I am in my senior undergraduate year at RPI and have been a member of the synthetic carbohydrate chemistry subgroup in the Linhardt Lab since January 2015. Currently, I work with graduate student Demetria Dickinson, whose project is centered on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of Arixtra, and therefore my research involves the chemoenzymatic synthesis and purification of heparin oligosaccharides. As a co-terminal student, I will graduate with a BS and MS in chemistry in the Spring of 2017 (my MS thesis will also be overseen by Professor Linhardt), after which I intend to pursue my doctorate in synthetic organic chemistry. I hope to one day work in an industrial rather than academic setting, ideally as a synthetic medicinal chemist at either the development- or process-scale in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology sectors. My academic interests primarily pertain to organic synthesis, and include: synthesis of biologically-active and structurally-complex natural products; development of novel synthetic methodologies; the use of bioprospecting to search for novel structural scaffolds to serve as hit compounds in drug discovery process; the use of total synthesis to recreate nature's most complex scaffolds; novel separation and purification techniques; development of novel catalysts for organic reactions, and; the engineering of novel enzymes to replace chemical reagents in organic reactions. My interests outside of the lab include astronomy, as well as exploring nature and of course visiting zoos with my wife, Angela, as we love animals.