President
Conner Soderstedt
conner.soderstedt@duke.edu
Conner Soderstedt received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Muhlenberg College in 2023. While at Muhlenberg, Conner developed green synthetic methods for silver nanoparticles and investigated their photocatalytic properties. His current research interests, as a member of the Moreno-Hernandez Laboratory at Duke, focus on developing highly active and stable earth-abundant electrocatalysts to aid in the development of renewable energy technologies. Beyond the lab, Conner enjoys watching sports, hanging out with his cat, and cooking new meals.
Vice President
Devon Leimkuhl
leimkuhl@unc.edu
Devon Leimkuhl received her B.S. in chemistry with a minor in global environmental sustainability from Colorado State University. At CSU, she worked with Prof. Amy Prieto on the colloidal synthesis of ternary chalcogenide nanoparticles of interest for photovoltaic and thermoelectric applications. Her current research interests, as a member of the Jackson Lab at UNC Chapel Hill, focus on studying the fundamentals of electron transfer at photo-illuminated semiconductor/electrolyte interfaces. Outside of lab, Devon enjoys crocheting and playing with her two cats.
Secretary
Ryan Gentile
rgentile@unc.edu
Ryan Gentile received his B.S. in Chemistry, B.S. in Applied Physics, and Mathematics minor at Lewis University in 2022. Following this, Ryan stayed at Lewis for one year to complete a M.S. in Chemistry in 202 3 with a research focus on semiconductor fabrication processes and designing specialized stimuli-responsive chemistries for semiconductor surface cleaning in the field of Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP). Ryan then migrated to UNC Chapel Hill to become a Ph.D. student in Materials Chemistry in the fall of 2023 and joined the Cahoon Lab. Currently, Ryan’s research focuses on designing solar-driven processes for carbon dioxide reduction by synthesizing low-doped p-type Si-based hybrid photoelectrodes in combination with heterogeneous molecular catalysts to drive reactions at electrode surfaces. Outside of lab, Ryan focuses on staying active by lifting weights, running, and walking. Additionally, he enjoys reading, playing with his cat (Oliver), spending time with close friends, 3D printing, and playing the drums.
Treasurer
Ziqing Lin
ziqing.lin@duke.edu
Ziqing Lin received her B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 2023. Her undergraduate research at UCSD primarily focused on using non-linear optics to probe the interface of electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide reduction. Her current research interests, as a member of the Moreno-Hernandez Laboratory at Duke, focuses on synthesizing metal-doped electrocatalysts and understanding the effect of dopants on electrocatalyst stability and activity. Besides research, Ziqing enjoys dancing and hiking.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Ivan Moreno-Hernandez
ivan.moreno-hernandez@duke.edu
Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Duke University
