The drover group
WESTERN UNIVERSITY, London, ON
GROUP - SUMMER 2025
GRADUATE TEAM memberS:
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Brady Austen (G5)
BSc Hons., University of Windsor [email protected] Twitter: @AustenBrady Ph.D. Candidate NSERC PGS-D3 Recipient Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Recipient CIC AURIC Award Winner New Energy Research Prize Awardee Hi! Im Brady, and I completed my B.Sc. (hons.) in chemistry focusing on cooperative reactivity between metals and their bound ligands at the University of Windsor with Dr. Drover. I am currently in my 4th year with the Drover lab and it has been an amazing experience. During my Ph.D. in the Drover lab I am focusing on Ni transition metal complexes to leverage metal-ligand cooperativity to activate small molecules and substrates. Overall, I have had an amazing time in the Drover Lab. When I’m not in the lab I enjoy watching movies and T.V. shows or a good baseball game! |
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Gabriel Jobin (G4)
BSc Hons., Wilfrid Laurier University [email protected] Twitter: @gabe_jobin Ph.D. Candidate NSERC CGS-M/CGRS-D Recipient Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Recipient CSC Silver Medal (Honours Chemistry and Math) My name is Gabe, and I hold a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Wilfrid Laurier University, where I conducted undergraduate research on coordination chemistry and crystallography under Dr. Louise Dawe. I enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to pursue further studies. In 2022, I joined the Drover group, initially at the University of Windsor, and later relocated with the group to Western University. My research focuses on exploring intramolecular interactions between transition metals and Lewis acids to tackle challenging small molecule activations and valuable chemical transformations. I'm particularly interested in developing routes to introduce and utilize aluminum in these synergistic pairings. Outside of the lab, you can find me watching movies, exercising, and dominating in fantasy football. |
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A. Dina Dilinaer (G3)
BSc Hons., University of Windsor [email protected] Twitter: @DinaGheyret Ph.D. Candidate CSC Silver Medal (Honours Chemistry) Board of Governors Medal in Chemistry & Biochemistry Going Above and Beyond in Research Award Canadian Society for Chemistry Prize Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada Studentship Outstanding Scholars Scholarship Hi! My name is Dina and I am a PhD candidate in the Drover Group, currently in the second year of my studies. I have completed my B.Sc. in Honours Chemistry with Thesis at the University of Windsor under the supervision of Dr. John Trant, and I was an organic chemist for 5 years. But, it’s never too late to try something new, therefore I’ve decided to join the Drover Group and become an inorganic/organometallic chemist! I love understanding the mechanism behind how reactions work, and I would like to either develop new methodologies for fluorination or conduct mechanistic studies on existing fluorination strategies. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, visual art, poetry, and trying new things. |
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Paola Noriega (G2)
BSc Hons., University of Windsor [email protected] Ph.D. Student Hi, I am Paola! I reached out to Prof. Drover in 2019 but due to the chaos of Covid-19 I couldn’t fully join the lab until 2022. I have been with the Drover group since, and in that time, I have occupied several roles. I have been a volunteer, an honours thesis student, a research assistant and, most recently, I decided to add PhD student to the list. So, as you can imagine, I will be around for a few more years. This progression was only possible because of my growing passion for organometallic chemistry, instilled in me by the group. It’s like playing with Lego®! If you can’t find me in the lab, I’m either taking NMR or at a café with friends. |
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Quentin Lepeintre (G2)
[email protected] Ph.D. Student (joint w/ A. Simmoneau, Toulouse, France) Bonjour ! My name is Quentin and I completed my Master degree in chemistry at the University of Toulouse (France). I studied chemistry with the goal of becoming a teacher and now I’m peaking a strong interest to research which led me to start a Ph.D in France under the supervision of Dr. Simonneau Antoine and Pr. Marcus W. Drover. My research focuses on the synthesis of manganese catalysts for the activation and reduction of dinitrogen in ammonia. I also work on ligands that can have an influence on the second coordination sphere and study their properties towards N2. If you can’t find me in the lab, I’m either out there visiting Canada, playing games or watching a TV show on my computer. |
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Emily Addison (G2)
BSc Hons., University of Windsor Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Recipient [email protected] M.Sc. Student Hi, I'm Emily! Before joining the Drover group at Western, I studied Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Windsor. While studying in my undergraduate degree I found a passion in chemistry, and I am excited to explore that in my master's degree! If I am not in the lab I am probably either reading or paddle boarding on the lake! |
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Logan Taylor (G1)
BSc Hons., Western University NSERC CGRS-M Recipient NSERC-USRA (2024/25) [email protected] M.Sc. Student Hi! My name is Logan and I’m currently an NSERC summer student here in the Drover group. After the Summer is over, I will begin my masters, also in the Drover group! This past year I did my 4491 Thesis project with the Drover group at Western University where I focused on Iron based chemistry. Chemistry has always been a passion of mine, as it offers the freedom to explore something you don’t understand and work towards a solution - often developing various new skills along the way! Outside of chemistry for fun I enjoy going to the gym, spending time with friends, and singing (poorly)! |
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Anbang Wang (G1)
BSc Hons., University of Toronto, Mississauga [email protected] Ph.D. Student Hi my name is Anbang and I'm in my first year of pursuing my PhD degree with Dr. Drover. I did my undergrad with Dr. Ulrich Fekl at the University of Toronto, Mississauga on the topics of co-crystal synthesis and crystallography. I always wanted to do organometallic chemistry and Dr. Drover's research was of great interest to me. Aside from chemistry - I like rockets, spacecrafts and space sciences, I'm also into PC gaming! |
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Sanda Salic (G1)
BSc Hons., Unviersity of Waterloo [email protected] M.Sc. Student Hi! I’m Sandra and I completed my B.Scin Biochemistry at the University of Waterloo. After taking some inorganic classes in my 3rd year, I realized how much I had enjoyed it and decided that it was a topic I wanted to continue learning about. Soon I joined Dr. Sonny Lee's research group as a 4th year undergraduate thesis student where we studied nitrogenase. After completing that, I joined the Drover lab as an M.Scstudent to continue doing research in inorganic chemistry. Outside of the lab, I like discovering new music/bands, going to concerts, and watching horror movies! |
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UNDERGRADUATE TEAM members:
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Alex Almeida
BSc Hons. Western University [email protected] Hi, my name is Alex, and I am in my final year of undergrad currently working to complete my Honours Specialization degree in Chemistry. Since my second year here at Western, I found that I really enjoyed organic/inorganic chemistry and synthesis which led me to do my thesis project with the Drover group. The project I am working on is about iron-based chemistry. Outside of school I love playing soccer, travelling, going to the gym and being with my family and friends. |
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FORMER TEAM members:
Postdoctoral Researchers:
- Dr. Moulika Bhattacharyya, 2020-2021, Presently: Assistant Professor, Dayananda Sagar University
- Dr. Pawan Kumar, 2022-2023, Presently: Research Associate, Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork
- Dr. Suman Debnath, 2022-2023, Presently: PDF, Hooper Group, University College Dublin
- Dr. Marissa Clapson, 2022-2024, Presently: Assistant Professor, University of Prince Edward Island
- Dr. Kurt Hoffmann, 2023-2024, Presently: PDF, Gates Group, University of British Columbia
- Dr. Pavan Mandapati, 2024-2025, Presently: PDF, Fogg Group, UOttawa
- Joseph Zurakowski, PhD, 2020-2025, Presently: PDF, Levin Group, University of Chicago
- Mitchell Demchuk, MSc, 2022-2024, Presently: PhD Student, Hudson Group, University of British Columbia
- Dante Conflitti, MSc Student, 2022, Presently: UWindsor Engineering
- Leah Webster, Imperial College (Chadwick Group), Summer 2022, MITACS UKRI Scholar, Presently: PDF, Webster Group, University of Cambridge
- Devon Facchinato, BSc Cornell, 2021-2022 Presently: Medical Student, UofT Medicine
- Paola Noriega, BSc Windsor, 2023-2024 Presently: PhD Student, Drover Group, Western Chemistry
- Brady Austen, 2020, Presently: PhD Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Mitchell Demchuk, 2021, Presently: PhD Student, Hudson Group, University of British Columbia
- Harvey Sharma, 2022, Presently: Medical Student, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Paola Noriega, 2022, Presently: PhD Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Connor Durfy, 2023, Presently: PhD Student, Nichols Group, University of British Columbia
- Kristen Perry, 2023, , Presently: PhD Student, Seferos Group, University of Toronto
- Logan Taylor, 2024, Presently: MSc Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Connor Durfy, 2022, Presently: PhD Student, Nichols Group, University of British Columbia
- Trisha Lanaque, 2023, University of Calgary [USRA], Presently: Medical Assistant Program, UCalgary
- Connor White, 2023, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Presently: Andrologist, Olive Fertility
