The Group
Current Group Members
Prof. Aaron L. Odom
odoma@msu.edu
Aaron holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a graduate student he worked under Prof. Christopher "Kit" C. Cummins in the development of new methodologies for the synthesis of nitrido ligands using NO and N2 cleavage. After graduation, he did a postdoctoral stint with Prof. Daniel G. Nocera at M.I.T. working in photonic to chemical energy conversion. He began his career at Michigan State University in 1999 and was promoted to full professor in 2007. He has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and has been an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator.
“Prof. Odom will no longer respond to unsolicited applications for postdoctoral positions. If there is a pdf position available, we are required by law to post an advertisement, and all are welcome to respond. Thank you for your understanding.”
Graduate Students
Sazia Sultana
Sazia obtained her M.Sc. in Chemistry from the National University of Bangladesh in 2015. During her time there, she engaged in the synthesis and characterization of water-soluble sulphonated acetone formaldehyde (superplasticizer) under the guidance of Dr. Purobi Rani Samaddar and Dr. Zenefar Yeasmin. Starting in 2016, she held the position of a Research fellow at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, where her research was primarily centered around the preparation of bioceramic materials for biological applications with Dr. Samina Ahmed. In December 2022, she became a member of the Odom group, focusing her research on the application of photoredox catalysts in organic synthetic chemistry, particularly emphasizing ligand-to-ligand charge transfer phenomena.
Md Matiar Rahman
Matiar earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh in 2017. During his time there, he conducted research on the synthesis and characterization of osmium clusters with a thiosaccharide ligand under the guidance of Prof. Shariff Enamul Kabir. In 2018, he commenced his position as a chemistry lecturer at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj, Bangladesh. In December 2022, Matiar became a part of the Odom group, where his research is centered around modeling and catalyst development for alkyne metathesis. He also revolves around synthesizing and exploring inhibitors targeting the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) gene.
Gunner Mitchem
Gunner earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Chemistry at Montana State University in 2021. There he conducted research with Dr. Sharon Neufeldt, assisting with solvent studies in Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reactions. During his undergraduate studies, he also completed a REU at the University of North Dakota, where he worked with Dr. Alena Kubátová to investigate the degradation products of lignin. Gunner joined the Odom group in December 2023, where he is beginning his research into three-component coupling reactions.
Ryan Eleveld
Ryan earned his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, where he worked with Profs. Eric Oldfield & Joshua Vura-Weis on the development of undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory experiments. He joined the Odom group in 2024, and currently works on improving our understanding of titanium (and occasionally nickel) photochemistry, as well as developing computational models for determining the Ligand Donor Parameter. In his free time, he can be found quilting or leading the fearless WiC outreach team.
Sigrid Olsen
Sigrid earned her B.A. in Chemistry from St. Olaf College in 2025. There, she worked with Dr. Anna Brezny developing novel methods of oxidative cleavage using biologically-inspired organometallic catalysts. During this time, she also completed research through the Sherwin-Williams industrial coatings department, creating more durable electrocoating polymer systems. Sigrid joined the Odom group in December of 2025, and has since been investigating the use of titanium catalysts for the synthesis of complex ring systems.
Tanner Gasteazoro
Tanner graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a B.S. in chemistry in 2025. His undergraduate research was multifaceted, conducting research in organic chemistry by developing a teaching lab, with thesis work in organometallic titanium coordination chemistry. In the Odom Group, his current research centers on the synthesis of new ligands and rare earth metal complexes, with a focus on reaction modeling and catalysis. In his spare time, Tanner enjoys playing tennis and watching sporting events of all types. Feel free to email Tanner with any questions!
Gabrielle Onnenga
Gabrielle (Gabby) received her chemistry degree at Cal Poly Humboldt, California, in May of 2025. She worked under Prof. Jorge Monteiro on synthesis, quantum yield determination, and spectroscopy of several luminescent lanthanide complexes. In 2026, she joined the group of Prof. Aaron Odom at Michigan State University. In the Odom lab, she is synthesizing and modeling reactivity of uranium complexes. Outside of the lab, she enjoys doing fiber arts, playing video games, and listening to tons of music. Feel free to email Gabby with any questions!
Undergraduates
Your name here! Contact Prof. Odom if interest in undergraduate research.
Arianna Tzakis
Summer 2026-present
Kevin Vega Paredes
Fall 2025-present
Tyler Recklin
Spring 2026-present
Group Photos
First row, left to right: Ryan, Gunner, Tanner, Matiar, Aaron
Second row, left to right: Gabby, Sigrid, Sazia
First row, left to right: Andre, Sazia, Rashmi, Saima, and Ethan
Second row, left to right: Gunner, Aaron, Matiar, and Kate
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Left to right: Seokjoo, Lingqing, Rashmi, Aaron, Sean, Hannah, Zhilin
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Left to right: Seokjoo, Hannah, Rashmi, Aaron, Linqing, Zhilin, Sean