SSLRUO Executive Committee Members Archive

Amrita Bhattacharyya, University of San Francisco
Amrita Bhattacharyya is a tenure-track faculty in the Department of Chemistry at University of San Francisco. Bhattacharyya’s research interests involve the investigation of environmental geochemistry problems that are driven by climate change. Specifically, she focuses on the nexus between carbon cycling and metal redox chemistry, and the impact of this coupling on both bulk and molecular-scale processes. Much of her research is accomplished using process-based measurements and state-of-the-art synchrotron-based spectroscopic (XAS), microscopic (TEM, SEM), and diffraction (XRD) methods to understand elemental oxidation state and bonding environment in terrestrial ecosystems and synthetic metal-organic complexes. Bhattacharyya has considerable experience with synchrotron radiation-based techniques including XAS, STXM and XRD and has been a regular user at SSRL, ALS, CLS and APS since 2008 which has resulted in peer-reviewed publications in top journals.

Hao Chen, Stanford University
Dr. Hao Chen is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Pulse Institute of SLAC, investigating critical interfacial processes for solar hydrogen production and nitrogen reduction under the co-supervision of Prof. Amy Cordones-Hahn and Prof. Kelly Gaffney. His research journey has been enriched by my time as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2020-2022), under the esteemed mentorship of Prof. Miquel Salmeron, where he delved into the intricacies of catalysis. Chen's expertise spans a diverse range of experimental techniques, including synchrotron-based methods like APXPS and XAS, advanced nano-fabrication processes, and scanning probe microscopy. He is now actively involved in time-resolved XPS/XAS, devoting to elucidating the charge transfer dynamics among photocatalytic processes.

Jinyi Chen, University of Arkansas
Dr. Jingyi Chen is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington, Seattle, working with Younan Xia. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Brookhaven National Laboratory and then a Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Washington University in St. Louis. In 2010, she started her independent career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016, and to Professor in 2020. Her research focuses on rational design and synthesis of functional nanomaterials for energy conversion and human-health related applications. Her group emphasizes on precise synthesis of nanostructures, aiming to efficient and sustainable use of materials in applications, and fundamentally understand materials synthesis-structure-property-performance relationship under operando conditions. She and her group have been X-ray users at SSRL since 2017 and established collaboration with Dr. Simon Bare and his group at Co-ACCESS, focusing on in situ/operando characterization of nonprecious metal nanostructures for electrocatalysis.

Leilani Conradson, LCLS User Research Administration Manager
Leilani Conradson joined the User Office of the Linac Cohrerent Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, in 2017. Prior to moving to SLAC, Leilani was the Executive Assistant, Program Manager and Experiment Coordinator at the Lujan Cetner at LANSCE, Los Alamos Neutron Science Center at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Amy Cordones-Hahn, PULSE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University
Amy Cordones-Hahn is an Associate Staff Scientist in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Her research interests revolve around understanding how photoexcitation of electronic excited states drives chemical reactions of functional transition metal complexes, such as molecular photocatalysts. Amy uses time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy to resolve photochemical reactions in real-time and is interested in helping to grow these capabilities and build a larger ultrafast science user community at SSRL.

James P. Evans, Utah State University
James Evans is Professor of Geosciences at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. and MS in Geology from Texas A&M University. His research interests include rock deformation from the micro scale to the map scale. Quantitative analysis of fluid-rock interactions as applied to earthquake processes, energy resources, and CO₂ sequestration. 

Woodward W. Fischer, California Institute of Technology
Woodward W. Fischer, Professor of Geobiology at CaltechPhD Harvard, BA Colorado College.  I am often referred to by my nickname “Woody”.  I am a geobiologist that combines techniques from field geology, analytical chemistry, and biology to understand and explore the relationships between life and surface environments through diverse and fundamental transitions in our planet's history.   In addition to working on Mars Science Laboratory and Mars2020 missions, his group studies the emergence and early evolution of life, the innovation of photosynthesis and the rise of environmental dioxygen, and ancient mass extinctions.

Nicholas Hartley, SLAC (LCLS Chair; Ex Officio)
Nick Hartley is an Assoicate Scientist at SLAC National Accelertaor Laboratory, with a focus on matter in extreme conditions (MEC). Nick is the 2024 Chair of the LCLS Users' Executive Committee and serves in an ex officio capacity on the SSRL UEC.

