenzymes for synthetic chemistry in the Hartwig group. Outside of the lab, Isaac enjoys spending time outside, running, and learning new things.
Email: yicheng_kang@berkeley.edu
Yi Cheng was born and raised in Singapore. He completed his undergraduate education at Columbia University, where he worked with Professor Tomislav Rovis studying iron-catalyzed C-H alkylation. Having developed an interest in organometallic catalysis and methods development, he moved to Berkeley in the fall of 2021 and joined the Hartwig group to study C-H functionalization. Outside of lab, Yi Cheng enjoys eating spicy food, cooking, cycling, hiking, and playing board games.
Email: ckayrouz@berkeley.edu
Colby was born in 2001 and grew up in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He received his B.S. in Chemistry at Purdue University, where he studied synthetic f-block chemistry with Professor Suzanne Bart. He moved to Berkeley in 2023 to continue his Ph.D. doing biocatalysis in the Hartwig group. In his free time, Colby likes to exercise, eat good food, and learn new things.
Email: chrisla1@berkeley.edu
Chris was born and grew up in Oakland, California. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from UCLA, where he worked on air pollution chemistry with Professor Suzanne Paulson. In the Hartwig group, he is currently working on the borylation of C-H bonds. Outside of lab, he enjoys calisthenics and sewing.
Email: jlmanske@berkeley.edu
Jenna Manske was born in 1998 in Northville, MI (near Detroit). She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan where she worked in Professor John Wolfe's research group studying Pd-catalyzed alkene difunctionalization reactions. Jenna moved to Berkeley in 2020 and joined the Hartwig lab to pursue her passion for organometallic methodology and catalysis. Outside of the lab, Jenna enjoys traveling, reading, yoga, running, and drinking coffee.
Email: gparrales@berkeley.edu
Gloria grew up in Troy, New York and earned her B.A. in Chemistry from Smith College. At Smith, she studied the mechanism of the iron-catalyzed oxidative α-amination of ketones with Prof. Alexandra Strom. She also spent a summer in Eric Jacobsen’s lab at Harvard University, where she worked on the enantioselective synthesis of silicon-stereogenic silyl ethers using hydrogen-bond-donor catalysts. She moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig Group in 2024 to pursue her interests in organometallic catalysis and stereoselective reactions. Outside of lab, Gloria enjoys hiking, knitting, baking, and taking dance classes.
Email: apquest@berkeley.edu
Andrew was born in 1998 and grew up in Mooresville, Indiana – a small suburb of Indianapolis. He earned dual B.S. degrees in Chemistry and Microbiology from Indiana University – Bloomington. At IU, Andrew worked in the laboratory of Dr. Silas Cook where he developed methodologies for a Lewis acid-promoted alcohol reduction as well as a palladium-catalyzed alkyne insertion/Miyaura borylation. In the summer of 2021, Andrew moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group to study the development of artificial metalloenzymes as catalysts. In his free time, Andrew enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and cooking.
Email: clyde.rypins@berkeley.edu
Clyde was born in 2002 and grew up in South Lake Tahoe, California. He attended Columbia University and graduated with a B.A. in Chemistry and Astronomy. At Columbia, he worked with Prof. Tomislav Rovis on photocatalytic methods for radical generation and elaboration, with an emphasis on iridium-catalyzed C-H alkylation at β-tertiary positions of silanes and boronic esters. In the fall of 2024, he moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group to pursue his interests in transition-metal catalysis and C-H functionalization.
Email: asoliven@berkeley.edu
Abi grew up in Melbourne, Florida and received her B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in English from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. At Purdue, she worked in Dr. Christopher Uyeda's group on cobalt-catalyzed intramolecular vinylidene insertion into alkynes. She also spent a summer at Emory University working in Dr. William Wuest's lab on carboxylation of C(sp2) bromides via formate activation. She moved to Berkeley in 2024 to pursue methods development and catalysis. Outside of the lab, she loves reading, making Spotify playlists, and enjoying sunshine.
