The Boss

Dr. Dionicio Siegel

Dr. Dionicio Siegel

Education:
BA, Reed College (1997); PhD, Harvard University (2003); Research Fellow, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2003-2007)  
 
 

Graduate Students

Abram Axelrod

Abram Axelrod

Education:
BA, Brandeis University (2003), MA, SUNY-Buffalo (2007) 
Advisor:
Dr. Michael R. Detty 
Year:
2nd 
 
Bram graduated from Brandeis University in 2003, worked at ArQule, Inc. from 2003-2005 and received an M.A. in organic chemistry from The State University of New York at Buffalo in 2007. He is currently working on a total synthesis in Siegel Group. 
Tom Barton

Tom Barton

Education:
BS-Chem, University of Michigan (2007) 
Advisor:
Dr. John Montgomery 
Year:
2nd 
 
Originally from Ann Arbor, Tom completed his BS-Chem at the University of Michigan. There, while under the direction of Dr. John Montgomery, he studied nickel mediated diastereoselective reductive couplings. Tom also spent several summer internships with Pfizer, conducting synthesis in their discovery groups. In Siegel Group, he is working on a total synthesis 
Jeremy Glass

Jeremy Glass

Education:
BS, Clemson University (2008) 
Advisor:
Dr. Dennis Smith 
Year:
1st 
 
Jeremy is from Asheville, North Carolina, and received his B.S. in Chemistry in 2008 from Clemson University. While at Clemson, Jeremy conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Dennis Smith. Jeremy mainly synthesized small molecules that could be copolymerized for high-performance fluoropolymer materials such as fuel cell membranes. He also spent a summer with Dr. Janis Louie at the University of Utah.  
Changxia Yuan

Changxia Yuan

Education:
BS, Peking University (2008) 
Advisor:
Zhi-Xiang Yu 
Year:
1st 
 
Inspired by the Chinese National Olympic Chemistry Contest, Changxia became interested in chemistry during high school. As an undergrad, he studied at Peking University, under the guidance of Professor Zhi-Xiang Yu. Changxia concentrated on transitional metal related organic synthetic chemistry. After receiving a B.S. degree in 2008, Changxia started graduate studies in the University of Texas at Austin and joined Siegel Group. 

Post Docs

Chih-Tsung Chang

Chih-Tsung Chang

Education:
Ph.D. Florida Institute of Technology (2008) 
Advisor:
Dr. Joshua Rokach 
 
Chih-Tsung got his B.S. in Chemistry in Taiwan, and completed his Ph.D. degree from Florida Institute of Technology under Professor Rokach’s guidance in 2008. His graduate studies focused on the design and synthesis of isoprostanes and their deuterated analogs.  
Xu Cheng

Xu Cheng

Education:
Ph.D NanKai University (2005) 
Advisor:
Dr. Qi-Lin Zhou 
 
Dr. Xu Cheng got his Ph.D at the Institute of Eelementary Organic Chemistry working on the synthesis and application chiral spirodiphosphine ligands in NanKai University at 2005. At the end of the same year he moved to Germany to have his first postdoc appointment directed by Dr. Benjamin List in the area of organocatalysis.Xu began his second postdoc with Siegel Group in 2009.  
Fenghai Guo

Fenghai Guo

Education:
Ph.D., Clemson University (2009) 
Advisor:
Dr. Karl Dieter 
 
Fenghai earned his B.S. in chemistry in China. He then moved to Clemson University where he completed his PhD. There, his studies focused on organocuprate reagents and their application in the synthesis of N,O-heterocyclic compounds 

Undergraduate Students

Danby Kang

Danby Kang

Year:
Sophomore 
 
Danby was raised in South Korea and came to Texas for college. She is currently majoring in chemistry and joined the group in spring 09.  
Arkady Komsoukaniants

Arkady Komsoukaniants

Year:
Junior 
 
Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Arkady moved to Texas when he was 5 years old. He is working toward an honors degree in biochemistry.  
Emily Lim

Emily Lim

 
 
Travis Shaw

Travis Shaw

Year:
Junior 
 
Travis is from Corpus Christi and moved to Austin to attend UT. He is perusing his bachelor's in chemistry and plans to attend graduate school after finishing.  
Nicole Varnado

Nicole Varnado

Year:
Junior 
 
Nicole was born and raised here in Austin, and is happy to be studying at UT. Currently, she is a chemistry major and dabbles in biochemistry as well.  

Former Group Members

Jeff Aaronson

Education:
Graduate Student 
 
Merk Westpoint 

Nicole Harzdorf

Education:
MA 
 
Ash-Stevens 

Dr. Michael Varela

Education:
Post-Doc