Students who have worked in the Byers lab

I have often joked that as a teacher, I live vicariously through the success of my students. While I have taught thousands of Middlebury College students over the arc of my career, I often get to know, and form the strongest professional and personal connection to those students who have worked in my research laboratory, on countless projects (successful and otherwise) since the start of my career in 1986. Of the 111 students have worked with me to date, some have been in my lab a short time – as little as one Winter term, semester, or summer, while others have worked with me even more extensively, for a year or more. While most of these students have gone on to careers in the sciences or medicine, some have found their way into other diverse disciplines, using the independence that they have gained through involvement in scientific research as a springboard to other professions. 37 students from my lab of gone on to medical professions (MD, DDS, DVM) and 38 students have gone on to earn graduate degrees in Chemistry or Allied Sciences.

Now, on to my former students (* denotes completion of full BA thesis in my group)

  • Christine Hyrcyna ’88 PhD in Chemistry (UCLA), Professor of Chemistry, Purdue University
  • Kyle Knight* ’88 PhD in Chemistry (Stanford, Weymouth Group), Postdoctoral Fellow ( University of Texas, Martin Group) Professor of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (deceased)
  • Shevaun Mackie ’88 MD New York Medical College, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, NY
  • Christopher Reed* ’89 MD University of Maryland, Physician US Navy
  • Mackenzie King* ’89 PhD in Physical Chemistry (Wisconsin) Postdoctoral Fellow (MIT) PolyJoule Energy Storage
  • John Jackman* ’89 MBA University of Rhode Island
  • Geoffrey Underwood ’89 MS University of Georgia (deceased)
  • William Burfeind ’90 MD Columbia University, Lung Cancer Therapy, St. Lukes Cancer Center, St. Louis
  • Aaila (Ashfaq) Ghani* ’90 Cofounder and Chemistry Teacher, Nixor College, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Robert Baran* ’90 JD John Marshall Law School
  • John Dematte ’90 Chiropractic Doctor
  • Thomas Gleason* ’90 MD Rush Medical School, Director of Cardiac Surgery Research, University of Maryland
  • Alicia Johnston ’90 MD SUNY Upstate Medical Surgeon, Instructor of Pediatrics Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Wallace Pringle* ’90 PhD in Chemistry (UCLA, Merlic Group), Postdoctoral Fellow Scripps Research Institute (Sharpless Group), Executive Director Forma Therapeutics
  • Tien Ho ’91
  • Gregory Lane* ’92 PhD in Chemistry (Indiana, Roush Group) Senior Research Investigator Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Mark Miller* ’92 MS in Bioninformatics (University of the Sciences in Philadelphia) Principal, Phaseolus Consulting
  • Wendy (Morse) Pruitt ’92 PhD in Chemistry (University of North Carolina) Conflict of Interest and Commitment Coordinator, Texas Tech University
  • Molly Craig-Berry ’95 Freelance Designer
  • David Shuman* ’93 JD (University of Virginia)
  • Brooke Harper* ’93 DVM (Kansas State) Equine Veterinarian
  • Jeffrey Kim ’94 MD (Boston University) Regenerative Medicine Anchorage, AK
  • Amy Geffken Dirico* ’94 Managing Clinical Trials
  • Brendan O’Leary* ’94 PhD in Chemistry (MIT/Scripps, Rebek Group), Head of Life Sciences and Senior Advisor, Bowen Investment Bank
  • Matthew Thomas* ’94 MD (Dartmouth) Urologist
  • Lance Klingler ’94 MD (Vanderbilt) Orthopedic Surgeon, Concord, NH
  • James Mack* ’95 PhD in Chemistry (University of New Hampshire (Miller Group), Postdoc Boston College (Scott Group) Associate Dean of Graduate Study, University of Cincinatti
