I grew up in Vilnius, Lithuania, where my curiosity for science began to take shape. In 2012, I earned my BSc in Physics from Vilnius University, during which time I became captivated by the potential of using light in biomedicine. This has led me to join an international Erasmus Mundus Europhotonics master’s program. I studied at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and Université d’Aix-Marseille (France), ultimately earning my MSc in Optics and Photonics in 2014.

In 2015, I made what proved to be a transformative move to Montréal, Canada, to join Prof. Fiorenzo Vetrone’s group at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique. Over the next five years of my doctoral studies in Materials Science, I discovered my passion for lanthanide-doped nanomaterials, which set the course for my academic career.

My postdoctoral research, which began amidst the pandemic in 2020, was supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship. This opportunity allowed me to work with Prof. Daniel Jaque at the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain) and Dr. Emory Chan at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (CA, USA). During this time, I was able to deepen my expertise and broaden my perspective on the use of optical nanomaterials.

In 2024, I joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University. At OSU, I lead a research group dedicated to developing cutting-edge optical nanomaterials for transformative applications.

Outside the lab and classroom, you’ll often find me exploring the great outdoors—whether hiking, climbing, or simply relaxing at home with my family.

Hello! My name is Abigale, but I mostly go by Abbie, and I am from Ottawa, Canada.

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Chemistry and, more specifically, in the field of Materials Science.

I have my Honour's Bachelor of Science with a double major in chemistry and biology for health science from the University of Toronto.

What excites me most about research is getting to see a full scientific study through until the end. Starting with conceptualization and then synthesis and characterization and analysis, all the way through to confirming hypothesis and possibly discovering a new relationship between variables. I am also a big fan of the actual synthesis part of research and the enjoyment you get when you see the final product that you made yourself from basic elements.

Outside of school, I enjoy attending live music concerts and watching football (Go Lions!). I am from Canada, so I enjoy winter activities, such as playing hockey on the outdoor rink and building snow forts with my friends and family.

I was born and grew up in Yangzhou, an old and beautiful city located in eastern China.

Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in Materials Chemistry at Oregon State University. Before I came to Corvallis, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Material Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China and my Master of Science in Material Science and Engineering from the University of Washington.

My research focuses on luminescent nanomaterials and the related light-matter interaction mechanisms. I am excited to dive deeper and investigate how these interactions give rise to some novel optical properties. Through my research, I hope to contribute to the development of innovative optical materials with versatile applications.

Outside the lab and the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, reading, and soccer.

My name is Kaylee. I was born in a small town in Colorado and raised in Washington state. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Colorado State University Pueblo, where I developed a passion for studying the optical and electronic properties of inorganic materials.

I love being in the lab and exploring new materials while surrounding myself with people who are just as curious about science as I am. Outside of campus, you can usually find me listening to music, spending time with my cat Mochi, cooking (because once a chemist, always experimenting), or painting my nails, because you can analyze band gaps and still love a good manicure.

I’m currently pursuing my PhD in materials chemistry at Oregon State University, and I’m excited to focus on understanding and tuning structure–property relationships in inorganic materials!

I am from Portland, Oregon, and I am a Biochemistry and Biophysics major, with an option in neuroscience. I love chemistry, and research is exciting because it has the potential to contribute new information to the field, which I think is a really unique opportunity; I am also excited to learn about specific laboratory techniques relating to nanocrystal synthesis. Outside of school, I love to draw, listen to music, and spend time with my friends.

I am from Auburn, Washington (just a little southeast of Seattle), and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. I love the idea of discovering new things; in a world that is so saturated with knowledge, being one of the first people to know something is truly exhilarating. Outside of school, you will usually find me watching movies or melting sterling silver scrap for my next silversmithing project.