Peter Jensen, Washington State University
Peter Jensen is a graduate student in the nuclear nanotechnology lab under Professor Liane Moreau in the Department of Chemistry at Washington State University studying nanoscale properties of lanthanide and actinide materials and their doped mixtures using X-ray spectroscopic characterization techniques. He has lead and submitted an active proposal at SSRL and has experience working at other US synchrotrons including APS and CHESS. At these synchrotrons, Peter has gained experience with collecting and processing XAS data, including HERFD-XANES. He has assisted on some of the first uranium HERFD-XANES measurements at APS 13-IDE. Peter also has experience designing sample holders for XAS measurements and navigating the process of measuring radioactive samples. Peter would like to work towards streamlining processes for measuring radioactive samples at SSRL and aims to serve as an advocate for early career education in synchrotron science.

Sheridon Kelly, UC Berkeley
Sheridon Kelly is a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, working in the John Arnold lab, as well as the Minasian lab at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Sheridon's research focuses on the covalency and electronic structure of f-electrons in actinide nanomaterials. She's been a user at SSRL for the past 2 years, at beamline 11-2, where she studies the metal L3-edge of the lanthanides and actinides.

Saravanan Kuppan, Rivian Automotive
Saravanan (Sara) Kuppan is a Senior Staff Material Engineer at Rivian Automotive LLC, leading the development of cathode materials for Electric Adventure Vehicles. Prior to Rivian, he was a Lead engineer at Robert Bosch Research and Technology Center, Sunnyvale. He moved to the US in 2013 as a Post doc at LBNL after completing his Ph.D in Chemistry at the National University of Singapore. For the past 17 years he has worked on various aspects of rechargeable batteries with emphasis on understanding the structure property relationship of electrode active materials using advanced analytical techniques. His first beamtime at SSRL was on Beam Line 10-1 in Aug 2013. Since that first run at SSRL Saravanan has participated in more than 100 different beamtime experiments at SSRL, ALS, APS and NSLS II and has published more than 50 papers and filed 20 patents. He strongly believes that synchrotrons will continue to play a crucial role in the US clean energy transition.

Cathy Knotts, SSRL User Research Administration
Cathy has managed  SSRL User Research Administration since November 2000, taking on the additional responsibilities for establishing and managing a joint SSRL/LCLS User Office from 2007-2015 (LCLS began operations with the first user assisted commissioning experiments in 2009). Before joining SLAC, Cathy managed administrative operations and corporate communications in the biotechnology industry (1994-2000). Prior to moving to California to help start a biotech company, she was a management analyst for the National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health in Maryland. Cathy graduated from the University of Maryland majoring in Health Science and Policy.

Cara Laasch, SSRL User Research Administration Manager
Cara Laasch joined SSRL in June 2024 as the new SSRL User Research Administration Manager. Cara brings several years of experience in user administration from being part of the NSLS-II team. She has a significant background in communications, including as a science writer. She also has keen interest in accelerators, beam lines and instrumentation having worked at DESY as part of her physics education.

Levi McClelland, University of Montana
Levi McClelland is a Research Assistant Professor and Manager of the Integrated Structural Biology Core at the University of Montana (UM). He received his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics (2015) in Bruce Bowler’s Lab (UM) studying protein stability and conformational changes associated with pH sensitivity. To better understand structural effects of conformational change, he collaborated with Stephen Sprang’s Lab (UM) to solve novel cytochrome c crystal structures of interest. Levi then joined Dr. Sprang’s Lab, who has a long-standing relationship with and regularly utilizes SSRL, as a post-doc. Postdoctoral work in the Sprang Lab yielded further experience in protein macromolecular crystallography and small-angle X-ray scattering, solving the structure of G-alpha protein subunit i complexed to its chaperone/nucleotide exchange factor Ric-8A. In 2020, he began managing the Integrated Structural Biology Core – a core facility of the Center for Biomolecular and Structural Dynamics COBRE at UM, providing protein expression and macromolecular structural services (including acting as the point-of-contact/spokesperson to SSRL) for the UM community. Levi’s research focuses on understanding the interactions and regulation of Ric-8A and Ric-8B towards G-alpha proteins and their binding partners.

