Yotam Ashkenazi

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Connecticut
Mentor: Mark Peczuh
Research: Nature Inspired Modular Synthesis of Hernandezine

Roukaya El Mokadem

Sponsor: Celgene
School: Oklahoma State University
Mentor: Jimmie Weaver
Research: Taming Two (photocatalytic) Transformations; Reductive Alkenylation and Isomerization of 2-Bromoazoles

Clara Ellis

Sponsor: Vertex
School: University of Southern Mississippi
Mentor: Matthew G. Donahue
Research: Enantioselective Synthesis of Piperidine Derivatives Through an Enyne Metathesis

Montgomery Gray

Sponsor: Takeda
School: Ohio State University
Mentor: T. V. (Babu) RajanBabu
Research: Hemilabile Ligands for Improved Selectivity in Cobalt Catalyzed Reactions of Alkenes

Christopher Hanneman

Sponsor: Lilly
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mentor: Scott Denmark
Research: A Strategy for the Cross-Coupling of Heterocycles

Yelin Jung

Sponsor: Pfizer & Biogen
School: Bryn Mawr College
Mentor: Bill Malachowski
Research: Development of Complex Chiral Carbazole Analogs via the Enantioselective Birch-Curtius-Heck Reaction Sequence

Austin King

Sponsor: Merck & Janssen
School: Michigan State University
Mentor: Robert E. Maleczka, Jr.
Research: Isolation of Asymmetrical Double-Decker Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Amanda Melanese

School: California State University San Marcos
Mentor: Robert Iafe
Research: Gold(I)-Catalyzed Friedel-Crafts-type reaction to afford substituted benzimidazoles
Sponsor: Pfizer

Kellie Stellmach

Sponsor: WuXi AppTec
School: Macalester College
Mentor: Dennis D. Cao
Research: Synthesis and Characterization of Angled Benzene Diimides as Building Blocks for Linear Azaacenes

Jordan Thompson

Sponsor: Merck
School: University of California, Berkeley
Mentor: Thomas Maimone
Research: Total Synthesis of 6-epi ophiobolin A

Joey Tuccinardi

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Boise State University
Mentor: Don Warner
Research: Synthesis of Small Molecules to Inhibit a Pro-Metastatic Cytokine

St. John Whittaker

Sponsor: Pfizer & Mirati
School: University of Scranton
Mentor: Arthur Catino
Research: Enantioselective Synthesis of Tetraarylmethanes using Chiral Brønsted Acids

Elise Brutschea

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Saint Joseph’s University
Mentor: Mark Forman
Research Project: Electroreduction: A Greener Alternative to the Synthesis of the Pyramidalized Alkene Pentacyclo[4.3.0.0 ^2,4 .0 ^3,8 .0 ^5,7 ]non-4-ene

Amy Chan

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Yale University
Mentor: Jonathan Ellman
Research Project: Potent and Selective Isoquinuclidine Ligands to G-Protein Coupled Receptors

Rania Daboul

Sponsor: Merck
School: University of Michigan
Mentor: Corinna Schindler
Research Project: Application of catalytic carbonyl olefin metathesis reactions to the asymmetric synthesis of sesquiterpene natural products

Jake Grabowski

School: Illinois State University Mentor: Andy Mitchell
Research Project: Feist-Bénary Furan Synthesis Toward the Total Synthesis of Toxicodenane A
Sponsors: Pfizer and Biogen

Noel Jameson

Sponsor: Amgen
School: Occidental College
Mentor: Roul Navarro
Research Project: Total Synthesis of Swerilactone A via a Novel Electrophilic Dearomatization Reaction

Spencer Lawson

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Delaware
Mentor: Donald Watson
Research Project: Development of a Nickel-Catalyzed Aza-Heck Cyclization

Gina Partipilo

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Mentor: Jefferson Chan
Research Project: Reversible Probe for the Detection of Nitric Oxide in vivo Using Photoacoustic Imaging

Eric Rizzo

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Stony Brook University
Mentor: Ming-Yu Ngai
Research Project: Chiral Catalysts for Asymmetric Visible-Light Photocatalytic Reactions

Matthew Thompson

Sponsor: Merck
School: Case Western Reserve University
Mentor: Drew Adams
Research Project: Developing Selective Covalent Inhibitors through the Synthesis of Novel Sulfonyl-Fluoride Probes

