People
Leadership Team
Dr. Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann - Director, Co-founder
Reaching out to Stanford’s diverse body of students and beyond to share the excitement of scientific discovery has been a growing passion for Dr. Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann. In addition to coordinating and co-teaching Stanford’s freshmen chemistry sequence, she takes a leadership role in developing training programs for teaching assistants and enhancing classroom and lab experiences for undergraduates, while also providing STEM learning opportunities for incoming freshmen and local high school students.
Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann studied chemistry at Washington University in Saint Louis Missouri (A.B. 2002) before coming to Stanford University as a graduate student (Ph.D. 2008). Her thesis work under Prof. Edward Solomon addressed structural contributions to reactivity in active sites of non-heme di-iron enzymes, including ferritins. She joined the Stanford Center (now Vice Provost) for Teaching and Learning as a Teaching Fellow in 2008. In 2009, she became Lecturer and Introductory Course Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry, and in 2011 was promoted to Senior Lecturer. She has received multiple awards for her teaching and training work, including the Walter J. Gores Award for Excellence in Teaching, Dean’s Award for Achievements in Teaching, Hoagland Award Fund for Innovations in Undergraduate Teaching, and Society of Latino Engineers and School of Engineering’s Professor of the Year Award.
Hannah Bartels - Co-Graduate Student Lead
Hannah is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Chemistry Department working in the Karunadasa Lab. She utilizes high-pressure measurement techniques to uncover the structural origins of optoelectronic and transport properties in novel halide perovskite materials. Along with research, Hannah has been a teaching assistant for several introductory chemistry courses including Chem 31A, 31B, and 33, and has taught in the department's TA training program. She also contributed to the development of the new chemistry fundamentals course, Chem 11. Now, she continues to contribute to teaching and mentorship in the department as a co-graduate student lead of the STEMentors program, Chem 31S! Hannah's interests outside of chemistry and teaching include singing in community choirs, photography, and baking.
Andy Mitchell - Co-Graduate Student Lead
Andy is a 5th-year Chemistry PhD student in the Rotskoff Lab. He studies computational statistical mechanics, stochastic thermodynamics, and transition state theory. In addition to his research, Andy has volunteered his time to assist with the instruction of the Chem 30 series for several years; he served as a TA for Chem 31A, 31B, and 33, and he has led problem-solving sessions and additional office hours for those classes in the years following his TAship. He now co-leads the STEMentors program and helped to develop the department's new introductory chemistry course, CHEM 11. He currently plans to look for a teaching job after the completion of his graduate program. In his free time, Andy enjoys spending time with his wife Jamie and his puppy Baloo, hanging out with friends, watching Dodger baseball, playing video games, and driving down to his native Orange County to visit family.
Current Mentors
Amit Kumthekar
Amit is a sophomore at Stanford University where he is majoring in Bioengineering and hopes to pursue medicine in the future. He went to an underserved high school in Santa Rosa, CA where his curiosity for chemistry wasn’t filled by the program his high school offered. The chemistry 31A/B series at Stanford reinforced Amit’s passion for chemistry and inspired him to share all that he had learned from the class. His research on monogenic forms of diabetes applied principles from the Chem 31 series to better understand the kinetics of an important insulin regulatory enzyme. Outside of school Amit loves badminton and tennis and is a huge formula 1 fan! Ultimately, as a part of the STEMentors program Amit hopes to continue sharing his love for science while encouraging students to find their own reasons for loving science.
Nicholas Macedo
Nicholas Macedo is a Senior at Stanford University majoring in Biology. Originally from Boston, MA, Nicholas strives to uplift FLI/URM students working to pursue a career in STEM. He is an undergraduate researcher studying the application of stem cell therapies to stroke models, a volunteer with the Cardinal Free Clinics, and plans to pursue a career in emergency medicine. Nicholas understands the challenges of being a student from an under-resourced background and looks forward to assisting students navigate their Stanford academic experience, building strong study habits, and succeeding in their goals.