Liane Moreau, Washington State University
Liane Moreau has been an SSRL user on XAS and RXES beamlines since 2017. She is currently a faculty member in the department of chemistry at Washington State University, where she leads a research group towards exploring nanoscale properties of f-element materials and the structure of their surfaces and interfaces through pairing new synthetic developments with in-depth X-ray characterization. Liane completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering under the direction of Michael Bedzyk and Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University. Subsequently, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow under Corwin Booth at Lawrence Berkeley Lab in the heavy element chemistry group. Historically, Liane's work has relied upon synchrotron XAS and SAXS studies, specifically aiming to map the growth and transformation processes involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles, spanning the periodic table from first row transition metals to actinides. She has experience developing containment strategies for safely measuring radioactive samples and analysis strategies for systems with complex backgrounds. Liane had her first taste of synchrotron XAS work in 2009 as an undergraduate at Cornell University studying nanoscale oxidation processes and hasn't stopped since. She has experience working at CHESS, APS and ALS in addition to SSRL and looks forward to contributing to the continued growth and development of the synchrotron community for years to come.

Michael Jacob Pushie, University of Saskatchewan
Jake Pushie is a full-time staff scientist in the Department of Surgery at the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). My first visit to SSRL was in 2003. Autumn 2007 I became a regular user and over the past 15 years have had the pleasure of working and collaborating alongside some of the most amazing scientists and friends while visiting and collecting data at SSRL. My areas of interest are in the role of bio-metals in human health and disease, with particular focus on transition metal trafficking and coordination structure, as well as changes in trace elements associated with blood-brain barrier disruption and neurodegeneration. I have 66 peer reviewed publications, 35 of these have employed bio-spectroscopy beamlines at SSRL and 17 employed X-ray fluorescence microscopy beamlines at SSRL - and I feel like I’m only getting started! Much like the loss of wasted photons when we have beam, the loss of CPU cycles is also of concern to me as I use a broad range of computational chemistry tools at my home institution to help inform most of my synchrotron research. I was very impressed with how SSRL as a facility, and its staff, stepped-up and aided the user community during the pandemic. This only cemented my firm belief that SSRL is a facility like no other that researchers can rely on to enable the carrying-out of great science, no matter what. As a user I am also keenly aware of how difficult it is to train new users and grow the community. Such endeavours and outreach must start from within the user community itself and as a member of the UEC I envision opportunities to facilitate building user-led mentorships to educate, advise, and support new users - while also representing the needs and future interests of the existing user community.

Robert Root, University of Arizona
Rob Root is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona where he applies tools of environmental geochemistry to understand mechanisms that control the mobility and bioavailability of nutrients and toxic chemicals in the environment. Rob has been using synchrotron based X-ray techniques in the soft, tender, and hard energy range for over 20 years for spectroscopic and imaging analysis of in vivo and in vitro alteration of geomedia in response to disequilibrium imposed by organisms, weathering, and climate to understand how chemical speciation impacts solubility, bioaccessibility, and mobility in environmental systems. His research combines macro-scale geochemical measurements of the release and uptake of stoichiometric or surface complexed elements between the solid and aqueous phases, constrained by atomic-scale spectroscopies and thermodynamic modeling, to develop predictive models of lability or secondary mineral precipitation. Rob is an interdisciplinary environmental researcher working to reveal a basic understanding of processes and reactions at the particle-surface interface relevant to human health.

Blaine Mooers, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Blaine Mooers is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). In addition to faculty, he serves as the director of the Laboratory of Biomolecular Structure and Function, which is also a core facility for the Oklahoma COBRE in Structural Biology. Blaine began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student by working on problems in DNA structure with Dr. Shing Ho at Oregon State University. He worked on problems in protein structure as a post-doc with Dr. Brian Matthews at the University of Oregon. While a post-doc, he used synchrotron radiation to collect atomic resolution data from crystals of proteins, thanks to expert guidance in data collection from SSRL staff. He determined the structures of several proteins and RNAs by direct methods with data collected at SSRL. Blaine has been a proposal spokesperson continuously since 2000, first in on OUHSC structural studies of RNAs and proteins from the unique RNA editing system in the mitochondrion of trypanosomes. He also collaborates with several OUHSC labs on structural studies of proteins related to influenza and cancer biology. He has been involved in SAXS studies since 2011 and is an active user of BL 4-2. Blaine believes that crystallography will continue to play a vital role in integrative structural biology. He served as chair of the SSRL User Executive Committee (UEC) during the existential budget crisis of 2017. He seeks re-election to the UEC to represent the concerns and needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography.