Amanda Cowfer

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Illinois
Mentor: Paul Hergenrother
Research Project: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Compound Library Derived from Lycorine

Alex Cusumano

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: North Carolina State University
Mentor: Joshua Pierce
Research Project: Utility of the 3-Hydroxy-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one Scaffold in the Synthesis of alpha-Quaternary Centers Containing Beta-Homo Prolines and Beta-Lactams

Katherine Forbes

Sponsor: Merck
School: Occidental College
Mentor: Jeffrey Cannon
Research Project: Synthesis of Furanolactone Motifs through a Photocatalyzed Ketyl Radical Cyclization

Margaret McEwan

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Christopher Newport University
Mentor: Jeffrey Carney
Research Project: Towards the Total Synthesis of Torreyunlignans A-D

Lucus Oxtoby

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Wisconsin-Madison
Mentor: Jennifer Schomaker
Research Project: Investigating Analogs of Eflornithine, an Irreversible Inhibitor of Ornithine Decarboxylase

Maximilian Palkowitz

Sponsor: Merck
School: Boston College
Mentor: James Morken
Research Project: Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclopropyl- and Cyclobutylboronic Esters via Diastereoselective alpha-Boryl-Carbanion Cyclizations

Ambarneil Saha

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Cornell University
Mentor: Song Lin
Research Project: Recycling CO2 for Amino Acid Synthesis

Holt Sakai

Sponsor: Merck
School: Yale
Mentor: Timothy Newhouse
Research Project: Nickel-Catalyzed Intramolecular alpha-Vinylation for the Synthesis of Bicyclic Systems

Emma Streff

Sponsor: Merck
School: Washington University in St. Louis
Mentor: Vladimir Birman
Research Project: Amidine-Based Catalysts with Enhanced Nucleophilicity: Synthesis, Study, and Applications

Harrison Besser

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Harvard University
Mentor: Eric Jacobsen
Research Project: Development of an Iron Catalyst for Carbon-Hydrogen Oxidation

Hannah Burdge

Sponsor: Merck
School: Towson University
Mentor: Keith Reber
Research Project: Total Synthesis of Cladosin C

Shivansh Chawla

Sponsor: Merck School: Cornell University
Mentor: Yimon Aye
Research Project: Synthesis of a Fluorescent Redox-Targeting Toolset for Use in Multicellular Organisms

Corrine Elliott

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Kentucky
Mentor: Susan Odom
Research Project: Steric Manipulation of Electrochemical Potentials in Conjugated Organic Molecules

Chris Fritschi

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Niagara University
Mentor: Luis Sanchez
Research Project: Developing a Synthetic Route to Caramboxin, a Rare Bioactive Non-peptidic Amino Acid

Anneliese Gest

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Macalester College
Mentor: Leah Witus
Research Project: Development of a Colorimetric Assay for the Screening of Peptide Catalysts

Evan Hurlow

Sponsor: Merck
School: University of Utah
Mentor: Jon Rainier
Research Project: The Derivatization of an Aggregate-Busing Quinone-Amino Acid Conjugate

Tyler Pabst

Sponsor: Merck
School: Youngstown State University
Mentor: Douglas Genna
Research Project: Transition Metal-Mediated C-CO ₂ Coupling Reactions for the Synthesis of Industrial Carbon Feedstocks

Tekenari Tienabeso

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Indrajeet Sharma
Research Project: Synthetic Access to the Psurotin Core via a Diazo-OH Insertion/Conia-Ene Cascade

Adonis Cruz

Sponsor: Merck
School: Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Mentor: Justin Miller
Research Project: Solid-Phase Total Synthesis of Cysteine-Containing, Depsipeptidic Natural Products and Analogs

Carl Ferber

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of San Diego
Mentor: Timothy Clark
Research Project: Stereoselective Diboration/Homologation Sequence of Aldehydes using Lithiated Epoxides

Tyler Fulton

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Bucknell University
Mentor: Michael Krout
Research Project: Development of Copper Mediated Conjugate Addition Reactions Towards Complex Molecule Synthesis