  • Eileen (Shaughnessy) Downey* ’95 PhD in Chemistry (Harvard, Evans Group) Adjunct Professor, University of Richmond
  • Jameson Thissell ’95 MD (Columbia) deceased
  • Maggie Zraly ’95 MS in Chemistry (New Mexico), MS (Harvard School of Public Health), PhD in Anthropology (Case Western) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support and Equity Advisor
  • Meghan Duff ’96 PhD in Biochemistry (University of Washington)
  • Christopher Whitehead* ’96
  • Maciej Ceglowski ’97 Web Developer, Entrepreneur
  • Faith (Knapp) Frable ’97 MD (University of Connecticut) Nantucket Cottage Hospital
  • Trina Mackie ’97 PhD in Environmental Health (Berkeley) Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Touro University
  • Mark Moynier* ’97 DDS (Columbia) Pearl St Dentistry, Boulder, CO
  • Jason Shellhaas* 97 MD (University of Michigan) Sports medicine
  • Stewart Williamson ’97
  • Corey Atteridge ’98
  • Gregory Burkett* ’98 High School Chemistry teacher (deceased)
  • John Campbell* ’98 PhD in Chemistry (Wisconsin, Burke Group) Postdoc Boston College (Hoveyda Group) VP and Head of Chemistry, Reverie Labs
  • Jonathan Kosterlitz* ’98 MD University of Cork
  • Nathan Neale* ’98 PhD (Berkeley, Tilley Group) Senior Scientist, National Renewable Energy Lab, Golden CO
  • Peter Steinberg* ’99 MD (University of Pennsylvania) Urologist, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Instructor Harvard Medical School
  • Joanna Wolkowski* ’99 MS in Chemistry (Yale, Hartwig Group) MBA (Wharton) Head of Strategy, Viatris
  • Craig Breen* ’00 PhD in Chemistry (MIT, Swager Group)
  • Abraham Butz* ’00 MD (University of South Dakota) Emergency Medicine
  • Michael Duff* ’00 MS in Biology (University of Colorado) MD (New York Medical College) Intensivist
  • Brian Northrop* ’01 PhD in Chemistry (UCLA, Houk and Stoddard Groups), Postdoctoral Fellow (Utah, Stang Group) Professor of Chemistry, Wesleyan University
  • Christopher Nasveschuk* ’01 PhD in Chemistry (Colorado State, Rovis Group), Postdoctoral Fellowship (Colorado) Senior Vice President of Chemistry , C4 Therapeutics.
  • Anne DeWitt* ’02 Middlebury College Valedictorian PhD in English Literature (Yale) Professor of Humanities (New York University)
  • Joseph Fernandez ’03 MD (School of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) Assistant Professor of Surgery, Duke University
  • Gregory Woo* ’02 MD (University of Massachusetts) Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Devin Zarkowsky* ’02 MS in MS Physiology, Biophysics and Pharmacology (Georgetown) MD (Albany Medical College) Vascular Surgeon at UC San Francisco
  • J. Brad Alexander* ’03 MBA
  • Bonnie Lee* JD (University of Pennsylvania) Managing Counsel McKinsey and Company
  • Michael Mazzotta* ’03 MD (University of Massachusetts) Pediatrics and Family Medicine
  • Stephen Gangemi* ’04 JD (University of Richmond) Vice President and Senior Counsel, Dispute Resolution at Hilton
  • Jennifer (Sizemore) Borofsky ’04 MD (University of Vermont) Internal Medicine
  • Tina Dimitrova ’05 MBA (Duke) Bayer Pharmaceuticals
  • Peter Goff* ’05 MD (Mt Sinai) Radiation Oncologist
  • NIcholas Janson* ’05 Head Cider Maker, Shacksbury Cider
  • Matthew Motley ’05 MD (Albert Einstein) Forensic Psychiatrist
  • Benjamin Zegarelli* ’05 MS in Chemistry (Caltech, Macmillan Group), JD (Yeshiva) Health Care and Life Science Law
  • MIhai Azoitei ’06 PhD in Biochemistry (University of Washington) Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duke Human Vaccine Institute
  • Jonathan Berliner* 06 MD (New York University) Orthopedic Surgeon
  • Rob Hillas ’06 MBA (Tuck) Funder, Plain Vanilla