Amy Cordones-Hahn, PULSE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Amy Cordones-Hahn is an Associate Staff Scientist in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Her research interests revolve around understanding how photoexcitation of electronic excited states drives chemical reactions of functional transition metal complexes, such as molecular photocatalysts. Amy uses time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy to resolve photochemical reactions in real-time and is interested in helping to grow these capabilities and build a larger ultrafast science user community at SSRL.

James P. Evans, Utah State University, Logan, UT
James Evans is Professor of Geosciences at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. and MS in Geology from Texas A&M University. His research interests include rock deformation from the micro scale to the map scale. Quantitative analysis of fluid-rock interactions as applied to earthquake processes, energy resources, and CO₂ sequestration. 

Stefan Minasian, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
Stefan Minasian is a Staff Scientist in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Research in the Minasian Lab addresses current challenges in the energy sciences by leveraging expertise in inorganic synthesis with advanced methods for physical characterization. A central goal is to understand the design principles controlling the properties of molecules and solids containing the lanthanide and actinide elements. A wide range of existing and emerging techniques in imaging and spectroscopy have been employed through close collaboration with staff at lightsources including SSRL and the ALS, CLS, and APS. The work occurs primarily at the interface of coordination chemistry, materials science, and inorganic spectroscopy, and relies on innovative methods to synthesize and characterize compounds that are highly reactive or otherwise difficult to isolate and study.

Liane Moreau, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Liane Moreau has been an SSRL user on XAS and RXES beamlines since 2017. She is currently a faculty member in the department of chemistry at Washington State University, where she leads a research group towards exploring nanoscale properties of f-element materials and the structure of their surfaces and interfaces through pairing new synthetic developments with in-depth X-ray characterization. Liane completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering under the direction of Michael Bedzyk and Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University. Subsequently, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow under Corwin Booth at Lawrence Berkeley Lab in the heavy element chemistry group. Historically, Liane's work has relied upon synchrotron XAS and SAXS studies, specifically aiming to map the growth and transformation processes involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles, spanning the periodic table from first row transition metals to actinides. She has experience developing containment strategies for safely measuring radioactive samples and analysis strategies for systems with complex backgrounds. Liane had her first taste of synchrotron XAS work in 2009 as an undergraduate at Cornell University studying nanoscale oxidation processes and hasn't stopped since. She has experience working at CHESS, APS and ALS in addition to SSRL and looks forward to contributing to the continued growth and development of the synchrotron community for years to come.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Amy Cordones-Hahn, PULSE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Amy Cordones-Hahn is an Associate Staff Scientist in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Her research interests revolve around understanding how photoexcitation of electronic excited states drives chemical reactions of functional transition metal complexes, such as molecular photocatalysts. Amy uses time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy to resolve photochemical reactions in real-time and is interested in helping to grow these capabilities and build a larger ultrafast science user community at SSRL.

James P. Evans, Utah State University,Logan, UT
James Evans is Professor of Geosciences at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. and MS in Geology from Texas A&M University. His research interests include rock deformation from the micro scale to the map scale. Quantitative analysis of fluid-rock interactions as applied to earthquake processes, energy resources, and CO₂ sequestration. 

Stefan Minasian, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
Stefan Minasian is a Staff Scientist in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Research in the Minasian Lab addresses current challenges in the energy sciences by leveraging expertise in inorganic synthesis with advanced methods for physical characterization. A central goal is to understand the design principles controlling the properties of molecules and solids containing the lanthanide and actinide elements. A wide range of existing and emerging techniques in imaging and spectroscopy have been employed through close collaboration with staff at lightsources including SSRL and the ALS, CLS, and APS. The work occurs primarily at the interface of coordination chemistry, materials science, and inorganic spectroscopy, and relies on innovative methods to synthesize and characterize compounds that are highly reactive or otherwise difficult to isolate and study.

