{"id":81,"date":"2020-05-13T21:25:16","date_gmt":"2020-05-13T21:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-as.vanderbilt.edu\/chemistry\/?page_id=81"},"modified":"2025-12-16T20:06:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T20:06:49","slug":"phd-placements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/chemistry\/phd-placements\/","title":{"rendered":"Placements"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Your Success Story Is Waiting.<\/span> Vanderbilt chemistry prepares graduate students with the interdisciplinary training needed to research and solve big problems. Our students have gone into wide-ranging fields including pharmaceuticals, medicine, research, and more.<\/p>\r\n

Alumni Spotlights<\/h2>\r\n

Scott chapp, Ph.D. \u201921 (SCHLEY Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Group Leader, Polyolefins, Research and Development, Boulder Scientific Company<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cAt Vanderbilt, the Chemistry Graduate Program prioritizes investing in individual development. Like any successful entity, the people and their passion drive year-over-year growth. Through close collaboration with colleagues and superior mentorship, Vanderbilt creates a prime environment to develop independent researchers who can drive scientific innovation. The education I received at Vanderbilt cannot be quantified by metrics or publications, but rather through depth\/breadth of knowledge acquired and chemical intuition honed over years of experimentation. Vanderbilt not only built my confidence as a synthetic chemist and leader, but allowed me to explore my curiosities while creating lasting friendships.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

eric d. Huseman, Ph.d. \u201921 (townsend Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Marquette University<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe graduate program in the Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University provided the ideal environment for my development into an independent scientist. My development was shaped by my interactions with faculty members, instrument core directors, and peers, many of whom I am still in contact with today. Through these interactions and the rigor of Vanderbilt\u2019s PhD program, I learned how to ask and answer important scientific questions.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Don E. Davis Jr, Ph.D. \u201921 (McLean Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Scientist, Janssen Pharmaceuticals<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe graduate program in the Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University is an excellent environment for advancing scientific curiosity. My scientific development was mainly due to being mentored efficiently, having access to a wealth of knowledge\/resources, and experiencing collaborative inquiry consistently. In addition, Vanderbilt is located next door to its medical center and in the heart of Nashville, which gives its students many professional and personal\/social development options both within and outside of Vanderbilt\u2019s campus. Therefore, I think the opportunities at the graduate program in the Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University are essential for developing the next generation of scientific leaders.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Kelly M. Craft, ph.d. \u201918 (Townsend Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Senior Scientist, AbbVie Pharmaceuticals<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe biggest impact of the graduate program in chemistry is that it helped me settle on a career path (one which I didn\u2019t know I wanted to pursue until my time in the Townsend lab). The department introduced me to a highly collaborative environment between biologists and chemists and showed me how fruitful these collaborations can be in research. I was given the opportunity to do research outside my primary discipline\u2014which helped me become an effective communicator and enhanced my scientific writing and reading skills.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Michael W. Danneman, ph.d. \u201916 (Johnston Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Senior Scientist, Discovery Chemistry, Moderna Therapeutics<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u201cThe Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University offers a top-quality education along with exciting research opportunities. The knowledge base that was established during my time at Vanderbilt allowed me to reach my full potential to become the best possible scientist I could be. My exposure to the cutting-edge research within the Vanderbilt Department of Chemistry taught me effective problem-solving skill that I still use, professionally, to this day.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Daniel J. Sprague, ph.d. \u201916 (Johnston Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u201cGiven the opportunity, I would choose the Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt for my graduate studies every single time. The program, and the department, truly has everything you could ever ask for as a young scientist. This includes all of the physical resources to be successful, but it’s more than that. The mentoring in the department is top-notch, and everyone is always looking for an opportunity to lend a helping hand. The breadth of research topics, and the collaborative atmosphere, is infectious. Classes are informative and more importantly relevant, and it’s a unique and invigorating environment in which to learn. Everyone is always excited to “ask the next question” or tackle the next big challenge in the field. This is something that I learned quickly is invaluable, and not found everywhere. Outside of the lab, Nashville offers everything you could ask of a big city, while still maintaining the feel of a small city. There’s live music, sports, theater, and great food.

Though I went on to medical school and then did a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular parasitology and drug discovery, I often mention to colleagues that I’m only the scientist I am today because of my graduate training and time at Vanderbilt. You come out of the program prepared to be a leader in your field.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

JOSEPH KEENE, ph.d. \u201915 (ROSENTHAL Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Associate Professor of Chemistry, Mercer University<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u00a0\u201cVanderbilt’s graduate program in Chemistry is a place that fosters the growth and development of its students while also addressing real problems facing our world through the advancement of science and generation of new knowledge. My experiences and the mentoring I received pushed me to ‘become my own scientist’ which prepared me to find success in my career path. The opportunities I was provided while at Vanderbilt were enriching and allowed me to pursue my own intellectual curiosities. Furthermore, the interdisciplinary nature of the program instilled an appreciation for multiple and diverse perspectives when approaching a problem which has been integral as I have navigated my own challenges in my professional career and in life.”<\/p>\r\n

R. Nathan Daniels, ph.d. \u201910 (Lindsley Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Union University College of Pharmacy<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cMy time in Vanderbilt\u2019s Department of Chemistry shaped me in ways that reach far beyond the lab. I was exposed to modern instrumentation and industry techniques, and I worked on projects that helped me become a better chemist while also teaching me how to collaborate well with people outside my discipline. I was surrounded by faculty who truly cared about whether students learned the material, and I had a mentor, along with staff scientists in the group, who invested in my growth and wanted me to develop into an independent scientist. They taught me how to persevere, meet deadlines, and keep moving forward when experiments did not cooperate. Vanderbilt also helped me find my voice as a communicator, and learning to present clearly and share information well has been one of the most lasting gifts of my graduate training, directly shaping how I teach, mentor, and care for students today. I care deeply about their growth, I want them to understand the \u201cwhy,\u201d and I want them to be prepared for whatever next step they\u2019re called to. I also look back fondly on the community I found there, and traditions like our group Christmas parties reminded me that we could work hard and still celebrate together, which is part of what made the department feel special.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Leila F. Deravi, ph.d. \u201909 (Wright Lab)<\/h4>\r\n

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\u201cMatriculating through the chemistry Ph.D. program at Vanderbilt was a great experience for me. In many ways, it gave me my first taste of what it takes to do translational science and the power behind building the right team in accomplishing these goals. At Vanderbilt, I got the opportunity and freedom to engage with multiple faculty and graduate students across science and engineering to help accomplish my research goals. This experience helped to propel me into my own independent career as a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Northeastern University, where I try to provide my own students and postdocs with similar opportunities in building their careers.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Previous Placements (2015-Present)<\/h2>\r\n

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Graduate Program Alumni<\/h2>\r\n\n\n\n\n
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