The Division of Organic Chemistry (DOC) congratulates the thirteen 2026 DOC Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) awardees and gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsors (listed below).
2026 Awardees
Olga Achmatowicz
School: Colorado State University
Mentor: Jeff Bandar
Research: Direct C–H Amination via Base-Promoted Halogen Transfer to Prepare Medicinally Valuable Amine Products
Sponsor: Pfizer
Katelyn Barron
School: North Carolina State University
Mentor: Jun Ohata
Research: Solvent Free Total Synthesis of Neoechinulin B using Mechanochemical Activation
Sponsor: Biogen
Lucas Constantine
School: Hamilton College
Mentor: Khanh Ha
Research: Facile Synthesis of Monofunctional Heptamethine Cyanine Dyes via Zincke Salts by the Ring Opening of Pyridine
Sponsor: Pfizer
Shannon Gu
School: Cornell University
Mentor: Song Lin
Research: Deconstructive Cyanation of Cyclic Amine via Shono-Oxidation and DPPH
Sponsor: Biohaven
Gage Helm
School: Drury University
Mentor: Madhuri Manpadi
Research: Radical Synthesis of a-Hydroxy Allenes Utilizing Et3B/O2
Sponsor: Pfizer
Gavin Higgins
School: Davidson College
Mentor: Nicole Snyder
Research: A Sweet Approach to Immunity: Synthesis and Display of Acinetaminic Acid Towards a Novel Vaccine for Acinetobacter Baumannii Based on Capsular Polysaccharide K12
Sponsor: GSK
Tia Kledzik
School: Reed College
Mentor: Robert O’Brien
Research: Semi–Synthesis of Strychnine Analogues for Investigation of Anti-Malarial Properties
Sponsor: Genentech
Judah Klingsberg
School: New York University
Mentor: James Canary
Research: Late Stage On Strand Metallaphotoredox Base Coupling: Metal Mediated DNA at the Speed of Light
Sponsor: BioPharmaWorks
Beverly Mei
School: The Scripps Research Institute
Mentor: Keary Engle
Research: Nickel-Catalyzed Directed Mizoroki-Heck Reaction of Electronically Neutral Olefins
Sponsor: Pfizer
Mina Meyer-Najmi
School: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Mentor: Zachary Wickens
Research: Regiodivergent Electrochemical Oxyamination of Alkenes using Phenothiazine
Sponsor: Genentech
Bella Monteiro de Andrade
School: University of Chicago
Mentor: Mark Levin
Research: Exploring Nitrogen-Substituted Isodiazene Reactivity Through Anomeric Amide- Facilitated Nitrogen Deletion on Pyrazolidinones
Sponsor: Lilly
Gabriel Park
School: Tufts University
Mentor: Clay Bennett
Research: Exploration of Reactive β-Fucose Derivatives for Deoxy Sugar Glycosylation
Sponsor: GSK
Kaira Wu
School: University of California, Davis
Mentor: Cody Pitts
Research: [1.1.1]Bicyclopentane to [2.1.1]Bicyclohexane (BCP to BCH) Ring Expansion
Sponsor: BMS
2026 Sponsors