Catherine McGeough

Sponsor: Merck
School: Smith College
Mentor: Kevin Shea
Research Project: Synthesis and Characterization of Derivatives of Neurole nin A and B

Amanda O’Loughlin

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Nevada, Reno
Mentor: Wesley A. Chalifoux
Research Project: Efficient Synthesis of Bicyclo[4.4.0]decanes by Tandem Double Diels-Alder

Melissa Ramirez

Sponsor: Merck
School: University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Gary A. Molander
Research Project: B-X Functionalization of Borazarobenzofurans and Bioisosteric Activity of Azaborines

Shafer Soars

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Illinois College/ Yale University
Mentors: Brent Chandler/Scott Miller
Research Project: Development of a Catalyst Controlled Enantioselective and Diastereoselective Rauhut-Currier Reaction

Jessica Spradlin

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Tufts University
Mentor: Clay Bennett
Research Project: Synthesis of the Pentasaccharide Fragment of Saquayamycin Z

Fuhua Zhao

Sponsor: Merck
School: Stoney Brook University
Mentor: Ming-Yu Ngai
Research Project: Trifluoromethoxylation of Heteroarenes

Alexander Cleveland

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Tennessee Technological University
Mentor: Jessie Carrick
Research Project: Investigation of the asymmetric induction of the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction with β-alkoxyaldehydes and Chiral chromium(III) catalysts

Nicolle Doering

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of California Santa Barbara
Mentor: Armen Zakarian
Research Project: Synthesis of Imidazoline LOXL2 Analogs

Richard Liu

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Harvard University
Mentor: Eric Jacobsen
Research Project: Small Molecule Hydrogen-Bond Catalysts for Asymmetric C–N Bond Formation

Moises Morales

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Washington State University
Mentor: Philip Garner
Research Project: A β-Aspartyl Thioester Building Block for Convergent Glycosylative Ligation of Peptides

Julia Murphy

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Swarthmore
Mentor: Robert Paley
Research Project: Azaspirocycle Formation Directed by a Planer Chiral iron(O) Tricarbonyl diene complex

Riley Svec

Sponsor: Cubist
School: University of Iowa
Mentor: Hien Nguyen
Research Project: Synthesis and affinity studies of mannose-derived glycopolymers for binding to antibody 2G12 which recognizes the gp120 epitope within the HIV envelope

Pete Barnes

Sponsor: Genentech/Roche
School: Boise State University
Mentor: Don Warner
Research Project: Toward a Convergent Synthesis of Aziridinomitosenes

Craig Burt

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Williams College
Mentor: Thomas Smith
Research Project: Asymmetric Synthesis of Enigmazole A

Masha Elkin

Sponsor: The ACS Organic Division
School: Washington University
Mentor: Vladimir Birman
Research Project: An Efficient and Flexible Synthetic Route to Chiral Ligands

Michelle Ferreira

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Swarthmore College
Mentor: Liliya Yatsunyk
Research Project: Synthesis of Novel Polyamide Derivatives of Protoporphyrin-IX And Mesoporphyrin-IX As Potential G-Quadruplex Stabilizers

Terry Huh

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Bryn Mawr College
Mentor: Bill Malachowski
Research Project: Synthesis of Bicyclic Rings with Quaternary Centers through Sequential Birch Reduction-Alkylation and Cycloisomerization

Samuel Levi

Sponsor: Merck
School: University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Jeffrey Winkler
Research Project: The Design and Synthesis of Novel Chloroquine Derivatives to Block Autophagy in Cancer Cells

Lydia Wolfe

Sponsor: Cubist
School: St. Olaf College
Mentor: Dipannita Kalyani
Research Project: Nickel Catalyzed Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation

Ronald Besandre

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: University of Houston
Mentor: Jeremy A. May
Research Project: Synthesis of Indoles from α-Arylketones and Amines using Copper (I)

Alexander Burckle

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Utah
Mentor: Matthew S. Sigman
Research Project: Tandem Cross-Coupling using Heck Substrates and Selective β-hydride Elimination to Generate Vinyl Halides

Blake Daniels

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: University of Chicago
Mentor: Hisashi Yamamoto
Research Project: TBOx-Catalyzed Nitroso Hetero-Diels-Alder Reactions