  • Sumaya Huque* ’06
  • Ming Chen* ’06 PhD in Chemistry (Micalzio Group, Yale, Scripps Florida) Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Pennsylvania, Smith Group) Senior Scientist, Vertex
  • Daniel O’Mara* ’07 MD (Georgetown) Radiologist
  • Scott Schwitz* ’07 MD (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) Emergency Medicine, Clinical Faculty Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
  • Bocar Kante ’07 Business Development at the Citgo Group
  • Matthew Griswold * ’08 MD (Boston University) Emergency Medicine
  • Nicholas Barone ’08 MD (Mt Sinai) Anaesthesiologist
  • Monica Sull ’09 MPH (Brown) New York Department of Health and Mental Hygeine
  • George Burgess ’10 MS in Chemistry (Oregon State University) MS in Environmental Science (Western Washington) Chemistry Instructor at Clackamass Community College
  • Zachary Giustra* ’10 Middlebury College Salutatorian, PhD in Chemistry (Boston College, Liu Group) Postdoctoral Fellow (Uppsala University, Pilarski Group) Organic Chemist at Kebotix
  • Will Tucker ’10 PhD in Chemistry (Wisconsin, Mecozzi Group) Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow (Boston University) Science Teacher, Concord Academy
  • Emily Wang ’10 Treasury Manager at Harman Industries
  • Jesse Keenan* ’10 Business Manager Amptek
  • Jack Terrett* ’11 PhD in Chemistry (Princeton, Macmillan Group) Senior Scientist Genentech
  • Mac Staben* ’11 MA in Political Science (Boston College), MD (Boston University) Resident in Anesthesiology
  • Peter Georgakas ’12 MD (University of Massachusetts) Orthopedic Surgery
  • Michael Ogotu ’12 MBA (Oxon) Vice President BMO Capital Markets
  • Daniel Schiraldi ’13 Dental Student, Touro College of Dental Medicine
  • Travis Stoll* ’13 MD (Baylor) Resident in Orthopedic Surgery
  • Rahul Rakshit* ’15 MS in Chemistry (Gottingen) Consultant Software Engineer
  • Peter Hetzler* ’14 MD (Yale) Resident in Plastic Surgery
  • Bryan Ayers* ’14 MBA, MD (Rochester) Resident in Surgery
  • NIko Lambert ’14
  • Rachel Fowler ’14 MPH (Columbia) Global Health Specialist Canadian Red Cross
  • Mark Isbell* ’15 PhD in Chemical Engineering (Imperial College of London) Consultant, Cambridge Health Care
  • Huaiju Wang* ’15 PhD in Chemistry (Princeton, Knowles Group) Postdoctoral Fellow (Regensburg, Konig Group)
  • NIcholas Blelloch* ’16 PhD in Chemistry (Dartmouth, Mirica Group) Chemist at the EPA
  • Eric Stanton* ’18 Medical Student (Seton Hall)
  • Brendan Wood ’18 Associate at Social Finance
  • Zeest Hassan ’18 Account Manager at Edge Services, Pakistan
  • Peter Dykeman-Bermingham* ’18 PhD Student in Chemistry (North Carolina- Chapel Hill, Knight Group)
  • Noah Wagner-Carlberg* ’18 PhD Student in Chemistry (Columbia, Rovis Group)
  • Sarah Holmes* ’20 PhD Student in Chemistry (Stanford, Cui Group)
  • Bayu Ahmad* ’21 PhD Student in Chemistry (Cornell, Milner Group)
  • Elias Buurma ’21 PhD Student in Chemistry (Johns Hopkins, Fairweather Group)
  • Huiming (Sam) Liang* ’22 Graduate Student in Chemistry, (MIT.Wendlandt Group)
  • Peter Meining ’23 Organic Chemist, Bristol Myers-Squibb
  • Skylar Diamandis* ’23 Graduate Student in Organic Chemistry, Boston College
  • Scott Li ’24 Current MIddlebury Student
  • Manuel Morillo ’23
  • Tobias (Toby) Ziemke ’24 Current Middlebury Student

Also, two non-Middlebury College students have worked in my lab:

  • Craig Burt Middlebury Union High School ’10, Williams College ’14, MS in Chemistry (UC Irvine) Chemistry teacher at Rye Country Day School
  • Emily Byers Smith College ’15 MS in Chemistry (Bucknell, Smith Group) Engineer, Vitro Glass

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