Group Members
CURRENT MEMBERS
Graduate Students:
Shanelle O'Connor - MSc Student
Shanelle obtained her BSc from the University of Saskatchewan and joined the research group in Winter 2026. Her research is focused on the synthesis and design of conjugated soft materials.
Grace Pollon - MSc Student
Grace obtained her degree from Oklahoma City University in 2025 and joined the research group in Winter 2026. While attending Oklahoma City University, Grace was a member of the Women's Softball team. Her research focuses on developing new methodologies for the synthesis of aromatic ketones.
Shawn Waugh - MSc Student
Shawn obtained his BSc from the University of Regina in 2022, then joined the workforce for several years. He returned to join the lab in Fall 2025. His research focuses on the synthesis of luminescent oligomers and macrocycles.
Jenna Merk - MSc student
Jenna obtained her BSc from the University of Regina in Winter 2022, then chose to stick around for an MSc. Jenna was a member of the University of Regina Cougars Women's Hockey team serving as captain in her final season. As a graduate student-athlete, Jenna was awarded the Canada West Student-Athlete Community Service Award and the University of Regina President's Award. Her research is focused on the synthesis of luminescent molecular liquids and other PAH-based soft materials.
Undergraduate Students:
Jordyn Gunderson
Jordyn joins the lab as a summer NSERC USRA student for 2026. Jordyn's research focuses on the bottom-up synthesis of larger, extended PAH systems. Jordyn was also an NSERC USRA in the summers of 2024 and 2025.
Riley Waugh
Riley joins the lab as a University of Regina Undergraduate Research Award (UGRA) winner for the summer 2026. Riley's research is focused on the synthesis of truxene-based materials.
Lina Reschke
Lina joins the lab as a summer NSERC USRA student for 2026. Lina's research is focused on the synthesis of twisted fluorescent molecules and polymers. Lina got her start in the lab as a participant of the Open Research Lab (ORL) experience. Lina was also an NSERC USRA in the summer of 2025.
Jazmin Lopez
Jazmin joins the lab as a MITACS Globalink intern in Summer 2026 from the University of Sonora in Mexico
Aya Drissi
Aya joins the lab as a MITACS Globalink intern in Summer 2026 from the University of Toulouse in France.
Lab Volunteers:
Dhimitri Stoja Pavit Panesar Le Nguyen Sofiia Baranovska
FORMER MEMBERS:
Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Majekodunmi
Tobi joines the lab as a summer NSERC USRA student in 2025. Tobi's research focused on the synthesis of flexible luminescent macrocyclic molecules. Tobi got her start in the lab as a participant of the Open Research Lab (ORL) experience.
Valeriia Kovbasa
Valeriia joins the lab for a MITACS Globalink Research Internship over 12 weeks from July-September 2024. Her research is focused on the synthesis of small cyclophanes.
Dmytro Semenets
Dmytro joins the lab for a MITACS Globalink Research Internship over 12 weeks from July-September 2024. His research is focused on developing computational organic chemistry capabilities for out research lab.
Lars Pitka
Lars is an undergraduate science student at the University of Regina. He's interested in learning about organic synthesis and is volunteering/learning the ropes in the lab over summer 2024.