Bennett Ferris

Sponsor: Cubist
School: Brown University
Mentor: Jason Sello
Research Project: Investigation of a Domino Reaction in the Target and Diversity-Oriented Synthesis of a Novel Antibacterial Agent

Drew Heitz

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Iowa
Mentor: Hien Nguyen
Research Project: Rhodium-Catalyzed Amination of Allylic Trichloroacetimidates and the Development of Antiretroviral Analogues

Rebecca Johnson

Sponsor: Roche
School: Barnard College
Mentor: Christian Rojas
Research Project: Using a Copper (II) Catalyst to Achieve Stereo-and Chemoselective Glucal 3-Carbamate Amidoglycoslation Reactions

Hilary Kerchner

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Delaware
Mentor: Mary P. Watson
Research Project: Enantioselective, Copper-Catalyzed Additions of Arylboronic Acids to Chromene Acetals

Anna Koster

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: University of Nevada, Reno
Mentor: Christopher S. Jeffrey
Research Project: Synthesis of Aldol Products through Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution of Aza-Oxyallyl Cation Intermediates

Matthew Landry

Sponsor: Merck
School: Princeton University
Mentor: Abigail Doyle
Research Project: Total Synthesis of Paecilospirone

Jaron Mercer

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Harvard University
Mentor: Andrew G. Myers
Research Project: A New Synthetic Route to Substituted Tetrahydroisoquinolines

Richard Thornbury

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign
Mentor: Scott E. Denmark
Research Project: Asymmetric Chlorinations of Alkenes Using Chiral Quaternary Ammonium Polyhalide Salts

Alice Wong

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Swarthmore College
Mentor: Robert Paley
Research Project: Diastereoselective Allyl Silane-Iminium Ion Cyclization Directed by a Planar Chiral Iron (0) Tricarbonyl Diene Complex

Derek Ahneman

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: University of Delaware
Mentor: Donald Watson
Research Project: Developing a catalyst for asymmetric alcohol alkylation

Catriona E. Blunt

Sponsor: Novartis
School: Smith College
Mentor: Kevin Shea
Research Project: Scope of a tandem Diels-Alder/Pauson-Khand synthesis for tetracycles

Adam N. Boynton

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Trinity College
Mentor: Timothy Curran
Research Project: Coordination of a peptide B-turn mimetic to tungsten: possible applications for the study of B-sheets

Zachary Brill

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: Columbia University
Mentor: Scott Snyder
Research Project: Total synthesis of Caraphenols B and C and related natural products

Taryn Campbell

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Connecticut College
Mentor: Timo Ovaska
Research Project: Studies toward the total synthesis of Frondosin D

Noelle Catarineu

Sponsor: Roche
School: New York University
Mentor: James Canary
Research Project: Synthesis and study of redox- active chiroptical molecular switches

Marc Giesener

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: Northwestern University
Mentor: Fraser Stoddart
Research Project: Multiple successive post synthetic modifications on metal- organic frameworks

Emily Hartman

Sponsor: Cubist
School: Brown University
Mentor: Amit Basu
Research Project: A chemical genetic analysis of galactose biochemistry in growing pollen tubes

David Kaphan

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Rochester
Mentor: Robert Boeckman
Research Project: Studies toward the diversification Of Diels-Alder Reactions of cyclic isoimidium salts

Victor W. Mak

Sponsor: Amgen
School: University of California, Irvine
Mentor: Kenneth Shea
Research Project: A concise total synthesis of (-)-Stenine

Wystan Neil Palmer

Sponsor: Division of Organic Chemistry
School: Swarthmore College
Mentor: Robert Paley
Research Project: Diastereoselective synthesis of bis-spiroketals directed by planar chiral 2-sulfinyl diene iron(0) tricarbonyl complexes

Ian Pendleton

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Eastern Michigan University
Mentor: Harriet Lindsay
Research Project: Determining the origins of stereocontrol in the Lewis acid-mediated aza-Cope rearrangement-Mannich cyclization of conformationally mobile iminium cations

Ryan Spencer Shinabery

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Mentor: Nan Zheng
Research Project: Photocatalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of bicyclic cyclopropylamines with olefins by a ruthenium (II) complex