Blaine Mooers, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Blaine Mooers is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). In addition to faculty, he serves as the director of the Laboratory of Biomolecular Structure and Function, which is also a core facility for the Oklahoma COBRE in Structural Biology. Blaine began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student by working on problems in DNA structure with Dr. Shing Ho at Oregon State University. He worked on problems in protein structure as a post-doc with Dr. Brian Matthews at the University of Oregon. While a post-doc, he used synchrotron radiation to collect atomic resolution data from crystals of proteins, thanks to expert guidance in data collection from SSRL staff. He determined the structures of several proteins and RNAs by direct methods with data collected at SSRL. Blaine has been a proposal spokesperson continuously since 2000, first in on OUHSC structural studies of RNAs and proteins from the unique RNA editing system in the mitochondrion of trypanosomes. He also collaborates with several OUHSC labs on structural studies of proteins related to influenza and cancer biology. He has been involved in SAXS studies since 2011 and is an active user of BL 4-2. Blaine believes that crystallography will continue to play a vital role in integrative structural biology. He served as chair of the SSRL User Executive Committee (UEC) during the existential budget crisis of 2017. He seeks re-election to the UEC to represent the concerns and needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography.

Liane Moreau, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Liane Moreau has been an SSRL user on XAS and RXES beamlines since 2017. She is currently a faculty member in the department of chemistry at Washington State University, where she leads a research group towards exploring nanoscale properties of f-element materials and the structure of their surfaces and interfaces through pairing new synthetic developments with in-depth X-ray characterization. Liane completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering under the direction of Michael Bedzyk and Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University. Subsequently, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow under Corwin Booth at Lawrence Berkeley Lab in the heavy element chemistry group. Historically, Liane's work has relied upon synchrotron XAS and SAXS studies, specifically aiming to map the growth and transformation processes involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles, spanning the periodic table from first row transition metals to actinides. She has experience developing containment strategies for safely measuring radioactive samples and analysis strategies for systems with complex backgrounds. Liane had her first taste of synchrotron XAS work in 2009 as an undergraduate at Cornell University studying nanoscale oxidation processes and hasn't stopped since. She has experience working at CHESS, APS and ALS in addition to SSRL and looks forward to contributing to the continued growth and development of the synchrotron community for years to come.

Rebecca Page, University of Connecticut, Farmington CT
Rebecca Page was the Donna B. Cosulich Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. She also currently serves the CBC Associate Department Head for Research and Faculty Affairs, interim. Rebecca began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student studying conformational change in actin with Dr. C.E. Schutt at Princeton University. She then studied neuronal metabolic proteins as a post-doc with Dr. Ray Stevens. During her last year at Scripps, she also served as the crystallomics core director for the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) yeast proteome project with Drs. Ray Stevens and Ian Wilson. During this time, she worked very closely with the JCSG group at SSRL for the development and optimization of crystal screening and data collection at SSRL. In 2004, she joined the faculty at Brown University, being an active user of multiple X-ray crystallography and SAXS beamlines during her tenure there (2004-2016). In some years, she served as an instructor for RapiData at NSLS. Her commitment to synchrotron facilities includes serving on multiple proposal panels (from 2014-2016, she served as a proposal reviewer for ALS and in 2016-2018, she served as served on the proposal review panel for the macromolecular crystallography and SAXS beamlines at NSLS-II) and also as an external reviewer. Throughout her career, she has collected data at NSLS, NSLS-II, APS, ALS, Diamond and SSRL for projects focused on signaling and its role in disease. As a long-time user of the SSRL beamlines, she is deeply interested in the long-term success of both the SSRL facility and especially its users. Thus, she is seeking election to the UEC to represent the needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography at SSRL.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Angelia Seyfferth, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Angelia Seyfferth is Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry and Plant-Soil Interactions at the University of Delaware where she works to understand the soil biogeochemical processes that dictate contaminant and nutrient cycling and uptake by plants. Her group is particularly interested in how small-scale soil-chemical processes influence contaminant (e.g., As, Cd, Pb) and nutrient (e.g., Si, P, Fe, S) release or attenuation that have large-scale impacts on human and environmental health. They use advanced analytical techniques such as synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and imaging to unravel the species distributions of contaminants and nutrients in the rhizosphere and in plant tissues, and mechanisms of uptake by plant roots. Ultimately, they conduct basic research that can be applied to benefit society on a local-to-global scale.

Michael Capano, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Michael Capano is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. Michael received his PhD from MIT. His research interests are microelectronics and nanotechnology.

