Faculty
Jessica Anna
Prof. Jessica Anna received her B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006, where she worked with Prof. David Pratt. She then moved on to complete her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 2011 where she worked with Prof. Kevin Kubarych using two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy to investigate equilibrium dynamics. After completing her Ph.D. she worked with Prof. Greg Scholes at the University of Toronto as a postdoctoral fellow where she used two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to investigate natural light harvesting complexes. In 2014, she joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2022. In 2023 she joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh as a full professor. Her work focuses on using ultrafast pump probe and multidimensional spectroscopies to investigate photoinduced processes and ultrafast dynamics in systems that are relevant to solar energy conversion, including natural light harvesting complexes, artificial light harvesting chromophores and isolated cofactors, and bioinspired systems and (photo)-catalysts. She has received the DOE Early Career Award, NSF CAREER award, and the 2019 Sloan Fellowship.
Kevin Carter-Fenk
Kevin is an alumnus of The Ohio State University (Chemistry B.S., 2015) where they worked in the laboratory of Prof. James Cowan for 3 years. Fascinated by quantum mechanics, Kevin shifted their focus to theoretical chemistry during their graduate studies at The Ohio State University where they earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 2021 under Prof. John Herbert’s mentorship. During this time, Kevin developed computational models to understand π-stacking and devised algorithms to stabilize non-Aufbau solutions to self-consistent field equations. Kevin then pursued a postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley in Prof. Martin Head-Gordon’s group, developing computational methods for x-ray absorption spectroscopy and many-body perturbation theory. Now launching their independent career at Pitt, Kevin is passionate about leveraging quantum chemistry to address pressing challenges posed by climate change. Specifically, their research aims to develop novel computational methods that can contribute to the design and understanding of sustainable energy technologies. To read more of Dr. Carter-Fenk’s research, click here.
Grace Kenney
A Cleveland native, Dr. Grace Kenney earned an S.B. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a graduate student, Dr. Kenney joined the laboratory of Prof. Amy Rosenzweig at Northwestern University, investigating the biosynthesis and biological roles of copper-binding natural products produced by methane oxidizing bacteria, and ultimately receiv-ing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. Support for this research came from several sources, includ-ing an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship and a Northwestern University Pres-idential Fellowship. As a postdoctoral researcher in the group of Prof. Emily Balskus at Harvard University, Dr. Kenney’s work focused on new enzyme families that form nitrogen-nitrogen bonds in diverse natural products. Support for this research came from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, where Dr. Kenney was a Merck Fellow. Work in the future Ken-ney lab will focus on deciphering the mechanisms of new microbial (metallo)enzymes and on characterizing and engineering new classes of bioactive natural products.
Stephanie Rankin-Turner
The Department of Chemistry is happy to welcome Dr. Stephanie Rankin-Turner as an assistant professor in the upcoming academic year. Stephanie received her Ph.D. from Loughborough University in the UK, where she worked in the laboratory of Dr. James Reyn-olds developing ambient ionization mass spectrometry techniques for the analysis of bio-logical materials. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Conor McMeniman in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, studying the chemi-cal basis of mosquito attraction to humans and the effects of Plasmodium falcipa-rum infection on the human volatilome. At Pitt, the Rankin-Turner lab will focus on the use of ambient ionization mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to study the human volatilome, with a particular emphasis on how the volatilome changes in response to factors such as disease, infection, and environmental exposure.
Staff
Natalie Giacobe
Meet Natalie Giacobe, the friendly face behind the scenes in the Chemistry Department. With a Bachelor of Science from Penn State, Natalie's passion for science shines through in everything she does.
When she's not busy keeping things running smoothly, Natalie enjoys twirling her baton and spending time with her two adorable cats. With experience in both life science and clinical psychology research, Natalie brings a unique perspective and a warm, approachable vibe to the team.
As your trusty faculty support admin, Natalie is here to help make your day a little brighter and your workload a little lighter. So don't hesitate to reach out—whether you need assistance or just want to chat about cats, Natalie's got you covered!
Leah Schwotzer
Chemistry’s new Buyer is Leah Schwotzer with over 15 years of buying experience. Outside of the office Leah enjoys reading mysteries, visiting historic sites, and photography when not driving her daughter to horse related activities. Her family includes her husband, two teenage daughters, two Siamese cats and as of December, a horse, which keeps life interesting.
Lauren Zufall
Chemistry’s new Administrative Officer is Lauren Zufall. She comes to the department from the School of Medicine and has additional non-profit experience. A Pittsburgh native, she enjoys kayaking and exploring with her husband Matt and little son Orion. When she’s not busy managing administrative and personnel matters for the department, she likes to birdwatch, read philosophy and history, work with glass, and get schooled by her son at Mario Kart.