Jonathan Morales
Jonathan is a junior majoring in Human Biology, studying the influence of neuroscience on human cognition and behavior. He aspires to pursue a career in pediatric emergency medicine at a teaching institution, where he can combine his passions for teaching, pediatric development, and emergency medicine. An active EMT, Jonathan is engaged in fieldwork and is heavily involved in campus activities. In his free time, he enjoys journaling, digital design, photography, and running. Although he initially felt intimidated upon arriving at Stanford, he quickly learned to navigate the abundant resources available to students and found his place within the community. Jonathan is committed to helping bridge the gap between students and the support they need to thrive and make the most of their Stanford experience, and he is excited to work with new students this year as a valuable resource.
Savahna Padilla
Savahna is a junior at Stanford from Salinas, California and is studying Biology. She hopes to pursue a career in dentistry where she will be able to combine her scientific and artistic interests to expand health equity. She is also an active member of Comunidad for Health Equity (CHE), the Stanford Pre-Dental Association, and is the vice president of Stanford's Undergraduate Student National Dental Association (USNDA). Furthermore, coming from an under-resourced high school with a limited science background, Savahna is passionate about helping others succeed and develop confidence in STEM fields. Through her personal experiences at Stanford, she learned how to efficiently utilize resources that ultimately revealed new academic and career possibilities. Championing a growth mindset, she believes that regardless of anyone's background, they possess the ability to flourish in anything they implement their efforts into! During her free time, Savahna enjoys posting on her blog, hiking, and she recently learned how to crochet!
Isabelle Pena
Isabelle is a sophomore at Stanford University from Roseville, CA, majoring in Chemical Engineering with aspirations of pursuing an MD/PhD, with a focus on oncology. She works in the Abu-Remaileh lab, conducting research in lipidomics and metabolomics. Isabelle is actively involved in Side by Side, Stanford’s volunteer a cappella group. She also serves on the ALChE exec board, participates in Stanford Women in Medicine, and dedicates time to Camp Kesem. A former LSPXII scholar, Isabelle is passionate about supporting fellow FLI and minority students and is dedicated to personal growth and building community. In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, hiking, and singing.
Barbod Vaezeafshar
Barbod is a sophomore at Stanford University where he is double majoring in Biology and Psychology, with aspirations of going to medical school and becoming a physician scientist. He was born in Iran and moved to the Bay Area with his family when he was six years old. From an early age, he saw the impact of peer mentors during his adjustment to a new environment in the United States. As a STEMentor, he wants to provide the same comfort, relatability, and guidance that he received from his mentors. On campus, Barbod is part of Stanford Running Club and is also a Chemistry Appointment Tutor in the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning. In his free time, Barbod likes to hang out with friends, go on runs, and watch soccer, with his favorite team being FC Barcelona.
Jude Wolf
Hi! My name is Jude (he/him), and I am a junior majoring in Biology and Art Practice. I am pre-med and from Denver, Colorado. Aside from being super passionate about chemistry, I enjoy the arts, the outdoors, trying new food, doing cancer research, and fostering senior dogs. Coming to Stanford from a large public high school with no chemistry background was intimidating at first– but STEMentors showed me that everyone has the ability to succeed, and you are never alone in the transition.
Founders
Professor Robert Waymouth - Faculty Lead, Co-founder
Robert Eckles Swain Professor in Chemistry Robert Waymouth investigates new catalytic strategies to create useful new molecules, including bioactive polymers, synthetic fuels, and sustainable plastics. In one such breakthrough, Professor Waymouth and Professor Wender developed a new class of gene delivery agents.Born in 1960 in Warner Robins, Georgia, Robert Waymouth studied chemistry and mathematics at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia (B.S. and B.A., respectively, both summa cum laude, 1982). He developed an interest in synthetic and mechanistic organometallic chemistry during his doctoral studies in chemistry at the California Institute of Technology under Professor R.H. Grubbs (Ph.D., 1987). His postdoctoral research with Professor Piero Pino at the Institut fur Polymere, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, focused on catalytic hydrogenation with chiral metallocene catalysts. He joined the Stanford University faculty as assistant professor in 1988, becoming full professor in 1997 and in 2000 the Robert Eckles Swain Professor of Chemistry. Today, the Waymouth Group applies mechanistic principles to develop new concepts in catalysis, with particular focus on the development of organometallic and organic catalysts for the synthesis of complex macromolecular architectures. Professor Waymouth is an instructor for CHEM 31A: Chemical Principles I, the first course in Stanford's introductory chemistry sequence.
