There are currently no open postdoctoral or undergraduate research positions available. Prospective graduate students interested in synthetic polymer chemistry are encouraged to apply to the GT chemistry program.
Postdocs
Dr. Yongliang Su
Yongliang is from Puyang, China. After graduating from Shandong University in 2013, he joined Prof. Liu-Zhu Gong’s lab in USTC to pursue his Ph.D. In Gong’s group, his research mainly focused on metal/ organo cooperatively catalyzed asymmetric reactions. Thereafter, he spent three years in Prof. Doyle’s group as a postdoctoral associate and worked on the radical chemistry. Yongliang joined the Gutekunst’s group in 2021. His current research interest is polymerization of new monomers. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, listening to music, watching movies, and being with family and friends.
Graduate Students
Alec Pabarue
Alec was born in Kettering, Ohio and grew up in Macomb, Michigan. He attended Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida where he attained a B.S. in Biochemistry. At this time, he conducted research on the synthesis of photosensitive protecting groups and their applications in neuroscience. He joined the Gutekunst group in Fall 2019, and his research focuses on ring-opening metathesis polymerization.
Kellie Stellmach
Kellie grew up in Salem, Oregon and attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota where she obtained her B.A. in Chemistry with a minor in Spanish. While at Macalester, she conducted research on the synthesis of redox-active diimides with Prof. Dennis Cao. She joined the Gutekunst group in 2020, and her current research focuses on low-ceiling temperature polymers.
Mckinley Paul
McKinley is from the metro-Atlanta area. He attended Northwestern University where he majored in materials science and engineering with a chemistry minor. While at Northwestern, he did research under Prof. Chad Mirkin studying the fundamental reactivity of coordination complexes in a biphasic system with applications to artificial chemical signaling. His current research in the Gutekunst group explores the design of low ceiling temperature monomers for the next generation of sustainable polymers.
Timothy Hunter
Timothy Hunter attended South Carolina’s College of Charleston. Here, he worked under Dr. Frederick Heldrich to create a basic computer model via Vensim simulation software to predict products of substitution and elimination reactions; specifically, SN1, SN2, E1, and E2 reactions. He graduated in 2021 with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Studio Art.
Alvaro Calderon-Diaz
Alvaro received his B.S. in chemistry from Kennesaw State University in 2018. In 2019, he worked as a master’s students under Dr. Michael Stollenz at Kennesaw State University in the synthesis and characterization of bis(amidines) and their coinage metal complexes. Immediately after receiving his M.S. in chemistry in Spring 2021, Alvaro entered the chemistry PhD program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Alvaro is a PhD student in the Gutekunst Research Group and a 2022 GAANN Fellow. Outside of lab, Alvaro enjoys investing his time in K-12 STEM Outreach.
Jiyun Zhang
Jiyun was born in Shenzhen, China. She obtained her B.A. from Smith College in Chemistry in 2022. Her undergraduate research focused on site-specific protein-polymer conjugation with activated ester polymer for targeted cancer therapy under the supervision of Prof. Maren Buck. Jiyun joined the Gutekunst group in Fall 2022, and she is a chemistry Ph.D. student at Georgia Tech.
Ethan Wagner
Ethan was born in Atlanta Georgia. He attended Kennesaw State University where he obtained a B.S in chemistry. While at Kennesaw he conducted research in DHPP based semiconducting polymers under Prof. Graham Collier. He joined the Gutekunst group in 2021 and where his current research investigates preceramic polymers.
Ariane Charland-Martin
Ariane grew up as a native French speaker in Repentigny, Québec, Canada. She moved to the United States during high school and later attended Kennesaw State University, where she researched degradable conjugated polymers with Prof. Graham Collier. After graduating with her B.S. in Chemistry in 2023, she worked with the Reynolds Research Group at Ga Tech to synthesize conjugated polymers with acid-cleavable side chains. In 2024, she joined the Gutekunst Lab as a Ph.D. student, and her current research focuses on the development of chemically recyclable monomers. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with friends and family, as well as crocheting.
Juliana Bem
Juliana is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended Cornell University, where she attained a B. A. in Chemistry. While at Cornell, she conducted research with Prof. Geoff Coates on polymer-electrolyte alternatives for current Lithium-ion battery systems. Juliana is a PhD student in the Gutekunst group and a 2025 GAANN fellow. Her current research focuses on topochemical polymerizations.
Undergraduate Students
Leah Lassiter
Leah is from Macon, Georgia and is currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Music Technology. She works as a tutor and PLUS Leader for organic chemistry through Tutoring & Academic Support. In Spring 2024, she joined the Gutekunst group where she studies the synthesis of low-ceiling temperature polymers.
Marielle Frooman
Marielle is an undergraduate biochemistry major with minors in French and health and medicine. She previously conducted research under Dr. Andrew McShan at Georgia Tech, where she focused on the biophysical and structural characterization of immunosignalling complexes during malaria. In Spring of 2025, Marielle joined the Gutekunst Lab, where she synthesizes small molecule probes to explore the polyketide synthase system in collaboration with the Agarwal and McShan Labs at Georgia Tech.
High School Students
Adele Ballantyne
Adele was born in Arizona, and is currently a senior at Wheeler High School. She seeks degrees in Chemistry and in Computer Science, and she works as a math tutor outside of school. In Summer 2024, she joined the Gutekunst group as an intern where she studies the self-polymerization of certain crystalline monomers.