Cassie Joiner
Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Prof. Joiner received her Bachelors of Science in Chemistry at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. She moved to the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) for her PhD in Chemistry. There she worked under the supervision of Prof. Anna Mapp to design new photo-activatable unnatural amino acids to capture transient protein-protein interactions in live yeast. For her postdoctoral work she moved to Harvard Medical School to work with Prof. Suzanne Walker. There she fell in love with human O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and its mechanisms for substrate selection.
Prof. Joiner joined the chemistry faculty at St. Olaf in 2020. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of cofactor and substrate selection of human OGT and its eukaryotic homologs.
Tiarra Glogowski ’23
Postbaccalaureate Research Technician
Tiarra received her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry here at St. Olaf College. She is from Lakeville, MN, and currently resides in Northfield, MN. She enjoys playing with her dog (Murphy), hitting up a local CrossFit gym, listening to music, and multitasking numerous arts and crafts. After St. Olaf, Tiarra hopes to pursue medical or graduate school, as she is currently exploring both options.
Joined Fall 2023
Yousef Abualatta ’27
My full name is Yousef A Y Abualatta, I am pursuing a Chemistry major and a Biomolecular Sciences concentration. I was born and raised in a refugee camp in the middle area of Gaza Palestine where I grew up with a passion for sciences, volunteer work, and sports. When I was 16 I travelled alone to a small village called DUINO in the eastern north of Italy where I participated in a two-year programme of UWC and I had matured in a multi-national environment. In my free time, I enjoy practising soccer, running, and working alongside others in developing college organisations and clubs. After St. Olaf, I am hoping to pursue a path in Medicine by going to medical school either in the US or abroad, however, I am still open to other options that could be better suited for me.
Joined Summer 2024
Amelia Christenson ’25
Joined Spring 2024
Huy Vo Huynh ’25
Huy is a rising sophomore from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is majoring in chemistry and biology, with a concentration in biomolecular sciences. In his free time, he enjoys listening to classical music and reading thriller novels. He hopes to discover more about biochemistry and molecule biology in future courses and research. After graduation, he also plans to go to graduate school.
Joined Summer 2022
Peter Leach ’25
Peter is majoring in Chemistry and Biology. He grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota where he enjoys doing anything outside, including hammocking, hiking, camping, and winter activities like snowboarding and skiing. After St. Olaf, Peter hopes to attend medical school.
Joined Spring 2023
Anna Lunstad ’26
Anna is majoring in chemistry with a concentration in biomolecular science. She is from Colorado and enjoys dancing and spending time outdoors skiing, hiking, and climbing.
Joined Summer 2023
Meghan Moore ’25
Meghan is majoring in Chemistry. She is from Moorhead, Minnesota. In her free time, Meghan loves to figure skate, spend time with friends, and travel to new places. She also plays the violin in the Philharmonia orchestra at St. Olaf. Meghan hopes to attend medical school one day.
Joined Spring 2023
Kasandra Padilla ’27
Joined Spring 2024 – EMERGE SCHOLAR
Abby Towle ’26
Abby is majoring in Chemistry with a Biomolecular Sciences concentration. She is from Hopkins, Minnesota, and enjoys playing clarinet, running, and tending to her plants. She also loves a vast variety of music. After St. Olaf, she hopes to attend dental school and possible pursue a career in orthodontic care.
Joined Spring 2023 – EMERGE SCHOLAR
Ella Yarris ’26
Ella is pursuing a music major on the pre-medicine track. She is from Portland, Oregon, and in her free time, she likes crafting, spending time outdoors, and making music.
Joined Summer 2023
Roz
Lab Mascot #1
Miss. Rosalyn Franklin (Roz for short) cheers on her mom’s research and is always up for donating cat whiskers in the name of science!
Fitz
Lab Mascot #2
Mr. F. Scott Fitzgerald (Fitz for short) always provides goofiness and purrs of encouragement when science isn’t cooperating – when he isn’t writing he next big novel of course.
Joiner Lab Alumni
Kate Desrochers ’24 – Summer 2021 – Spring 2024 – Graduate Student, University of Michigan PhD Program in Chemical Biology
Yalda Pourshaban ’24 – Summer 2023 – Spring 2024 – Research Assistant, Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease at Northwestern University
Melanie Roberts ’24 – Fall 2021 – Spring 2024 – Graduate Student, University of California at San Diego, Chemistry PhD Program
Jack Taylor ’24 – Summer 2021 – Spring 2024
Rose Lopez ’25 – Summer 2023 – TRIO McNair Scholar
Kate Dallmier ’23 – Summer 2021 – Spring 2023 – Graduate Student, University of Minnesota Chemistry PhD Program
Simón Gutiérrez ’23 – Spring 2023
Holly Petersen ’23 – Summer 2022 – Spring 2023 – Graduate Student, University of Alabama – Birmingham Biochemistry/Structural Biology PhD Program
Madi Rognerud ’23 – Summer 2022 – Spring 2023 – Medical Scribe
Ben Westrum ’23 – Spring 2023 – Surgical Dermatology Medical Assistant, Tareen Dermatology
Hahns Huebsch ’24 – Spring 2022-Summer 2022 – Peace Corp in Zambia
Kaitlyn Chalfant ’22 – Spring 2021 – Spring 2022 – Medical Student, Oakland University
Grace Wu ’23 – Fall 2022 – Spring 2022
Dana Nelson ’22 – Summer 2021 – Spring 2022 – Research Specialist I, FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics
Erin NewRingeisen ’22 – Spring 2021 – Spring 2022 – Graduate Student, UC – Berkeley Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Program – Niyogi Lab
Kaylee Philbrick ’22 – Summer 2021 – Spring 2022 – NIH IRTA Postbac Program, Hanover Lab
Jenelle Rolli ’22- Spring 2021 – Spring 2022 – Mayo Clinic Postbac, Maher Lab
Brian Olson ’22 – Spring 2021 – Fall 2022 – University of North Dakota Medical School
Hadia Mohammadzadah ’21 – Spring 2021