Alicia Hernandez-Castillo Former Research Members

Capstone Research Experience

Natalie Couch '24

Natalie Couch ’24

University of Colorado BoulderPhD student in chemistryThesis: Rotational Spectroscopy of Water-Ketone Clusters

E. Bacon-Gershman '23

E. Bacon-Gershman ’23

University of WashingtonPhD student in chemistry Thesis: Design and Construction of a Chirped-Pulse Microwave spectrometer in the 6-18 GHz Region

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Laura Wu '23

Laura Wu ’23

Cornell UniversityPhD student in materials scienceThesis: Assembly of the Electronic Circuit for a Chirped-Pulse Microwave Spectrometer in the 6-18 GHz Region

Research Experience

Tatiana Cardoso '26

Tatiana Cardoso ’26

Tatiana is a second-year student. She plans to be a Chemistry major with a concentration in Music. She is excited to be a part of MolSpec Lab and study Xe-indole clusters using Microwave Spectroscopy. In her free time, Tatiana enjoys playing the guitar, reading, and knitting. 

Leah  McCarthy POM '25

Leah McCarthy POM ’25

Leah is a third-year Pomona student majoring in Physics. She is interested in engineering, medical physics, and instrumentation, and is excited to help with construction and design around the lab. In her free time she likes hanging out in the library, playing volleyball, and decimating the Hoch’s ice cream supply.

Natchayaporn (Bam) Sindhurrattavej '26

Natchayaporn (Bam) Sindhurrattavej ’26

Bam is a junior chemistry major, planning a concentration in art and an emphasis in data science. She joined the MolSpec lab in her junior year, studying 5-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidin-2-one by laser and spectroscopy techniques. Prior to this lab, Bam did research on peptide amphiphiles in the HMC Molecular Engineering Lab and did material-science internships in Thailand. Outside the lab, Bam likes watching series, playing racket sports, and enjoying diverse types of food.

Caroline Sorrells '26

Caroline Sorrells ’26

Caroline is a sophomore planning to major in either Chemistry or Math-Physics with a concentration in either philosophy, music or French—and as you can probably tell from the first part of this sentence, she’s very indecisive. She absolutely loves being a part of the MolSpec lab and couldn’t ask for a better group! When she’s not working, she enjoys journaling, traveling, and hiking. 

Luna York '26

Luna York ’26

Luna is a first-year student who plans to major in chemistry with a concentration in music. She has loved chemistry since his first chemistry olympiad in eighth grade and is eager to learn more in Prof. Hernandez-Castillo’s lab. She is especially interested in learning about the intersection of chemistry and physics by studying molecular spectroscopy. Outside the lab, Luna loves to watch sports, play video games, and read fantasy novels.

Summer Research

Jee-In Kwon '25

Jee-In Kwon ’25

Jee-In is a Physics major often humbled by the number of times physics concludes her observations and instincts to be false. At Pomona, she turns into an English major. You can find her avidly consuming books, scribbling away in notebooks, and ruminating over metaphysical uncertainty. She is excited to be a part of the MolSpec group and take a small step in understanding the mechanism of anesthetics.

Elena Williams '25

Elena Williams ’25

Elena is a sophomore probably studying CS and physics with a history concentration. She’s excited to learn about the challenges of building a new lab and to work on such an interesting interdisciplinary problem! In her free time, she likes to write, eat chocolate, and watch or read mysteries.

Diana Park '26

Diana Park ’26

Diana is a rising sophomore planning to major in computer science and math with a concentration in art. However, she has had a love for chemistry since taking AP chemistry during high school and is excited to learn more chemistry while working in this lab. She is especially excited to discover ways that computer science, math, and chemistry intersect and work together in this project. Outside of the lab, Diane loves doing taekwondo, drawing, and spending time outdoors.