Alexander W. Sun

Sponsor: Cephalon
School: University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Amos B. Smith III
Research Project: Synthesis of HIV-1 entry inhibitors: region II/III analogs of NBD-556

Nadia C. Abascal

Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim
School: Barnard College
Mentor: Christian Rojas
Research Project: A soluble iodosobenzene derivative for 2-amino sugar synthesis

Juan Carlos Baso

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: University of South Florida
Mentor: Jon Antilla
Research Project: Enantioselective reduction of imines; A strategy for the construction of the Dragmacidin core and potential structural analogues

James Beckett

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Kenyon College
Mentor: John Hofferberth
Research Project: Exploring the versatility of a novel route to the cyclopenta[c]pyridine substructure

Megan Marie Blewett

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Harvard University
Mentor: EJ Corey
Research Project: C-H functionalization with metallosalen complexes

Kurt James Cox

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: University of Arizona
Mentor: Indraneel Ghosh
Research Project: A synthetic bivalent approach for targeting protein kinases

Mary E. Daub

Sponsor: Cubist
School: Williams College
Mentor: Thomas Smith
Research Project: Asymmetric synthesis of Jerangolid D

Althea Gaffney

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Swarthmore College
Mentor: Robert Paley
Research Project: Planar chiral 2-sulfinyldiene iron( 0) tricarbonyl complexes as a platform for diastereo- selective synthesis of spiroketals

Anthony S. Grillo

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Michigan
Mentor: Masato Koreeda
Research Project: Development of a novel chiral heterocyclic carbene to be used in ruthenium catalyzed olefin metathesis

Dennis Hu

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Northwestern University
Mentor: Regan Thomson
Research Project: Synthesis and structure / functional studies of Streptorubin B

Eduardo V. Mercado

Sponsor: Roche
School: University of California, Santa Barbara
Mentor: Thomas Pettus
Research Project: Synthetic approach toward unsymmetrical napthoquinone natural products: B-rubromycin, christazarin, echinochrome A and echinamines B

Jason Pflueger

Sponsor: Novartis
School: Columbia University
Mentor: Scott Snyder
Research Project: The total synthesis of Heimiol A, a Resveratrol-based natural product

James Phelan

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Grinnell College
Mentor: Stephen Sieck
Research Project: Investigation of N-acyl nitrones and their application in isoxazolidine synthesis

Katie Schaefer

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Utah
Mentor: Matthew Sigman
Research Project: Three dimensional mathematical modeling of modular pyridine ligands for the enantioselective alkylation of ketones

Jonathan Schultz

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: North Dakota State University
Mentor: Gregory Cook
Research Project: Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of chiral allylboronates

Justin Su

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: The University of Texas at Austin
Mentor: Stephen Martin
Research Project: Synthesis of a diverse Protoberberine- based small molecule library for biological screening

Valerie Angell

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Union College
Mentor: James Adrian
Research Project: Developing methods for preparing and testing libraries of pyrrolidine-triazoles: a new class of organocatalysts

Joseph Michael Azzarelli

Sponsor: Symyx Technologies
School: Stanford University (Montana State University)
Mentor: Barry Trost
Research Project: Cationic palladium (II) directed stereoselective β-glycosylations

Ross W. Cheloha

Sponsor: American Chemical Society
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Mentor: David Berkowitz
Research Project: Chemoenzymatic entry into dihydrocinnamayte building blocks and their synthetic elaboration: control of absolute and relative stereochemistry

Andrew Chung

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Harvey Mudd College
Mentor: David Vosburg
Research Project: Biomimetic synthesis of the Endiandric Acids

Rachel Dorset

Sponsor: Sepracor
School: Smith College
Mentor: Kevin Shea
Research Project: Scope and limitations of cationic Diels-Alder dienophiles stabilized by cobalt-complexed alkynes

Nathaniel Erskine

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Swarthmore College
Mentor: Robert Paley
Research Project: Diastereoselective synthesis of spiroketals using planar chiral iron(0) tricarbonyl complexes

Reid M. Faylor

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Xavier University
Mentor: Richard Mullins
Research Project: Asymmetric conjugate addition for synthesis of pilocarpine and related compounds

Michelle Grau

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of San Diego
Mentor: Debbie Tahmassebi
Research Project: Synthesis and structural studies of a novel nucleoside analogue

