Our Team
Dr. Kimberly S. Petersen
Associate Professor
Phone: 336.334.4271
Fax: 336.334.5402
Room: 411 Sullivan Science Bldg.
Email: kspeters@uncg.edu
Kimberly Petersen wins the prize for hometown with the least amount of stoplights, with a total count of zero. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, her father taught Chemistry. She was inspired to pursue STEM and enrolled at the University of Wisconsin graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry. Kim went on to earn her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University working under Dr. Gary Posner. Tired of the cold, she moved across the country to work with Dr. Brian Stoltz at Caltech for her Post-Doc. After she began teaching at UNCG, she met her husband Steve, a professor in the music department. She now spends her free time chasing around their three children, Ben, Violet and Jimmy. When she’s not being a parent to her own kids or those in her lab, she can be found rock climbing, knitting, working on puzzles or listening to audio books.
PhD students
Josh Frost
From MS, AK, GA, VA, and finally NC, Josh has roots in more states than morphine has analogues. Like his surname suggests, Mr. Frost is one cool cat, but don’t let his easy demeanor fool you. After obtaining degrees in biochemistry and philosophy from Washington and Lee (‘18), he earned his Master’s in Bioethics and Science policy at Duke University (‘19) before joining the Petersen Research Group and pursuing a PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry here at UNCG in 2019. When not in the lab or instructing students, Josh lets out his inner rockstar in the band DYLA with fellow labmate Caleb. Josh also claims to enjoy running, but from what, we will never know.
Abbie Horchar
Born and raised in the state of sunshine and Mickey Mouse, Abbie developed an interest in the magical world of chemistry at an early age. Much like her first job in pyrotechnics, she’s the bomb in the lab! After graduating from neighboring Guilford College with a B.S. in Chemistry (‘20), Abbie came to UNCG where she will earn her Master’s in Chemistry (Biochemistry focus) in the spring of 2022. When she isn’t reading her textbooks, one may find Abbie with her nose in a book, her feet pounding pavement, or asleep on the sand.
This just in – the watercooler scuttlebutt is that Ms. Horchar has decided to become Dr. Horchar and will be pursuing a PhD at UNCG where she will continue research on desymmetrization of malonate esters via heterogeneous catalysis!
MS students
Sujata Sidgel
From the heart of the Himalayas to the bridges of the “Steel City” (i.e., Pittsburgh), Sujata earned her bachelor’s in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh (’19) before joining the Petersen Group and pursuing an MS in Chemistry here at UNCG (’22). Though most of her writing these days consists of research and scientific papers, as a child Sujata bested everyone in a story writing competition. (We’ve read it – it’s gold.) She is a polyglot, fluent in English, Hindi, and Nepali (“Namasté” anyone?), and loves to unwind with a few rounds of tennis, badminton, volleyball, a jigsaw puzzle, or her favorite activity – eating.
Undergraduate/Postbac students
Kala Youngblood
A master of memes and a recent tik tok viral sensation, future Dr. Youngblood’s celebrity status takes a backseat to her research in the Petersen Group. A Virginia native, Kala’s small town roots belie her big city dreams. After receiving the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, she ventured west to conduct summer research in the Reisman group at Caltech. We are happy to have her back in the Petersen group for her senior year (Class of 2022)! When it’s time to unwind from the stress of STEM life, Kala can be found outside hiking the local trails, spending time gardening, or tearing up the pavement (and her knees) skateboarding. Rumor has it she is in the next Tony Hawk video game.
Jonathan Dean
Born and raised in Greensboro, NC, Jonathan comes to us from all the way down the street. Though a local, don’t ask him where the best burger in town is – he’s never eaten one. He also doesn’t like sugar, but his sweet comedic timing will leave you in stitches, as will his roundhouse kick. While most of us were getting comfortable tying our own shoes, Jonathan studied Taekwondo and started wearing a black belt at 8 years old. Mr. Dean is currently pursuing his bachelor’s in Biochemistry at UNCG (’23). When not in the lab, Jonathan can be found reading, playing video games, chess, or napping.
Draco Kriger
Though his name means “dragon,” Draco might be the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. A North Carolina native, Draco lives in High Point with his dozens of animals. Ask to see pictures of his ducks, chickens or bunnies, you won’t regret it. Just watch out for his guard goose, it ruthlessly attacks any intruders (or anyone really) that enter the yard. A scientist in every aspect, the Dragon spends his free time gardening and baking. Josh and Draco are currently competing for the spot of star baker in the lab, the rest of us are just enjoying the fruits of their rivalry. His dream superpower would be teleportation, my guess is he just wants to avoid that goose.
Caleb Lykins
A mysterious man with many names and past professions, Thomas (silent “h”) Caleb Lykins is most certainly the main character of our lab. Despite growing up in a 2 stoplight town in NC, Caleb has seen several hundreds of stoplights. After finishing his bachelors in Economics from UNC (‘09), he worked in Uganda where he contracted malaria, learned to ride a motorcycle and learned how to crash one too. Caleb has worked in New York City as a nanny and musician, at a summer camp in Maine, a ski lift operator in Colorado, and as a cowboy in Wyoming. We’re glad that after seeing the world, Caleb decided to return to NC. He is currently a post-bac at UNCG, and will finish his bachelors of Biochemistry this spring (‘22!). A well rounded individual, Caleb’s interests reach beyond STEM. Outside of the lab he can be found skateboarding, building motorized bicycles from scratch or shredding in his band DYLA with labmate Josh.
Recent Graduates
- Amber Kelley – PhD Medicinal Biochemistry
- Tylisha Barber – MS Chemistry
- Rhashanda Haywood – MS Chemistry
- Symone Alexander – MS Chemistry
- Nicholas Chambers – BS Biochemistry
- Emiri Michishita – BS Biochemistry
- Judith Connor – BS Biochemistry
- Chioma Onokalah – BS Chemistry
- Alec Lake – ???
- Jonathan White – Post-Baccalaureate
- Schuyler Bain – Post-Baccalaureate
- Kaumba Sakavuyi – Brewer Science, Inc., MO
- Rawa’a Al Rifaie – Class of 2015
- George Bullard – Class of 2014 (Graduate School at Duke)
- Matthew Ballard – Class of 2014 (EN-CAS Laboratories, NC)
- Benjamin Wiener – Post-Baccalaureate Student
- Amanda Jill Petree-Mabe – Post-Baccalaureate Student
- Barrett Honeycutt – Post-Baccalaureate Student (Medical School UNC)
- Andy Stacy – North Carolina National Guard
- Amanda Benavides – Aaipharma-Wilmington, NC
- Zachary Allen – Class of 2017 B.S. Chemistry
- Nicole (Taeeun) Park – Class of 2015 B.S. Biochemistry
- Sebastian Lundquist – Class of 2016 B.S. Chemistry
- Tyler Wilson – M.S. in Chemistry
- Kyla Stingley – M.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Biochemistry
- Jennifer Wilent – PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry
