People

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering (2025)

CV ~ Google Scholar

Kara grew up in Highlands Ranch, Colorado and received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University in 2016. She then completed an MPhil in Materials Science at the University of Cambridge through the support of a Churchill Scholarship. Kara graduated with her PhD from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, co-advised by Prof. Kristin Persson and Prof. Bryan McCloskey. She then went on to complete her postdoctoral work as a Schmidt Science Fellow and Junior Research Fellow in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, working with Profs. Clare Grey and Angelos Michaelides. She will join Caltech as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering in June 2025. Outside of research, Kara is an avid birdwatcher.

Maddy is a first-year PhD student in our group. Originally from Lakewood, CO, she earned her BS in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Mathematics, from the University of Minnesota in 2024. Outside of her academic and research pursuits, Maddy is passionate about staying active and embracing the outdoors through snowboarding, running, hiking, weightlifting, and yoga.