Email: yxxie@berkeley.edu
Yuanzhe was born in 1999 in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. He received his B.S from California Institute of Technology, where he worked with Professor Sarah Reisman on a computation-driven mechanistic investigation into nickel-catalyzed conversion of enol triflates to alkenyl halides. After graduating from Caltech in 2021, Yuanzhe spent his summer at Merck as a process chemistry intern, after which he moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group to study olefin functionalization. Outside of lab, Yuanzhe enjoys basketball, anime, and board games.
Email: jt.xu@berkeley.edu
Nicole was born and grew up in Shenzhen, China. She attended Reed College for her undergraduate studies. There she worked with Prof. Mir Bowring on mechanistic studies of C–H bond functionalization and did her thesis with Prof. Shivani Ahuja and Prof. Kelly Chacón on structural characterization of a Tellurium-detoxifying membrane protein TerC. Nicole moved to Berkeley in 2023 and joined the Hartwig group to study artificial metalloenzyme for biocatalysis. Outside of the lab, Nicole enjoys reading and the outdoors.
Email: wamberg@berkeley.edu
Willi, born in 1997 in Germany, obtained his bachelor’s degree from Heidelberg University in 2018 and his master’s degree from ETH Zurich in 2020. For his PhD studies he joined the group of Prof. Erick M. Carreira at ETH Zurich where he accomplished the first total synthesis of (+)-aberrarone. To further broaden his scientific expertise, he investigated new catalytic systems in the context of photoredox catalysis. His work resulted in novel transformations including the cyclopropanation of unactivated olefins, a photo- and cobalt-catalyzed synthesis of heterocycles, and the anti-Markovnikov hydroazidation of unactivated olefins, amongst others. In 2024 Willi graduated from ETH Zurich and joined the group of Prof. John F. Hartwig as an SNSF postdoctoral fellow. During his time at UC Berkeley, he aims to gain expertise in organometallic chemistry. Beyond his research pursuits you will spot him cooking or outdoors, letting his mind wander.
Email: yingjie97@berkeley.edu
Yingjie grew up in Hunan Province in southern China. He received his B.S. degree at Peking University in 2019, where he worked with Prof. Jun-Long Zhang on metalloporphyrin complexes for electrocatalysis. He later went to University of Chicago for graduate studies and joined Prof. Wenbin Lin’s lab. His doctoral studies focus on metal-organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks for photocatalysis. In 2024, he joined the Hartwig group to study polymer upcycling. Outside the lab, Yingjie enjoys basketball and cooking.
Email: molly_mcfadden@berkeley.edu
Molly grew up in Evansville, Indiana. She earned her bachelor’s of science in biochemistry at Indiana University in 2017. While at IU, she worked in the labs of Kevin and Laura Brown investigating [2 + 2] cycloadditions and synthesizing bioactive small molecules. She then moved to sunny Pasadena, California to join Prof. Maxwell Robb’s group at the California Institute of Technology at its start in 2017. Her doctoral work focused on the investigation of force-responsive chemistry, with particular focus on designing mechanochromic naphthopyrans as well as developing a biocompatible method for triggering mechanochemical reactions. In August 2023, she joined the Hartwig group to study methods and mechanisms of catalytic post-polymerization functionalization reactions on polyolefins. Outside of lab, she enjoys knitting, playing board games, running, and trying new restaurants.
Email: ian.rinehart251@gmail.com
Ian is from Oregon. He earned his bachelor of science in chemistry from the University of Oregon in 2016, working for Prof. David R. Tyler on the synthesis of new phosphine ligands and their applications in organometallic chemistry. In 2017, after a year as a post-baccalaureate researcher at U of O and an internship at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, he moved to Champaign, Illinois, to join Prof. Scott E. Denmark’s laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His doctoral work focused on developing new chemical descriptors and designing new experimental datasets that enable the training of generalizable machine learning models in yield and enantioselectivity prediction tasks. In October 2023, he joined the Hartwig group to develop machine learning methods to aid in the development of new catalysts. He is a music lover and a coffee fanatic.
Email: jeschneider@berkeley.edu
Joseph grew up in Illinois and Kentucky, and then moved out west for his undergraduate studies at Caltech where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry and History in 2018. There, he developed an interest in physical inorganic chemistry which lead to pursue a Ph.D. under Prof. John Anderson at UChicago. His thesis focused on how the basicity and oxidation potential of transition metal-oxo complexes affect their C-H cleavage reactivity, and he also developed a new oxidatively robust ligand for the stabilization of highly oxidized transition metal complexes. In 2024 he started postdoctoral studies in Prof. John Hartwig's laboratory where he works on the development of new artificial metalloenzymes, with a particular interest in how computational methods can be used to design more active and selective catalysts. Outside of the lab, he likes cooking, hiking, and riding his bike.
Email: cworoch@berkeley.edu
Cristián (Cris) Woroch is originally from Oakland, California. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Pomona College working with Prof. Nicholas Ball where he developed methods for S(VI)-F activation. In 2019, he moved to Stanford University for his graduate studies with Prof. Matthew Kanan. In his Ph.D. work, he developed new methods of synthesizing performance-advantaged polymers from lignocellulose and carbon dioxide. In 2024, he joined the Hartwig group where he focuses on catalysis for polyolefin functionalization and deconstruction. Apart from research, Cris is passionate about the outdoors, cooking, running, and the Golden State Warriors.
Email: wzhao@berkeley.edu
Wei was born in Xichang, Sichuan, China. He earned his B.S from Beijing Normal University in 2018. He pursued his Ph.D. at Tsinghua University under the guidance of Professor Bijie Li, successfully completing his doctoral studies in 2023. His doctoral work primarily focused on transition metal catalytic asymmetric alkene hydrofunctionalization. Following the completion of his Ph.D., Wei spent six months as a research assistant in the same group at Tsinghua University. He then moved to Berkeley and joined the Hartwig group in 2024 to study catalytic C–H functionalization reactions. Outside of lab, Wei enjoys cooking, long-distance running and photography.
Email: emilyleyidai@berkeley.edu
Emily was born and raised in San Jose, California. She is currently pursing a BS in Chemistry. She joined the Hartwig Group in February 2024 and is currently working with NIco Ciccia on the C-H functionalization. Outside of the lab, Emily enjoys cheese and water as well as art, anime and choir.
Email: aadya2355@berkeley.edu
Aadya was born and raised in Kolkata, India. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. She joined the Hartwig group in June 2024 and is working with Yi Cheng Kang on designing catalysts for selective C-H functionalization. Outside the lab, Aadya enjoys travelling, watching movies, trying new food and listening to music.
Email: nathanhsu@berkeley.edu
Nathan was born and raised in San Jose, CA. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Biology. Nathan joined the Hartwig Group in January 2025 and is currently working with Dr. Ian Rinehart on the development of new catalysts for hydroalkoxycarbonylation reactions. Outside the lab, Nathan enjoys listening to music, going to the gym, trying new foods and volunteering in underserved communities.
Email: chaeyoung.kim@berkeley.edu
Julia was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in chemistry with an intended concentration in materials chemistry at Berkeley. She joined the Hartwig Group in September 2023 and is working with Dr. Molly McFadden on polyolefin upcycling with post-polymerization functionalization reactions. Outside of the lab, Julia enjoys watching epl football games or casual workouts.
Email: pierrelabo@berkeley.edu
Pierre was born in New York City in 2004 and lived in Ottawa, London, and Hong Kong. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Economics at UC Berkeley. He joined the Hartwig Group in May 2024 and is working with Dr. McFadden on polyolefin upcycling through post-polymerization functionalization. In his free time, Pierre enjoys skiing, basketball, and exploring new music and foods.
