Ian Garvey in a cap and gown standing in front of an orange background
BS, chemistry (Specialized Curriculum)

Activities: Daily Illini newspaper as a sophomore, IFV as a freshman

Awards: John C. Bailar Award for excellence in undergraduate research

Research: In the Mirica lab, I worked primarily on the synthesis and characterization of a new bidentate pyridinophane ligand, followed by a slew of para substituted derivatives. These ligands were then used to make novel low-valent Nickel complexes, which could have promising reactivity and applications in catalysis. Garvey presented his research at the 2022 Chemistry Summer Undergraduate Poster Session on the UIUC campus.

“This experience was a great outlet for me to become more confident in my knowledge and skills in Chemistry, as I had to be able to explain all aspects of my project during the presentation. I also find talking about research with others to be extremely satisfying, as it is exciting to interact with people who are engaged/interested in your research,” he said.

Important mentors: I started my undergraduate research as a sophomore in Alison Fout’s lab during the Fall of 2020. At that point in time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in chemistry, and I was also struggling with feeling like I didn’t belong. Despite the ongoing pandemic and uncertainty, Alison found a graduate student within her lab that was willing to train me: Kelly Gullett. Working in the Fout lab not only showed me my true passion within chemistry (synthetic inorganic research) but helped strengthen my knowledge and skills within the field. It also helped bolster my communication skills, as working with other people in such a technically demanding job can be challenging. I truly want to thank Alison and Kelly for their indescribable compassion, patience, and knowledge, which played a critical role in making me the aspiring research chemist I am today.

Future: Pursuing PhD in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Shannon Stahl’s lab, where Garvey will start research this summer.

Undergrad highlight: The people I’ve met working in both the Fout lab and Liviu Mirica lab. The graduate students and faculty members at this institution are absolutely at the top of their field, and they have no limit on knowledge and skills to teach. Moreover, I have not met someone at UIUC who hasn’t been helpful and genuinely enjoyable to interact with.

Why Illinois? The inclusive, welcoming research environment the school has. UIUC offers a wide variety of research opportunities, and the faculty members are motivated and well-known in their field! I firmly believe that anyone who goes to UIUC and wants to do some flavor of research, absolutely can!