Professor Dory DeWeese
Prof. Dory DeWeese is a proud alumnus of the Stanford Chemistry Department, where she earned her Ph.D. in 2024 with Prof. Edward Solomon studying the structure and function of non-heme iron metalloenzymes. She also worked extensively with Dr. Jennifer Schwartz Poehlmann and her team to create equitable learning environments in the general chemistry course series to support all students, which included founding and building the STEMentors program! She is now an Assistant Teaching Professor at UCLA, where her research will focus on expanding equitable chemical education by developing new equitable education practices to enhance student’s feeling of belonging and success in chemistry and re-designing large enrollment courses to tailor instruction to individual needs and knowledge levels of students.
Collaborators
Shima Salehi
Shima Salehi is a Research Assistant Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education, and the director of IDEAL research lab, the research component of Stanford IDEAL initiative to promote inclusivity, diversity, equity and access in learning communities. Her research focuses on how to use different instructional practices to teach science and engineering more effectively and inclusively. For effective science and engineering education, Dr. Salehi has studied effective scientific problem-solving and developed empirical framework for main problem-solving practices to train students in. Based on these findings, she has designed instructional activities to provide students with explicit opportunities to learn these problem-solving practices. These activities have been implemented in different science and engineering courses. For Inclusive science and engineering, she examines different barriers for equity in STEM education and through what instructional and/or institutional changes they can be addressed. Her recent works focus on what are the underlying mechanisms for demographic performance gaps in STEM college education, and what instructional practices better serve students from different demographic backgrounds. Salehi holds a PhD in Learning Sciences and a PhD minor in Psychology from Stanford University, and received a B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. She is the founder of KhanAcademyFarsi, a non-profit educational organization which has provided service to Farsi-speaking students, particularly in under-privileged areas.
Jocelyn (Josie) Nardo
Jocelyn (Josie) Nardo is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University doing chemistry education research. She investigates the experiences of historically and systematically excluded groups in higher education chemistry programs. Her work combines quantitative analysis with qualitative methods such as photovoice, focus groups, and interviews to provide a holistic view of equity challenges. Josie also integrates innovative participatory methods, like photovoice, where students visually capture and narrate their own experiences in chemistry education. Additionally, her work on professional development for BIPOC scholars within STEM programs includes using observation protocols in educational settings, capturing interactions, mentoring relationships, and teaching practices. This multi-layered approach helps her bridge the gap between data and lived experiences, aiming to inform evidence-based practices and policies for more inclusive educational environments.
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports evidence-based and inclusive learning and teaching practices, educational programs and training, community building, and strong collaborations and partnerships with schools, departments, and other offices. Learn more at ctl.stanford.edu.
Leland Scholars Program (LSP)
Leland Scholars Program (LSP) facilitates the transition to college for incoming Stanford frosh who may be the first in their families to attend college, attended under-resourced high schools, or are from low-income backgrounds. The program starts with a summer bridge experience in August, and continues with a first-year seminar, advising, and ongoing events throughout students' time at Stanford. Learn more at lelandscholars.stanford.edu.
Past Mentors
Victoria Villarreal (Lead Mentor)
Cameron Ehsan (Lead Mentor)
Jennifter Hamad
Jordan Vedelli
Sameer Sundrani (Lead Mentor)
Isaac Applebaum (Lead Mentor)
Christian Tocol
Blen Kedir
Famyrah Lafortune
Cameron Mirhossaini
Karim Aloul
Olawunmi Akinlemibola
Olayemi Ajao
Winnie Huang