PARK RESEARCH GROUP
Where Chemistry Meets Your Imagination to Create Impacts
synthesis∙ materials chemistry∙ nanoscience
Current Members
Principal Investigator
Jihye Park, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Jihye moved from South Korea to pursue her PhD in Chemistry at Texas A&M University under the guidance of Prof. Hong-Cai Zhou. After 4 years in Texas, she started her postdoctoral research at Stanford University in the laboratory of Prof. Zhenan Bao. Jihye loves skiing, woodworking, playing tennis, and experimenting with coffee roasting.
Awards and Honors
2024 | Outstanding Postdoc Mentor of the Year Award
2024 | Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program (ONR YIP) Award
2024 | ACS PMSE Early Investigator Award
2023 | CU College of Arts & Science ASSETT Innovation Incubator Award
2023 | Hanwha-TotalEnergies Non-Tenured Faculty Award
2022 | KSEA Young Investigator Grant
2022 | Marinus Smith Award for Teaching/Mentoring
2016–2018 | Camille & Henry Dreyfus Postdoctoral Fellow
2017 | ACS Inorganic Young Investigator Award
2016 | Dow Chemical Company Charlene Black Miller ’79 Endowed Memorial Fellow
2015 | Eastman Chemical Travel Award
2012–2013 | Welch Foundation International Fellow
2009–2011 | Fulbright & GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Fellow
Graduate Students
Hoai (Bao) Pham
CHEM PhD Student (Y5)
NSF GRFP Fellow
Group joined in Nov. 2020
Education
BS in Chemistry, University of Colorado-Denver, CO, 2019
Hobbies
Travel, Cooking, Watching movies, and Listening to music
Charlie Lu
CHEM PhD Student (Y4)
Group joined in Jun 2022
Education
BS in Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, OH, 2021
Hobbies
Travel, Baking and Video games (maybe running huge manual columns also)
Kathryn Bairley
MSE PhD Student (Y2)
Group joined in Dec 2023
Education
BS in Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Tech, GA, 2023
Hobbies
Crocheting, Hiking, and Coffee
Joe Santarelli
CHEM PhD Student (Y2)
Group joined in Dec 2023
Education
BS & MS in Chemistry, Illinois State University, IL, 2021 & 2023
Hobbies
Cooking, Snowboarding, Cycling, and Playing with my dog (Murph)
Brianna Check
CHEM PhD Student (Y4)
NSF GRFP Fellow
Group joined in Oct. 2021
Education
BS in Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, WI, 2021
Hobbies
Cooking, Road trips, Swimming, and Arts and crafts
Benjamin Clayville
MSE PhD Student (Y4)
Group joined in Sep. 2021
Education
BS in Chemistry, Texas A&M University, TX, 2021
Hobbies
Running, Skiing, Fishing, Swimming, Reading, and Playing golf
Liam Warren
CHEM PhD Student (Y2)
Group joined in Dec 2023
Education
BS in Chemistry (Summa Cum Laude) and Chinese Language and Culture, Beloit College, WI, 2023
Hobbies
Reading, Hiking, Snowboarding, Ultimate Frisbee and Watching Sports
Ana Curry
CHEM PhD Student (Y1)
Group joined in Jan 2025
Education
BS in Chemistry, Wheaton College, MA, 2024
Hobbies
Swimming, Hiking, Climbing, and Watching TV
Postdocs
Ji Yong Choi, PhD
NRF of Korea Postdoctoral Fellow
Group joined in July 2020
Education
PhD in Chemistry, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), KR, 2019
BS in Chemistry, KAIST, KR, 2013
Hobbies
Workout, Walking, and Netflix
Undergraduate Students
Gavin Lopez
Undergraduate Student
Group joined in July 2023
Education
BA in Chemistry, BS in Mechanical Engineering, CU Boulder, Expected 2026
Hobbies
Skiing, mountain biking, video games, traveling, baking, and coffee
Grant Onaitis
Undergraduate Student
Group joined in Aug 2024
Education
BA in CHEM, CU Boulder, Expected 2027
Hobbies
Snowboarding and and other outdoor activities
Jaideep Jassal
Undergraduate Student
Group joined in Feb 2024
Education
BA in Integrative Physiology (Pre-Med), Expected 2026
Hobbies
Working out, basketball, video games
Sam Spotts
Undergraduate Student
Group joined in June 2023
Education
BA in Chemistry, CU Boulder, Expected 2027
Hobbies
Playing Guitar, Poetry, Literature
Luke Silverman
Undergraduate Student
Group joined in Mar 2025
Education
BA in CHEM, CU Boulder, Expected 2027
Hobbies
Skiing, listening to music
Visiting Scholars
Four-Legged Furry Friends
Linker
Shetland Sheepdog, Lab Dog
Social Distancing Reinforcer
Leila
Belgian Tervuren, Dog Niece
Leila first met Jihye in her Stanford time