Amy Cordones-Hahn, PULSE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Amy Cordones-Hahn is an Associate Staff Scientist in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Her research interests revolve around understanding how photoexcitation of electronic excited states drives chemical reactions of functional transition metal complexes, such as molecular photocatalysts. Amy uses time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy to resolve photochemical reactions in real-time and is interested in helping to grow these capabilities and build a larger ultrafast science user community at SSRL.

James P. Evans, Utah State University,Logan, UT
James Evans is Professor of Geosciences at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. and MS in Geology from Texas A&M University. His research interests include rock deformation from the micro scale to the map scale. Quantitative analysis of fluid-rock interactions as applied to earthquake processes, energy resources, and CO₂ sequestration. 

Blaine Mooers, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Blaine Mooers is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). In addition to faculty, he serves as the director of the Laboratory of Biomolecular Structure and Function, which is also a core facility for the Oklahoma COBRE in Structural Biology. Blaine began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student by working on problems in DNA structure with Dr. Shing Ho at Oregon State University. He worked on problems in protein structure as a post-doc with Dr. Brian Matthews at the University of Oregon. While a post-doc, he used synchrotron radiation to collect atomic resolution data from crystals of proteins, thanks to expert guidance in data collection from SSRL staff. He determined the structures of several proteins and RNAs by direct methods with data collected at SSRL. Blaine has been a proposal spokesperson continuously since 2000, first in on OUHSC structural studies of RNAs and proteins from the unique RNA editing system in the mitochondrion of trypanosomes. He also collaborates with several OUHSC labs on structural studies of proteins related to influenza and cancer biology. He has been involved in SAXS studies since 2011 and is an active user of BL 4-2. Blaine believes that crystallography will continue to play a vital role in integrative structural biology. He served as chair of the SSRL User Executive Committee (UEC) during the existential budget crisis of 2017. He seeks re-election to the UEC to represent the concerns and needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography. http://structuralbiology.ou.edu/

Liane Moreau, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
Liane Moreau has been an SSRL user on XAS and RXES beamlines since 2017. She is currently a faculty member in the department of chemistry at Washington State University, where she leads a research group towards exploring nanoscale properties of f-element materials and the structure of their surfaces and interfaces through pairing new synthetic developments with in-depth X-ray characterization. Liane completed her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering under the direction of Michael Bedzyk and Chad Mirkin at Northwestern University. Subsequently, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow under Corwin Booth at Lawrence Berkeley Lab in the heavy element chemistry group. Historically, Liane's work has relied upon synchrotron XAS and SAXS studies, specifically aiming to map the growth and transformation processes involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles, spanning the periodic table from first row transition metals to actinides. She has experience developing containment strategies for safely measuring radioactive samples and analysis strategies for systems with complex backgrounds. Liane had her first taste of synchrotron XAS work in 2009 as an undergraduate at Cornell University studying nanoscale oxidation processes and hasn't stopped since. She has experience working at CHESS, APS and ALS in addition to SSRL and looks forward to contributing to the continued growth and development of the synchrotron community for years to come.

Rebecca Page, University of Connecticut, Farmington CT
Rebecca Page was the Donna B. Cosulich Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. She also currently serves the CBC Associate Department Head for Research and Faculty Affairs, interim. Rebecca began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student studying conformational change in actin with Dr. C.E. Schutt at Princeton University. She then studied neuronal metabolic proteins as a post-doc with Dr. Ray Stevens. During her last year at Scripps, she also served as the crystallomics core director for the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) yeast proteome project with Drs. Ray Stevens and Ian Wilson. During this time, she worked very closely with the JCSG group at SSRL for the development and optimization of crystal screening and data collection at SSRL. In 2004, she joined the faculty at Brown University, being an active user of multiple X-ray crystallography and SAXS beamlines during her tenure there (2004-2016). In some years, she served as an instructor for RapiData at NSLS. Her commitment to synchrotron facilities includes serving on multiple proposal panels (from 2014-2016, she served as a proposal reviewer for ALS and in 2016-2018, she served as served on the proposal review panel for the macromolecular crystallography and SAXS beamlines at NSLS-II) and also as an external reviewer. Throughout her career, she has collected data at NSLS, NSLS-II, APS, ALS, Diamond and SSRL for projects focused on signaling and its role in disease. As a long-time user of the SSRL beamlines, she is deeply interested in the long-term success of both the SSRL facility and especially its users. Thus, she is seeking election to the UEC to represent the needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography at SSRL.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Angelia Seyfferth, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Angelia Seyfferth is Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry and Plant-Soil Interactions at the University of Delaware where she works to understand the soil biogeochemical processes that dictate contaminant and nutrient cycling and uptake by plants. Her group is particularly interested in how small-scale soil-chemical processes influence contaminant (e.g., As, Cd, Pb) and nutrient (e.g., Si, P, Fe, S) release or attenuation that have large-scale impacts on human and environmental health. They use advanced analytical techniques such as synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and imaging to unravel the species distributions of contaminants and nutrients in the rhizosphere and in plant tissues, and mechanisms of uptake by plant roots. Ultimately, they conduct basic research that can be applied to benefit society on a local-to-global scale. https://canr.udel.edu/faculty/seyfferth-angelia/

