Our Team
Dr. Daniel Nascimento
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Phone: 857.413.1409
Office: University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Sullivan Science Building, Room 412
301 McIver Street
Greensboro, NC 27412
Email: dnascimento@uncg.edu
Biography
Daniel Nascimento is originally from Brazil. As an undergraduate, Daniel was selected to be an international exchange student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he carried out independent research under the supervision of Prof. Daniel Mindiola. He later earned his Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa in Canada with Prof. Deryn Fogg, where he investigated the pathways that govern the decomposition of olefin metathesis catalysts and developed strategies to mitigate them. His findings, published in a series of JACS and ACS Catalysis papers, are helping molecular metathesis catalysts make their long-awaited transition from the lab to process chemistry and chemical biology.
Daniel pursued postdoctoral research at Harvard University under the guidance of Prof. Daniel Nocera. His work centered on developing photochemical strategies to generate highly reactive species capable of driving challenging transformations.
Daniel has received multiple awards, including the Ontario International Graduate Scholarship, the University of Ottawa’s Pierre Laberge prize for the best thesis in sciences and the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award. Outside the lab, Daniel enjoys playing soccer in intramural leagues, reading sci-fi books, and exploring the natural beauty of North Carolina.
Lab Members
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Austin Pyrch
Before joining UNCG, I earned a B.S. in Chemistry from The George Washington University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from North Carolina State University. At NCSU, I conducted research under the mentorship of Professor Felix Castellano, focusing on the synthesis and characterization of photoactive copper and vanadium complexes as novel catalysts for photoinduced radical generation and photoredox processes. My current research interests center on developing photoinduced catalytic cycles for the valorization of underutilized feedstock chemicals. Outside the lab, I enjoy swimming, backpacking, and attending a variety of sporting events.
email: ajpyrch@uncg.edu
Graduate Students
Nelson Bonilla
Born and raised mostly in Virginia, I attended the University of Mary Washington, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. During my time at UMW, I developed a strong passion for synthetic chemistry, both organic and inorganic. Outside of chemistry, I enjoy exploring psychology, philosophy, card games, and modern literature.
email: ngbonilla@uncg.edu
UNderGraduate Students
Reina Bustamante
Hello, my name is Reina Bustamante. I’m originally from California but moved to Greensboro for college. I enjoyed California for the beaches and proximity to Mexico since I have family there. I have two cats that live in Charlotte where I spend most my time during the summers with my sister. I enjoy talking to and getting to know my fellow science majors as well as getting a better understanding of the world around me.
email: prbustamant@uncg.edu
Kavion Foster
Hi!! My name is Kavion and I’m a sophomore majoring in Chemistry. I was born and raised in Jamaica and moved here with my mom in 2020. I found my love for chemistry in my senior year of high school and since then it’s only grown. In the future I’d like to become a research scientist, utilizing both my passions, chemistry and politics, to enhance my research and change the world around me for the better.
email: krfoster@uncg.edu
Kiefer McHugh
Hello! My name is Kiefer McHugh, and I am a Junior who is majoring in Chemistry with a B.S. I also have a Minor in Classical Studies. I am interested in the physics behind chemistry and how the mechanics of it work. I love reading, writing, and building Legos, preferably with my cats.
email: klmchugh@uncg.edu
Nora Redinbaugh
My name is Nora Redinbaugh. I am currently an undergraduate student obtaining a B.S in Biochemistry at UNCG. I am in my second year of my undergraduate education! One fun fact about me is I am originally from Nebraska!
email: egredinbaug@uncg.edu