- Jaelyn Bjornerud-Brown, Presently: PhD Student, Mehrkodavandi Group, University of British Columbia
- Michelle Huang, 2024, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Presently: Continuing Undergraduate Education
- Elizabeth McKenzie, 2025, University of British Columbia, Okanagan [USRA], Presently: Continuing Undergraduate Education
- Salomé Luce, 2022, ESPCI (France), Presently: PhD Student, ESPCI-Paris PSL
- Nilarun Koley, 2023, IIT Bombay (India), Presently: PhD Student, University Texas at Austin
- Ryan Wiebold, 2024, Georgia Tech (USA), Presently: Applying to Graduate School
- Daniel Murchie, 2024, Nottingham (UK), Presently: Applying to Graduate School
- Joshua Manalang, 2025, Nottingham (UK), Presently: Continuing Undergraduate Education
- Maeve Dufour, IGNITE Scholar, 2020-2021, Presently: Graduate Student, Kerr Group, Western University
- Lindsay Lesperance-Nantau, IGNITE Scholar, 2020-2021, Presently: Graduate Student, Carmichael Group, UWindsor
- Kyle Pearcy, Volunteer 2020, Presently: Environmental Technician, SGS Burnaby
- Paola Noriega, Volunteer 2019-2020, Presently: PhD Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Kasey Brown, Outstanding Scholar, 2019-2020 - Presently: B.Ed. Student (Publications:CC 2022 and IC 2023)
- Emily Addison, Summer Researcher 2023, Presently: MSc Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Harvey Sharma, 2021-2023 - Presently: Medical Researcher at Wayne State University
- Connor Durfy, Summer 2024, Presently: PhD Student, Nichols Group, University of British Columbia
- Timothy Menna, Summer 2024, Presently: PhD Student, Britton Group, Simon Fraser University
- Michael Szulako, 2023-2024, Presently: Continuing Undergraduate Education, C4491 Student, Workentin Group
- Alexandre Almeida, Summer 2024 (joint with Gilroy Group), Presently: C4491 Student, Drover Group, Western University
- Alexis Mateo, Summer 2025, Visiting Scholar from ENSICaen, French Engineering school
POSITIONS
We are interested in working with driven and excited co-workers who have an interest in synthesis, including organic and inorganic chemistry. Individual projects will be tailored to the interests of students, but will involve the use of organotransition metal or main-group chemistry to develop molecules, whose properties can be leveraged for exciting and new science!
Please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail: [email protected] (for more information, please see my contact page).
Please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail: [email protected] (for more information, please see my contact page).
Graduate students
We are always looking for interested graduate students at the M.Sc. or Ph.D. level of study. Candidates with research experience will be preferred. If interested, please e-mail Marcus a copy of your CV (including the names of 2 potential referees), a transcript (unofficial is OK), and a brief summary about yourself including interests.
NSERC (Canadian): https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/cgrsd-besrd_eng.asp
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS): https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/external_funding/ogs.html
Mitacs (All): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate
Mitacs (International): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/globalink/globalink-graduate-fellowship
Fullbright (American): http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-students.html
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS): https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/external_funding/ogs.html
Mitacs (All): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate
Mitacs (International): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/globalink/globalink-graduate-fellowship
Fullbright (American): http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-students.html
underGraduate students
NSERC USRA: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/UG-PC/USRA-BRPC_eng.asp
Western: Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship: https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/external_funding/ogs.html
ICE Program: https://www.ryerson.ca/ice/
RISE Program: http://www.risecanada.ca
Western: Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship: https://grad.uwo.ca/finances/external_funding/ogs.html
ICE Program: https://www.ryerson.ca/ice/
RISE Program: http://www.risecanada.ca
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
Currently, we do not have funds to support PDFs. With that said, there are numerous opportunities for external funding. For appropriately credentialled individuals, Marcus would be happy to lend support for application development. Available avenues include:
NSERC PDF: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/cgrsd-besrd_eng.asp
Mitacs (All): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate#postdoc
Fullbright (American): http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-scholars.html
Mitacs (All): https://www.mitacs.ca/en/programs/accelerate#postdoc
Fullbright (American): http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-scholars.html