Michael Capano, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN  47097
Michael Capano is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. Michael received his PhD from MIT. His research interests are microelectronics and nanotechnology.

Bor-Rong (Hypo) Chen, SLAC/Stanford University, Stanford, CA  94305
Bor-Rong (Hypo) joined Mike Toney’s Group at SLAC in May, 2017 as a postdoctoral researcher. She works on tracking the formation process of metal oxides during solution-based synthesis by using in-situ X-ray wide angle scattering and X-ray absorption spectroscopy at SSRL. Bor-Rong hopes to identify and understand the progression of intermediate/metastable materials that can be accessed along synthesis pathways. From 2011 - 2017, Bor-Rong was a frequent user at the APS for her Ph.D. projects at Northwestern University, where she studied the properties of Pd nanoparticle catalysts supported on SrTiO₃ surfaces. Bor-Rong is highly interested in serving as a UEC representative for Materials/Chemistry field. At Northwestern University, she was the president of Materials Research Society (MRS) Student Chapter, and was involved in organizing regular career workshops and hosting alumni panel discussions from 2013 - 2016.

Amy Cordones-Hahn, PULSE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University, Stanford, CA  94305
Amy Cordones-Hahn is an Associate Staff Scientist in the PULSE Institute at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Her research interests revolve around understanding how photoexcitation of electronic excited states drives chemical reactions of functional transition metal complexes, such as molecular photocatalysts. Amy uses time-resolved x-ray spectroscopy to resolve photochemical reactions in real-time and is interested in helping to grow these capabilities and build a larger ultrafast science user community at SSRL.

James P. Evans, Utah State University,Logan, UT  84322-4505
James Evans is Professor of Geosciences at Utah State University. He received his Ph.D. and MS in Geology from Texas A&M University. His research interests include rock deformation from the micro scale to the map scale. Quantitative analysis of fluid-rock interactions as applied to earthquake processes, energy resources, and CO₂ sequestration. 

Blaine Mooers, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73190
Blaine Mooers is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC). In addition to faculty, he serves as the director of the Laboratory of Biomolecular Structure and Function, which is also a core facility for the Oklahoma COBRE in Structural Biology. Blaine began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student by working on problems in DNA structure with Dr. Shing Ho at Oregon State University. He worked on problems in protein structure as a post-doc with Dr. Brian Matthews at the University of Oregon. While a post-doc, he used synchrotron radiation to collect atomic resolution data from crystals of proteins, thanks to expert guidance in data collection from SSRL staff. He determined the structures of several proteins and RNAs by direct methods with data collected at SSRL. Blaine has been a proposal spokesperson continuously since 2000, first in on OUHSC structural studies of RNAs and proteins from the unique RNA editing system in the mitochondrion of trypanosomes. He also collaborates with several OUHSC labs on structural studies of proteins related to influenza and cancer biology. He has been involved in SAXS studies since 2011 and is an active user of BL 4-2. Blaine believes that crystallography will continue to play a vital role in integrative structural biology. He served as chair of the SSRL User Executive Committee (UEC) during the existential budget crisis of 2017. He seeks re-election to the UEC to represent the concerns and needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography. http://structuralbiology.ou.edu/