Joshua Green

Sponsor: Cubist Pharmaceuticals
School: Harvard University
Mentor: Tobias Ritter
Research Project: Development of a reaction discovery methodology employing mass spectrometry

Jonathan James Hulce

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of Vermont
Mentor: Paul Krapcho
Research Project: A potential therapy for neurologic disorders via inhibition of the endogenous neurotoxin-like protein, “Lynx”

Lauren E. Kennedy

Sponsor: Wyeth
School: University of Pennsylvania
Mentor: Gary Molander
Research Project: Deprotection of potassium trifluoroborates to the corresponding boronic acids

Cameron Moore

Sponsor: American Chemical Society
School: Western Washington University
Mentor: Timothy Clark
Research Project: Copper-catalyzed diboration of ketones; facile synthesis of tertiary α-hydroxy boronate esters

Joseph Nagano-Gerace

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: Brown University
Mentor: Christopher Seto
Research Project: Unlocking glycosidase using an assay of synthetic fluorescent substrates

Andy I. Nguyen

Sponsor: Pfizer
School: University of California, Irvine
Mentor: Alan Heyduk
Research Project: Developing tantalum (V)-imido complexes with redox-active ligands for catalytic amination of C-H bonds and aziridination of olefins

Shreyas Shah

Sponsor: Organic Division
School: Rutgers University
Mentor: Ki-Bum Lee
Research Project: Multivalent nanoparticles as potent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)

Shannon Stone

Sponsor: Novartis
School: Brown University
Mentor: Amit Basu
Research Project: Click chemistry to visualize the carbohydrates behind the growth of pollen tubes

My research background prior to this summer had been largely in genetics and chemical biology. Through the SURF program, however, I was able to delve deeper into medicinal chemistry, synthesizing a library of electrophilic small molecules and assessing the ability of these compounds to selectively engage protein targets. The generosity of SURF’s sponsors allowed me to further my expertise in proteomics and organic synthesis, invaluable skills as I hope to pursue a career in drug development, optimization, and target identification.

The Pfizer site visit was an incredible opportunity to talk with scientists who shared my own research interests, and allowed me to learn about drug development from an industry standpoint. As someone who has only ever worked in an academic setting, I found it really beneficial to learn how the same goals that we strive for in my lab at Case Western Reserve University are pursued in pharmaceutical industry. The lab spaces we toured were truly incredible, and I’m grateful to all the scientists and staff at Pfizer who took the time to speak with us and tell us more about their work. At the poster session, it was great to see the work that the other fellows had done that summer–seeing the diversity and depth of their research projects reminds you how your knowledge and expertise lie within a thin slice of the field and reinforces the need for collaboration in science as we hope to discover new therapies that continue to improve patient lives.

The opportunity to conduct a summer research project allowed me to explore my passion of chemistry. This summer, I have developed a love of learning through research and have solidified my goal of a professional career in chemistry. This summer has also especially helped me appreciate the amount of effort that goes into scientific discovery.

The visit to Pfizer’s Groton campus was incredible. Not only did we learn more about Pfizer and Pfizer’s scientists, we also had the opportunity to present our summer research projects. This poster presentation gave me a lot of ideas and advice to develop my summer project into a senior thesis project. The ability to communicate with and learn from other chemists was very educational and was an unparalleled experience.

The SURF program allowed me to lead a research effort for the first time. This has taught me not only fundamental chemistry skills, but the soft skills involved with leading a team and the organizational skills necessarily for driving research forward. I would not have had this opportunity if it was not for SURF.

Performing summer research has taught me how to form and adjust a research plan. I have learned how to try new reactions and interesting paths to my target molecule, and fail magnificently. The key was then to go back and try something new until I found something that worked. Having the time in the summer to learn how to look a plan, scrap it, and start fresh was a valuable experience, and these are skills that I will be able to carry with me later in life.

The site visit was a fantastic look into the world of Pfizer. The technology and methodology was fascinating and scientists were both knowledgeable and passionate. The most impactful thing, for me personally, was the advice and mentorship offered by the chemists working at Pfizer. They were truly interested in talking to young chemists and offering their advice about careers, graduate school, chemistry and so much more. I found that the insights they have given me have helped a great deal in the graduate school application process.