Team

Yeonjoon grew up in Daejeon, South Korea. He obtained his PhD in 2018 at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). His PhD research focused on computational investigation of organic/organometallic reaction mechanisms and development of methods for automated prediction of chemical reaction pathways. He was a postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2018-2020). He joined the Kim group in January 2021. His current research interests include computational modeling to design catalysts for efficient upgrading of biomass to biofuels and to investigate ignition pathways of biofuel compounds. He is pursuing to apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to predict catalytic activity and biofuel properties. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to music and embroidering.

Raúl was born in Granada, Spain. He finished his undergrad studies in chemical engineering in 2016. He then moved to the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ) where he carried out his M.S. and PhD studies focusing on computational chemistry. Under the supervision of Prof. Feliu Maseras and Dr. Maria Besora he successfully defended his PhD in 2022. His PhD focused on the study of the formation mechanism of organic cage compounds, specifically the CC1 Imine cage. In his spare time, he enjoys learning new languages and reading.

Chris was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs near Washington, D.C. Before coming to CSU, in 2019 he obtained a B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At UW-Madison, Chris studied inorganic catalysis in the research groups of Dr. John Berry and Dr. Ive Hermans; his senior thesis examined the thermal conversion of CO2 to single carbon products. Before graduation, he also performed research under Dr. Chris Cahill at George Washington University – studying ligand effects in uranyl halogen complexes as well as bulk inorganic synthesis. Chris joined the Kim group during the Summer of 2022 and is currently examining the use of machine learning to predict material properties. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, biking, and listening to music.

Sabari spent his childhood first in the Bay Area, then in a small town in South India. After leaving Pomona College, where he performed research on electron transfer in dendritic zeolites and novel anti-malarial chemotypes with Dr. Roberto Garza-Lopez, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from CU Boulder in 2019, performing a senior project using mathematical modeling techniques to study soil plutonium concentrations at the Rocky Flats Superfund Site. Sabari worked in the tech and environmental engineering sectors before starting his graduate studies at CSU in 2021. As part of the Kim group, Sabari applies machine learning techniques to design novel biofuel candidates, with an interest in exploring enzyme-driven synthetic techniques. In his free time, Sabari loves to explore Colorado’s mountains, and can be found biking, rock climbing, and skiing.

Hojin grew up in Seoul, Korea. In 2020, he obtained his B.S. in engineering (chemical and biomolecular) from Yonsei University. After starting his graduate career at the Yonsei University, he joined the group as a visiting program in January 2021. He is motivated with a passion for AI application in various process domains. In his spare time, Hojin enjoys watching movie, running, and cooking.

Collin is a biochemistry and molecular biology graduate from Truman State University, where he conducted research on potential inhibitors of the Zika virus under the supervision of Dr. Bill Miller III. Growing up in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Collin developed a passion for science and a desire to make a positive impact on the world through his work. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, hiking, and cooking. With a strong foundation in biochemistry and molecular biology, Collin is well-equipped to tackle complex scientific challenges and make meaningful contributions to the group.

Shaylee was born in Flint, Michigan and grew up in Davison, Michigan. In 2020, she obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from Alma College where she researched hydrogen-tunneling effects on the deamination of cytosine under Dr. James Mazzuca and did a brief investigation into NMR under Dr. Scott Hill. In her free time, Shaylee enjoys crafting and baking.

Jessica is a 2nd year undergraduate at CSU pursuing a B.S. in Data Science. She is passionate about the applications of computer science to societal problems. In her free time, Jessica enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to music, and trying out new restaurants.