Sophia grew up in southern New Mexico and spent much of her childhood trying (with varied success) to befriend as many of the desert creatures she could find from whiptail lizards to spadefoot toads. Growing up a half hour drive from Hatch, she is a fanatic for green chile and believes nearly every savory dish could benefit from this flawless pepper. Sophia remained in her home town for her undergraduate studies and obtained her BS in Chemistry from New Mexico State University in 2018. During her time at NMSU she worked in the synthetic methodology lab of Prof. William A. Maio, where she developed a fascination with the assembly of molecules by synthesizing non-natural cannabinoid scaffolds.

For graduate school, Sophia joined the stimuli-responsive soft materials lab of Prof. Javier Read de Alaniz in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her PhD studies she developed an excitement towards soft materials and worked on projects that spanned from the rational design of photo- and mechano- responsive molecules to the synthesis and application of biomimetic hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. While living in Santa Barbara, she gained a great appreciation for California's incredible natural beauty. She spent her weekends hiking on the endless trails surrounding the town or backpacking throughout the Sierra Nevadas.

Following completion of her PhD in December 2022, Sophia moved to the Bay Area to conduct postdoctoral research in the supramolecular biomaterials lab of Prof. Eric A. Appel within the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford University. There, she gained complementary expertise in the design and in vivo evaluation of therapeutic biomaterials by developing materials with improved retention time and unique drug delivery mechanisms. Outside of her research at Stanford, Sophia spent her free time playing roller derby with the Bay Area All Stars and Oakland Outlaws.

Sophia joined the Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University in the Fall of 2025 as an assistant professor. Her research program focuses on employing stimuli-responsive bonds within biomaterials for applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biomimicry. In her free time she enjoys hiking and spending time with her two cats: Aurum and Nemean.

Born and raised in Washington State, Lucas’s academic career has so far consisted of a slow journey south down the I-5 corridor. Being first exposed to the wonderful world of chemistry in high school, Lucas quickly dedicated himself to a career path that would guarantee himself as much time in a chemistry lab as he could get. After completing an associate’s degree at his local community college in Edmonds, Lucas transferred to the University of Portland with the expressed goal of participating in undergraduate research wherever he could find it while completing his BS in chemistry.

Within his first semester at UP Lucas joined the lab of Dr. Eugenijus Urnezius, synthesizing organophosphorus ligands for metal coordination and catalysis research. In Dr. U’s lab, Lucas found a strong interest in chemical synthesis, NMR characterization, and all processes involving a heat gun. The following spring, he was recruited by Dr. Daniel Osborne to join his computational group. Being the only synthetic organic chemist in Dr. O’s group, Lucas was tasked with drafting synthetic processes for the proposed drug compounds that were being tested computationally. Here, he developed a genuine interest in complex syntheses and both drug design and delivery. Following a summer REU synthesizing carbon nanoarchitectures in Dr. Penghao Li’s lab at the University of Mississippi, Lucas Graduated from UP at the end of 2024 with a BS in chemistry along with a minor in philosophy as a personal interest.

Joining OSU as a graduate student in the Fall of 2025, Lucas has focused his research on polymer mechanochemistry, leveraging force-responsive bonds for the release of biologically relevant compounds and investigating mechanochemistry as a method of drug delivery. When not ‘playing with the tinkertoys of the universe’, Lucas is often rooting for his favorite Formula 1 racing team (Go Williams!) or working towards his goal of finally organizing his vast Lego collection.

David “Hunter” Sensat grew up on military bases and despite this structured upbringing, he tries to incorporate levity as much as possible in life; even foregoing his more professional name. Hunter has always been interested in creating new things. From building Legos to making new clubs, Hunter has a passion for making thoughts tangible.

Hunter Sensat attended The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), completing a B.S. in Chemistry and Biological Sciences with Honors. While at UAH, Hunter held various student support positions as a tutor and teaching assistant. He also participated in an internship with BASF: Environmental Catalysts and Metal Solutions. There, he was tasked with assisting in the coating of substrates with PGM catalyst slurry for catalytic convertors. Hunter was fortunate to be mentored by several PhD chemists who guided his views on industry as a technical expert and the best ways to approach graduate school as a first-generation student.

During his undergraduate studies, Hunter was able to research under Dr. Carmen Scholz. In the Scholz Lab, he assisted in the synthesis of amino acid derived NCA monomers used in the synthesis of micelle forming block copolymers. As a senior, Hunter dedicated his honors capstone project to functionalizing poly-L-glutamate with various amidating reagents.

Hunter started his PhD in Organic Chemistry at Oregon State University in Fall 2025 and is currently working in the Bailey Lab in hopes of developing new chemistries for dynamic polymer networks. He is most excited about developing as a professional scientist, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and making conceptual polymers a reality.

Nicole grew up in Portland, Oregon, and has enjoyed exploring the Pacific Northwest with her family through hikes and road trips. She is an undergraduate student at Oregon State University majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and hopes to pursue a career in medicine. Her passion for science began in high school, where her first courses in chemistry and biology sparked a lasting interest in the field. Nicole is excited to engage in undergraduate research at the Bailey Lab, where she will be running and optimizing polymerization reactions. She looks forward to developing her technical skills, collaborating with others, and contributing to the advancement of this research project.

Originally born in China, MeiLi was adopted into Salem, Oregon at a young age, where she spent her childhood enjoying the joys of life while happily attempting to jump into every nearby body of water. She was inspired to pursue medicine by her medically fragile younger siblings, and quickly became fascinated by the intersection of medicine and science. Despite her love of travel, she ended up moving only 40 miles south to Oregon State University to pursue a Chemistry major with a pre-medicine focus. MeiLi is now enjoying learning new synthesis pathways in the Bailey Lab to assist with a project exploring mechanophores. She looks forward to building her skills in chemistry that she hopes to apply one day in medicine!

Brooke grew up in Whitefish, Montana spending every moment outside engaging in activities from hiking to skiing before ultimately enrolling at Oregon State University in September of 2024 as a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology undergraduate student. Her interest in science began at a young age when she became curious about the world around her, and her passion was solidified when she enrolled in biology and chemistry classes in high school. In the Bailey Lab, Brooke is excited to engage in undergraduate research to not only learn about science in a different way, but to also gain critical thinking and analytical skills. In the future, Brooke hopes to pursue a career in emergency medicine.

Bryn was born and raised in Medford, Oregon, a quiet valley with a diverse landscape of forests, mountains, and vineyards. Bryn enjoyed playing the cello, and sports like volleyball and basketball, but most of all she relished the opportunity to engage in school up until her graduation with a community of friends whom she had known since kindergarten. The opportunity of studying and gaining an undergraduate education at Oregon State University was exciting, as it allowed Bryn to remain close to home while also pursuing a degree in Chemistry at a premier university in the Pacific Northwest. Bryn is extremely interested in molecular interactions and performing synthesis reactions, all of which she will be able to practice in the Bailey lab. Bryn is hoping to use the skills that she learns to pursue a career in medicine or chemical research.