Bercovici Research
About Us
Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Research at Cal Poly
Cal Poly's "Learn by Doing" is exemplified in the excellent research done by our team of undergraduate chemists. Since 2016, our group has had a total of 60 members, and all have contributed meaningful results to our research projects.
Meet The Team
Dan Bercovici
Assistant Professor
Ph.D.: University of Vermont
B.Sc.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Favorite Lab Technique: TLC
Danilo Alamillo
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: Column Chromatography
Erin Ituralde
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: 2D NMR
Jonathan "Joneaux" Moore
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: Azeotropic Distillation
Jake Bellamah
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: TLC
Sonia Patil
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: NMR Spectroscopy
Shawn Larson
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2026
Favorite Lab Technique: Titration
Michael Cunningham
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
Favorite Lab Technique: Column Chromatography
Adam Schulte
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Favorite Lab Technique: 2D-NMR
Simran Singh
Major: Biochemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Favorite Lab Technique: Extraction
Dylan Katz
Major: Kinesiology
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
Favorite Lab Technique: Column Chromatography
Kalen Ramirez
Major: Chemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2027
Favorite Lab Technique: NMR
Hannah Bowman
Major: Biology
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
Favorite Lab Technique: NMR
Remy Kageff
Major: Biochemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2029
Favorite Lab Technique: Rotary-Evaporation
Brynn Gray
Major: Biochemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2029
Favorite Lab Technique: Rotary Evaporation
Emma Van De Velde
Major: Biochemistry
Expected Graduation: Spring 2028
Favorite Lab Technique: NMR
Former Team Members
Hannah Gamsaragan
Graduated: Fall 2025
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Applying to graduate schools
Ashley Freeman
Graduated: Spring 2025
Major: Chemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student Univ. of Montana
Maya Frey
Graduated: Spring 2025
Major: Chemistry
Currently: E&J Gallo Winery
Scott Borchers
Graduated: Spring 2025
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Job hunting
Jacob Landa
Graduated: TBD
Major: Biochemistry
Currently:
Quinn Williams
Graduated: Spring 2024
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at University of Denver
Gisele Guerrero
Graduated: Spring 2024
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UCSD/SDSU
Joaquin Gonzalez
Graduated: Spring 2024
Major: Biology
Currently: Preparing Med School Applications
Trevor Reynafarje
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UC, Santa Barbara
Cameron McMullen
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UC, Davis
Cameron Fleischer
Graduated: Winter 2023
Major: Biochemistry & Biology
Currently: Master's Student at CSULB
Scott L'Heureux
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Chemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UC, Santa Barbara
Madison Irons
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Biochemistry
Currently:
Spencer Thurman
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Biology
Currently: Masters in BMed Eng at Cal Poly
Julia Soeller
Graduating: Spring 2024
Major: Biology
Currently: UCLA Law School
Josephine Gordon
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Chemistry
Currently: +1 Masters in Polymers and Coatings at CP
Lily Nielsen
Graduating: Spring 2024
Major: Biology
Currently: Still at Cal Poly
Ava Henry
Graduated: Spring 2022
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UC, San Diego
Elizabeth McDonough
Graduated: Spring 2022
Major: Chemistry
Currently: Polycoat Products, Los Angeles, CA
Jerry Sheng
Graduated: Spring 2022
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Master's Student, San Francisco State Univ.
Julia Munson
Graduated: Winter 2022
Major: Chemistry
Currently: Working at Biotium, Inc.
Gretchen Bigelow
Graduated: Spring 2022
Major: Chemistry
Currently: EMT in CA
Ty Cecil
Graduated: Spring 2022
Major: Boichemistry
Currently:
Abby Richardson
Graduated: Fall 2021
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student - University of Manchester, UK
Erica Medhurst
Graduated: Fall 2021
Major: Chemistry
Currently: "Figuring out my next step"
Evan Holtz
Graduated: Spring 2018
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Science Teacher, Paso Robles HS
Michael DiMartino
Graduated: Spring 2020 (Univ. of Pennsylvania)
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: M.D./Ph.D. Student - USC, CA
Bailey Wong
Graduated: Spring 2019
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student at UC, Davis
Michelle Luu
Graduated: Spring 2023
Major: Biochemistry
Currently:
Dominique Tartar
Graduated: Spring 2019
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: working at Origin Materials in Davis, CA
Denzel Ayala
Graduated: Spring 2018
Major: Chemistry
Currently: Ph.D. Student (Physics) at Univ. at Buffalo, NY
Cole Pajunen
Graduated: Spring 2018
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Forensic Toxicologist - Madison , WI
David Malouf
Graduated: Winter 2019
Major: Biology
Currently: Marshall B. Ketchum, Southern California School of Optometry
Angel Canales
Graduated: Spring 2021
Major: Biochemistry
Currently: Brightseed Inc., San Francisco, CA
Lauren Chavez
Graduated: Spring 2019
Major: Animal Sciences
Currently: working at Merck
Ryan Rhodes
Graduated: Spring 2018
Major: Biochemistry
Currently:
Keemia Khamnei
Graduated: Spring 2018
Major: Biochemistry
Currently:
Former Group Members who were camera-shy
-
Rose Hittle
-
Andres Hinojosa
-
Ryan Behnke
-
Simone Eggerton
-
Caitlin Tan
-
Dean Boswell
-
Taylor Bustamante
-
Kaitlyn Le