People

Lead Researcher

Bob Flowers

Bob Flowers was born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1964. He received his B.S. in chemistry from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in 1986. After taking time off from school, he was admitted to Lehigh University in 1987 and received his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1991 working with John Larsen on single electron transfer reactions in coal. After graduating from Lehigh, he moved to Duke University as a postdoctoral research associate with Professor Ned Arnett where he worked on several...

Graduate Student

Paria is from Iran. She had her Pharm.D degree in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences. During these years, Paria did some interdisciplinary projects in medicinal and organic chemistry. For her master's thesis, she synthesized biopolymers as nanocarriers for transdermal drug delivery. Outside of lab, she loves painting and playing harmonica. Paria is currently a second year student working on developing low-valent samarium PCET systems.

Kimberly was a paramedic for 10 years before returning to college. She earned a BS in Biochemistry from East Stroudsburg University in 2021, having received degrees in Chemistry and Psychology previously. It was during that time she had the opportunity to teach a variety of chemistry courses and aspires to return to academia in that capacity. Kimberly is now a first-year graduate student at Lehigh working on low-valent Samarium chemistry with the Flowers group. She has a great love of music...

Ugochinyere Nancy Oloyede is from Nigeria in West Africa. Nancy had her B.Sc. and Master degree in Industrial Chemistry in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. During these periods, Nancy did some research in chemical technology and environmental microbiology in the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Nigeria. After graduating with a master degree in 2017, Nancy came to Lehigh where she is currently a sixth year student working on low-valent titanocene Chemistry. Nancy...

Alumni

Gina is an undergraduate researcher in the Flowers Lab working with Nick Boekell on the samarium project. She completed a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in the Spring of 2022 before heading to the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a PhD in Chemistry. In her free time, Gina enjoys crocheting, cross stitching, and watching cartoons.

Caroline graduated from Moravian College in 2015 with a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in Business Management. Caroline's projects focused on the expansion of samarium(II) chemistry using bromide, chloride, and fluoride salts with a wide array of proton donors. Outside of lab, Caroline loves spending time with her family, watching movies, and baking.

Nick was born and raised in southeastern PA before attending Trinity College in Hartford, CT where he did undergraduate research on the addition of indoles to aldehydes using triphenylmethyl carbocations as Lewis acid organocatalysts. After graduating Trinity College with a dual B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics, Nick came to Lehigh where he worked on the Samarium project for five years investigating coordination-induced bond weakening in Sm(II) complexes) and graduated in 2022. When not at...

Nicole Capogna is from Long Island, New York. She is a third year undergraduate student, majoring in biochemistry hoping to pursue dentistry, and in her free time she enjoys going on runs and drawing. She is working with Nick on the samarium project.

Matthew is a sophomore at Lehigh University in the 7-Year BA/MD program and minoring in Health, Medicine, and Society. He is working with Darian. In his free time, Matthew likes to take pictures, Indian cultural dance, and draw.

Lehigh University Chemistry Department Flowers Research Tesia Chciuk

Tesia attended Cedar Crest College where she graduated in 2009 with a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in biology. Following this, she gained industrial experience at Eos Energy Storage, LLC. and Bethlehem Apparatus Co. Inc. before starting graduate work at Lehigh in 2012. Her research project consists of studying the role of solvent and additives in organic reductions featuring samarium(II). In her free time, Tesia enjoys Mediterranean cooking, hiking, reading novels, and trivia.

Meriam Deeb is an alumna of the Samarium Project in Flowers Lab with a Bachelors in Biochemistry with a minor in Spanish. Her future aspirations include attending medical school. In her free time she enjoys traveling and playing volleyball.

Daniel Enny was a senior undergraduate researcher working with Godfred on the Titanium project. Daniel graduated in the Spring of 2016 and moved on to pursue graduate work.

Godfred Fianu is from Ghana in West Africa. He came to the United States in 2007 to pursue his undergraduate studies in Chemistry at Principia College in Illinois. In 2012, Godfred was admitted as a graduate student at Lehigh University for further studies in Organic Chemistry. Besides his love for research, Godfred enjoys reading inspirational books, dancing, playing soccer, and playing basketball. He also enjoys meeting people and making new friends. 

Flowers Group Lehigh University Mari Flanagan

Mari is a senior chemistry major interested in becoming a pharmacist. In her free time she enjoys swimming and shopping.

Gabrielle was a graduate student working on the Backscattering Interferometry (BSI) project in the Flowers Lab.  She has studied a variety of systems with BSI, including Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor binding and DNA duplex binding. She defended her doctoral defense entitled "Detection and Analysis of Molecular Interactions with Backscattering Interferometry" in August 2016.

Nicole is from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Lehigh with a Bachelors in Chemistry while working in the Flowers Lab on the Samarium Project. In her free time, Nicole does competitive powerlifting, plays disc golf, and likes to draw.

Kayla is a senior chemistry major interested in working in the cosmetic industry in research and development. She works with Tesia on the Samarium project. In her spare time, Kayla enjoys running, doing makeup, and cooking.

Anna is a rising junior, majoring in Chemistry at Lehigh University. She is working with Caroline on the Samarium project. In her free time, Anna likes drawing, reading, writing Chinese calligraphy, and cooking.

Sandeepan comes from the east side of India. He received Ph. D in Chemistry in 2014, working with Dr. Edamana Prasad on photochemistry of divalent lanthanides from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM). After graduating from IITM, he moved to Prof. Shmaryahu Hoz’s research group for post doctoral studies in Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Sandeepan has joined the Flowers group as post doc in Lehigh University in December 2016. In his free time, he plays with his son and likes...

Lehigh University Chemistry Department Flowers Research Matthew McLaughlin

Dr. Matthew McLaughlin received his Chemistry B.A. Magna Cum Laude from S.U.N.Y. New Paltz in 2006. He worked with Prof. Patrick Holland at the University of Rochester and received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry in 2012. His doctoral research investigated earth abundant photocatalytic hydrogen production and low coordinate protein sites as artificial metal scaffolds. In 2012, Matthew was awarded a National Research Council Fellowship on a research proposal to work with Prof. Michel Gagné...

Niki Patel Chemistry Flowers Group

Niki received a B.S. in Chemistry from Temple University in 2010. Her research focused on mechanistic studies on the use of silver as an oxidant in catalytic reactions. In her free time, Niki enjoys reading, running local races, and playing the ukulele. Niki defended on March 17, 2015. She is now a post-doc in the Molander lab at the University of Pennsylvania.

Andy attended Albright College in Reading, PA where he received his B.S. in Chemistry in 2014. Andy completed his M.S. in the spring of 2016.

Kyle Schipper Lehigh University Flowers Group

Kyle is a rising junior at Lehigh, majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in economics. He's also a varsity rower for the school, which he walked onto his freshman year (as opposed to being recruited). He's from Wayne Pennsylvania and is working with Godfred to help him with the titanocene project.

Andres Vazquez-Lopez Flowers Lab Lehigh University

Andres is an uprising junior at Lebanon Valley College working on his B.S in chemistry. He is working on the Samarium project this summer. He plans on attending graduate school after he graduates. Outside the lab, he enjoys working out and spending time with friends.

Darian graduated from Hiram College in 2016 with a B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Physics. He graduated with his M.S. in spring 2018.

Eunice is a senior at Lehigh University majoring in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and minoring in Business. She is working with Caroline on the Samarium Project. In her free time, Eunice likes to write, play guitar, and sing.