Email: timp@berkeley.edu
Tim Pinkhassik is originally from Newton, MA. He is pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry. Tim joined the Hartwig Group in August 2021, and works with Christina Pierson and John Brunn on synthesizing copper—oxalamide precatalyst complexes to catalyze the Goldberg reaction. Tim enjoys learning languages, fencing, cooking, and playing piano and balalaika.
Email: jfstahler@berkeley.edu
Jules Stahler was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After a short 5-year sabbatical from higher education spent bending and cutting metal at a machine shop, Jules began his academic journey at Santa Monica College before transferring to UC Berkeley in the Fall of 2023. At Berkeley he is pursuing a B.S. In Chemical Engineering. He joined the Hartwig group in November 2023, where he and his mentor RJ Conk are investigating heterogeneous catalysts and their application in the chemical recycling of polyolefin plastics.
Email: sunnathan383@berkeley.edu
Nathan Sun was born in Maryland and raised in Minnesota. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Nathan joined the Hartwig group in March 2023 and is working with Dr. Kyan D’Angelo on polymer functionalization. Nathan enjoys dabbling in calisthenics and art outside the lab.
Email: yuxinw@berkeley.edu
Yuxin was born in Chongqing and raised in Shenzhen, China. She is currently pursuing a BS in Chemistry. She joined the group in February 2024 and currently working with Yuanzhe Xie on regioselective hydroamination. Outside of lab, Yuxin enjoys running and watching sports.
Email: yuehanjessie0801@berkeley.edu
Jessie was born and raised in Dalian, China. She is currently pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry. She joined the Hartwig Group in February 2024 and is working with Jenna Manske and Colby Kayrouz on enzymatic halogenation. Outside the lab, she enjoys video games, cooking, and meditation.
Email: emilyyen@berkeley.edu
Emily was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology. Emily joined the Hartwig Group in February 2025 and is currently working with Dr. Joseph Schneider on the development of new artificial metalloenzymes. Outside of the lab, Emily enjoys reading novels and taking naps.
Email: hantian_zhang@berkeley.edu
Eric was born and raised in Shanghai, China. He is pursuing a B.S. in Chemistry. He joined the group in October 2024 and is currently working with Yi Cheng Kang on selective C-H functionalization. Outside of the lab, Eric enjoys singing and listening to Cantonese music, watching sports, and traveling.
Email: zihan.zh.0117@gmail.com
Zihan was born and raised in Nanjing, China. He joined the group in February 2025 and is currently working with Sukriyo Chakraborty on photoenzymes and metalloenzymes. Beyond the laboratory, Zihan enjoys immersing himself in the whimsical world of Haruki Murakami's novels.
The Hartwig Group welcomes and is committed to fostering the development and long-term success of students from diverse backgrounds—including scientific, educational, regional, gender, sexual orientation, social, religious, or ethnic in all combinations. We work together to ensure everyone's success and are proud of the accomplishments of those from all backgrounds during and after their time in the laboratory. We acknowledge the enormous impact that alumni from traditionally marginalized groups have had in our research legacy: nine of our ten most cited papers were authored by women, African Americans, open members of the LGBT+ community, and those with disabilities. For our full page on group values, click here. For information on applying to the group, click here.
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Interested graduate students should apply to the UC Berkeley graduate program in chemistry.
Interested postdoctoral candidates should submit a cover letter describing interests and fellowship or funding opportunities and a CV including publications and brief information on graduate courses in an email with the subject header "Application for a Postdoctoral Position".
Interested U.C. Berkeley undergraduate students can access our application portal here.
We understand that students from nontraditional collegiate backgrounds can face certain challenges getting started in undergraduate research, and we are here to help as best we can. We especially encourage first generation students, transfer students, and students from underrepresented minorities in science to apply.