The Gutekunst Lab is looking for a postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in small molecule or polymer synthesis. Interested candidates should submit an application to Prof. Gutekunst (willgute@gatech.edu) including a CV, 1-2 page research summary and the contact information for two references.
There are currently no open undergraduate research positions available. Prospective graduate students interested in synthetic polymer chemistry are encouraged to apply to the GT chemistry program.
Postdocs
Dr. Wei Xiong
Wei is from Guangyuan, China. He received his bachelor’s degree from Sichuan University. Thereafter, he joined Prof. Hua Lu’s lab and completed his Ph.D. and Postdoc. at Peking University until 2022. At the time, his research focused on developing degradable polymers based on amino acids. He then joined the Gutekunst research group working on ring-opening metathesis polymerization.
Dr. Jicheng Zhang
Jicheng is from Yantai, China. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and completed his Ph.D. at Beijing Normal University, focusing on high-voltage organic solar cell acceptors. In 2016, he joined Daniel Chiu’s Group at the University of Washington, developing multicolor conjugated polymers for fluorescence nanoparticles until 2023. He then joined Will Gutekunst’s research group working on preceramic chemistry.
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.
Casey Smith
Casey grew up in central Florida and attained his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. Since starting his PhD at Georgia Tech after graduation, he has worked on processing preceramic polymers into silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, boron nitride, and boron carbonitride ceramic fibers. His current work focuses on utilizing nanotubes in the processing of high-temperature materials.
Undergraduate Students
Matthew Raeside
Matthew is from the metro-Atlanta area and is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Chemistry. He works as an undergraduate TA in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In Fall 2022, he joined the Gutekunst group where he studies the synthesis of low ceiling temperature monomers.
Dominic Picca
Dominic was born in New York City, and is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. He works as an undergraduate TA in the School of Physics. In Fall 2022, he joined the Gutekunst group where he studies liquid crystal formation and dynamic polymers.
William Buzzeo
William is a native of Gastonia, North Carolina and is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in biochemistry. He is a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching band and volunteers as a prototyping instructor at the Flowers Invention Studio. William joined the Gutekunst group in Fall of 2023, where he studies fluxional molecules and liquid crystal formation.
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.
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.