Mamta earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with honors from Delhi University, India. Afterward, she joined IISER (Indian Institute for science education and research), Mohali, for an integrated MS-PhD degree. She became a part of Prof. Sanjay Singh’s group for her master’s project, where she developed a keen interest in the cationic chemistry of main group elements (B and Al). Subsequently, she continued her Ph.D in the same lab. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused on synthesizing the highly Lewis acidic cationic aluminum complexes and studying their reactivity and catalytic applications in reduction chemistry. Apart from synthesizing new molecules in lab and discovering some chemistry, she enjoys trekking, playing tennis, and reading.

Jesse is from Brazoria, TX and started his undergraduate career at Baylor University in 2016. He graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Chemistry. In 2020, he moved to the University of Wisconsin - Madison and earned his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry while working with Prof. Shannon S. Stahl. Jesse joined the Yruegas lab shortly after and is further honing his skills in inorganic synthesis. Outside of the lab, Jesse loves applying his knowledge in chemistry to experimenting with cooking recipes and cocktail crafting!

Kajal is from Sonipat, Haryana, India. She earned her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi in 2018. Subsequently, she completed her M.Sc. in Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in 2020, where she worked on the development of single-site metal-organic frameworks during her master's project under the supervision of Dr. Kuntal Manna. She then pursued her Ph.D. at the CSIR-NCL, Pune, with the thesis entitled “Diverse Chemistry of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes with Varying Ring Sizes” under the guidance of Dr. Sakya S. Sen in August 2025. Beyond the lab, Kajal enjoys travelling, cooking, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.

Kaitlyn is from Slidell, LA and started her undergraduate career at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2018. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Public Health in December 2021. While there, she conducted research under Dr. Matthew Donahue, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of nitrogen heterocycles. In Fall 2022, Kaitlyn began her graduate studies at Rice. Outside of the lab, Kaitlyn enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her cat and dog, Ivy and Willow

Dinora is a native Houstonian and went to the University of St. Thomas where she earned her B.S. in Chemistry and Physics. In her undergraduate studies, she worked with Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth to synthesize gold nanoparticles for cancer therapy. In the summer of 2021, she worked in Dr. Julian West's lab at Rice University where she worked on a remote functionalization for small molecules via metal chain walking. Dinora started at Rice in fall 2022 to pursue her Ph.D. in Chemistry. In her free time, she enjoys playing on her Nintendo Switch, especially Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing, and doing anything fun with her friends.

Kimberly is from Houston, Texas and earned her B.S. in Chemistry in December of 2022 from UT Austin. During her time there she participated in the FRI program throughout her degree in the lab of Dr. Anthony Dylla. Kimberly did work with dendrimer encapsulated nanoparticles and photo-polymerization of dyes with a focus in spectroscopy. She started at Rice in Fall 2023 and is excited to be back in Houston! Outside of the lab, Kimberly enjoys crafting, reading, wedding planning, and spending time with her wife and puppy.

Damien is from Batesville, Mississippi and attended the University of Southern Mississippi earning his B.S. in Chemistry in Spring 2024. While there, he was a member of the Donahue Research Group where he conducted research on the synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. In Fall 2024 Damien began his graduate career at Rice University. When not in lab, Damien enjoys cooking, going on walks, and playing video games.

Lillian is from Galveston, Texas and earned their B.S. in Chemistry from Hollins University in May 2025. There, they worked under Dr. Brian Reeves on the synthesis of heteroleptic copper(I) tunable emitters. In the summer of 2024, they worked in Dr. Victoria DeRose's lab on the synthesis of click-capable platinum(IV) complexes for nuclear targeting. Lillian began their graduate studies at Rice in 2025 and is happy to be so close to home. Outside of lab, they enjoy crafting, playing video games, and watching bad horror movies.