Workshops
All attendees are scheduled for one half-day workshop developed by COACh (https://coach.uoregon.edu/domestic-workshops/) This workshop focuses on Negotiation.
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Attendees rank their choice of breakout sessions during registration.
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Workshops
All attendees are scheduled for one half-day workshop developed by COACh (https://coach.uoregon.edu/domestic-workshops/) This workshop focuses on Negotiation.
​
Attendees rank their choice of breakout sessions during registration.
​
​
​
Workshops
All attendees are scheduled for one half-day workshop developed by COACh (https://coach.uoregon.edu/domestic-workshops/) This workshop focuses on Negotiation.
​
Attendees rank their choice of breakout sessions during registration.
​
​
​
Midwest Retreat for Pathways in Chemistry
June 19-21, 2026 | Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Industry Mentors
Atreyee Mukhopadhyay
Buckman International
Atreyee Mukhopadhyay is a Research and Development Scientist at Buckman International in Memphis, Tennessee. Her work centers on developing sustainable polymer alternatives to plastics and advancing barrier coating technologies. She earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Iowa State University, under the mentorship of Dr. Arthur Winter.
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Outside of the lab and her professional work, she is an avid traveler, a passionate Indian classical dance performer, and a book lover who enjoys quiet moments curled up with a good read.
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At MWRPC 2026, she aims to share her journey from navigating life as an international graduate student to becoming an industrial scientist, while offering guidance and encouragement to graduate students and early career researchers as they pursue their own goals.
Madeleine Henley
Foghorn Therapeutics
Madeleine (Maddy) Henley, Ph.D. is a biochemist with four years of experience in the biotechnology industry. Maddy is currently a Senior Scientist at Foghorn Therapeutics, where she develops assays to discover and characterize small molecules that induce degradation of challenging therapeutic targets. She has experience as both a bench scientist and manager, and has lots to say about the importance of soft skills in the industry.
Maddy got her start in synthetic organic chemistry as an undergraduate researcher at the University of Minnesota. After receiving her B.A. in Chemistry, she moved to the University of Michigan for her doctoral degree, where she spent four years using biophysical methods to understand protein-protein interactions involved in transcriptional regulation. Maddy then spent two years as an NIH postdoctoral fellow at MIT, where she worked on drugging oncogenic fusion proteins by developing small molecules to degrade them.
Alex Shannon
AbbVie
Dr. Alex Shannon is a Senior Scientist in AbbVie’s Chemical Biology and Mass Spectrometry Technologies group in North Chicago, IL, where he applies chemoproteomic strategies to support target identification, target engagement, and selectivity profiling for small molecules. Over the past 10 years at AbbVie, he has contributed to programs spanning the full pipeline, from early discovery through clinical and commercial assets.
Alex holds dual B.S. degrees in chemistry and computer science from Clarkson University. Prior to graduate school, he spent three years in Analytical Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, where he assessed API purity for late-stage compounds. His graduate training focused on the development and characterization of covalent probes for activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) with Professor Eranthie Weerapana at Boston College. At AbbVie, Alex has continued to expand his expertise across both covalent and non-covalent modalities, supporting probe-based and probe-independent proteomic workflows including photoaffinity labeling (PAL), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA®), proximity labeling, and related approaches. He has also overseen the implementation of new LC-MS instrumentation and data analysis pipelines as the available technologies have evolved.
In addition to his scientific work, Alex is committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists. He volunteers with the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition, mentoring high school students as they tackle their first independent research projects. At both Clarkson University and Boston College, Alex sought out extra teaching opportunities and was the recipient of the 2012 Donald J. White Teaching Excellence Award.
Government & Non-Traditional Career Mentors
Racquel Jemison
Office of Inclusion and Belonging at American Chemical Society (ACS)
Racquel Jemison is currently the Interim Vice President for the Office of Inclusion and Belonging at the American Chemical Society (ACS). In that role, she works with a team on multiple programs that support staff, members, and governance. Racquel has worked at ACS for nine years, starting in 2016 with the management of undergraduate and high school scholarship and summer STEM research programs in the Education and Career Development Unit before moving to the Office of Inclusion and Belonging in March 2021.
Racquel received her bachelor's in chemistry from Morgan State University, an Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD. After a summer internship with Rohm and Haas Chemicals, she then earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Racquel's first role was with Dow Chemical in the Philadelphia, PA suburbs working in Core Research and Development. After several years, she then moved to ACS to pursue a more people-focused career in the non-profit space. There, Racquel can marry her love for chemistry with her passion for helping people.
Racquel is based in Arlington, VA, just outside Washington, DC with her husband. She loves cooking, particularly hosting brunch for family and friends.