Rebecca Page, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ  85721
Rebecca Page is the Donna B. Cosulich Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. She also currently serves the CBC Associate Department Head for Research and Faculty Affairs, interim. Rebecca began macromolecular crystallography as a graduate student studying conformational change in actin with Dr. C.E. Schutt at Princeton University. She then studied neuronal metabolic proteins as a post-doc with Dr. Ray Stevens. During her last year at Scripps, she also served as the crystallomics core director for the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) yeast proteome project with Drs. Ray Stevens and Ian Wilson. During this time, she worked very closely with the JCSG group at SSRL for the development and optimization of crystal screening and data collection at SSRL. In 2004, she joined the faculty at Brown University, being an active user of multiple X-ray crystallography and SAXS beamlines during her tenure there (2004-2016). In some years, she served as an instructor for RapiData at NSLS. Her commitment to synchrotron facilities includes serving on multiple proposal panels (from 2014-2016, she served as a proposal reviewer for ALS and in 2016-2018, she served as served on the proposal review panel for the macromolecular crystallography and SAXS beamlines at NSLS-II) and also as an external reviewer. Throughout her career, she has collected data at NSLS, NSLS-II, APS, ALS, Diamond and SSRL for projects focused on signaling and its role in disease. As a long-time user of the SSRL beamlines, she is deeply interested in the long-term success of both the SSRL facility and especially its users. Thus, she is seeking election to the UEC to represent the needs of the users of macromolecular crystallography at SSRL.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Angelia Seyfferth, University of Delaware, Newark, DE  19716
Angelia Seyfferth is Associate Professor of Biogeochemistry and Plant-Soil Interactions at the University of Delaware where she works to understand the soil biogeochemical processes that dictate contaminant and nutrient cycling and uptake by plants. Her group is particularly interested in how small-scale soil-chemical processes influence contaminant (e.g., As, Cd, Pb) and nutrient (e.g., Si, P, Fe, S) release or attenuation that have large-scale impacts on human and environmental health. They use advanced analytical techniques such as synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy and imaging to unravel the species distributions of contaminants and nutrients in the rhizosphere and in plant tissues, and mechanisms of uptake by plant roots. Ultimately, they conduct basic research that can be applied to benefit society on a local-to-global scale. https://canr.udel.edu/faculty/seyfferth-angelia/

Marco Keiluweit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
Marco, Assistant Professor, Soil and Microbial Biogeochemistry School or Earth and Sustainability University of Massachusetts—Amherst, studies how climate change impacts nutrient cycling in soils and sediments. To resolve the sub-micron scale microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions that drive the cycling of critical elements such as C, N, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Al in subsurface environments, he has employed soft and hard x-ray spectro- and microscopy approaches. To date, this research has involved synchrotron experiments at SSRL, Advanced Light Source, and Canadian Light Source. Marco received his PhD in Soil Biogeochemistry from Oregon State University. Prior to assuming his position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he was a Lawrence Scholar in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Marco Keiluweit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003
Marco, Assistant Professor, Soil and Microbial Biogeochemistry School or Earth and Sustainability University of Massachusetts—Amherst, studies how climate change impacts nutrient cycling in soils and sediments. To resolve the sub-micron scale microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions that drive the cycling of critical elements such as C, N, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Al in subsurface environments, he has employed soft and hard x-ray spectro- and microscopy approaches. To date, this research has involved synchrotron experiments at SSRL, Advanced Light Source, and Canadian Light Source. Marco received his PhD in Soil Biogeochemistry from Oregon State University. Prior to assuming his position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he was a Lawrence Scholar in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University.

Andrew Riscoe, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Andrew Riscoe is a PhD candidate in Matteo Cargnello's group in the Chemical Engineering Department at Stanford University. His research interests include XAS characterization of microporous polymer encapsulated metal catalysts for several small molecule transformations, including selective oxidation of methane to methanol.

Marco Keiluweit, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA  01003
Marco, Assistant Professor, Soil and Microbial Biogeochemistry School or Earth and Sustainability University of Massachusetts—Amherst, studies how climate change impacts nutrient cycling in soils and sediments. To resolve the sub-micron scale microbe-mineral-organic matter interactions that drive the cycling of critical elements such as C, N, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Al in subsurface environments, he has employed soft and hard X-ray spectro- and microscopy approaches. To date, this research has involved synchrotron experiments at SSRL, Advanced Light Source, and Canadian Light Source. Marco received his PhD in Soil Biogeochemistry from Oregon State University. Prior to assuming his position at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, he was a Lawrence Scholar in the Chemical Sciences Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Earth System Science at Stanford University.