Kate Biberdorf
(Kate the Chemist)
University of Notre Dame
Dr. Kate Biberdorf is a chemist, science entertainer, and professor at Notre Dame. Through her theatrical and hands-on approach to teaching, Dr. Biberdorf is breaking down the image of the stereotypical scientist, while reaching students who might otherwise be intimidated by science. As the first Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Notre Dame, Dr. Biberdorf uses fire and explosions to highlight and amplify the groundbreaking science happening on campus.
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She is the author of the bestseller The Big Book of Experiments, The Awesome Book of Edible Experiments for Kids, the fiction series Kate the Chemist, and the nonfiction book It's Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything. She's been profiled in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, and appeared on The Today Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, NBC Nightly News, The Rachael Ray Show, StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Dr. Biberdorf is the proud host of Seeking A Scientist, a podcast where science fiction meets reality,
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Dr. Biberdorf and her husband, Josh, split their time between South Bend Indiana and Austin Texas.
Frédéric Perras
Ames National Laboratory
Frédéric Perras is a staff scientist and group leader at Ames National Laboratory and further holds an adjunct associate professorship at Iowa State University in the Department of Chemistry. He obtained his BSc (2010) and PhD (2015) from the University of Ottawa under the guidance of Prof. David L. Bryce followed by Spedding and Banting postdoctoral fellowships at Ames National laboratory with Prof. Marek Pruski. His research group focuses on the development and application of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and dynamic nuclear polarization methods for the study of atomic-scale structure in heterogeneous catalysts and materials. He is the Recipient of the 2015 IUPAC-Solvay Award for Young Chemists, the 2016 Raymond Andrew Prize, the DOE Early Career Award, and the 2023 Caldarelli Prize.
Academic Mentors
Robbyn Arnand
Iowa State University
Dr. Anand is the Founder of the Midwest Retreat for Pathways in Chemistry and a Professor of Chemistry at Iowa State University. She established the Retreat to help graduate-level chemists explore diverse career pathways through meaningful mentorship and candid conversation.
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With a strong commitment to professional development, Dr. Anand leads a research program focused on electrokinetic separations and electrochemical sensors, mentors students at all stages of training, and creates opportunities for emerging scientists to build the skills and confidence needed for long-term success. Through MWRPC, she works to foster thoughtful dialogue about career decision-making, leadership, and building fulfilling careers across academia, industry, government, and beyond.
Evan Couzo
Grinnell College
Evan Couzo is an environmental and atmospheric scientist. His research interests cover a broad range of air quality issues from pollutant formation and public health to regulatory decision-making and climate change. Evan's projects use sophisticated computer models and atmospheric measurements to understand air pollution risks at local, regional, and global scales. Outside of his lab, Evan is at home in the classroom and is a passionate advocate for the undergraduate liberal arts experience.
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In a previous life, Evan taught middle school math in the Mississippi Delta as a member of the Mississippi Teacher Corps. He enjoys hiking with his dog, cooking, traveling, reading, and other activities that make him seem interesting and well-rounded.
Erick S. Vasquez-Guardado
University of Dayton
Erick S. Vasquez-Guardado, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Dayton, advances water purification, pathogen detection and elimination, and other real-world challenges through research in sustainable magnetic nanomaterials. Originally from El Salvador, he holds degrees from Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, Clemson University, and Mississippi State University. Dr. Vasquez’s externally funded research, supported by NSF, USDA-NIFA, AFRL, and others, has produced over 35 peer-reviewed publications and earned national recognition in materials science for addressing societal needs.
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Dr. Vasquez is a leader in engineering education. Recipient of the 2025 University of Dayton Teaching Award and multiple teaching honors, he prepares students for real-world problem-solving through hands-on experimentation, computational modeling, global collaboration, and entrepreneurial learning. Through inclusive mentoring and community projects, he has guided many undergraduate and graduate researchers to academic and professional success. His mission is to advance sustainable nanotechnologies and empower globally minded students to address societal challenges.
Brittany Morgan
University of Notre Dame
Brittany Morgan is the John V. O’Connor Assistant Professor of Cancer Drug Discovery in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame. Her research group aims to discover the molecular recognition rules for the covalent targeting dynamic and/or disordered regions in RNA and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs); two classes of macromolecules with substantial therapeutic importance. Brittany earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Duke University. During her Ph.D. with Prof. Amanda Hargrove, she elucidated RNA privileged small molecule features and utilized the properties to rationally design several first-in-kind RNA-targeted libraries. She then moved to the University of Michigan as the Michigan May-Walt Life Sciences and NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Anna Mapp. There, she developed one of the first molecular recognition frameworks for the small molecule targeting of transcription factors.
Brittany has received many awards, including most recently the NIH MIRA and the Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface, a faculty transition award. She is also the recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, NIH T32 and F32, and Michigan Life Sciences Fellowship. In addition to her research accomplishments, Brittany has been recognized for her dedication to mentoring, outreach, and service with several awards.