Hope Long

Hope received her A.A.S. in criminal Justice Technology from North Georgia Technical College in 2017 and her B.S. in Chemistry along with an A.S. in Biology from the University of North Georgia in Spring 2022. She started at the University of Georgia in Fall 2022 where she joined the Klepov group and is currently pursuing her PhD in materials chemistry.

James Casey

Jimmy is from Buford, Georgia and graduated from the University of North Georgia in spring of 2022 with a B.S. in Chemistry. Throughout his undergrad he did analytical research on biological specimens. He joined the Klepov group Fall of 2022 to continue his education and pursue his PhD in Materials Chemistry. During his undergrad, he trained and showed horses along with teaching riding lessons to students. He also has taken several years of classical voice lessons in opera and received a scholarship in his undergraduate university to be in the choir. His other hobbies include golfing and mountain biking.

Aleksandra (Sasha) Valueva

Sasha graduated from the Moscow State University in 2023 with M.S. in Materials Science. Her research was focused on the synthesis of new catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction based on 3d-metal compounds. She joined the Klepov group in Summer 2023 to pursue her PhD in Materials Chemistry. Her other hobbies include embroidery and ballet, which she had been doing for 7 years.

Maksim Tabatadze

Maksim graduated from the Samara National Research University with a B.S./M.S. in Inorganic Chemistry in 2023. His scientific research focused on the synthesis ofnew uranyl bromopropionate complexes. Maksim joined the Klepov group in Summer 2023 to pursue his PhD in Materials Chemistry. In his free time, he plays contract bridge at a semi-professional level.

Kaige Wu

Kaige Wu received his Master’s in Applied Chemistry from Peking University in 2019 and his Master’s in Chemical Engineering from The University of North Dakota in 2023. He is currently carrying out his PhD study on uranium intermetallic compound in Klepov group at the University of Georgia from Fall 2023.

Makaela Everett

Makaela joined the Klepov group to synthesize and characterize new radiation detector materials in 2024. She graduated from UGA with a Bachelors in Chemistry in Spring 2023. In her free time she enjoys football and rock wall climbing.

Akhila Madayambath

Akhila joined the Klepov group in 2024 to study optoelectronic properties of hybrid materials. She received her BS/MS degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM). Her main hobby is listening to music.

Sergei Novikov

Sergei received his B.S. in Chemistry from Samara State University, Russia in 2010. He continued working there as a laboratory assistant and then as a lecturer. Alongside teaching undergraduate courses in Chemistry, Sergei studied new coordination compounds of uranium. In January 2018 Sergei joined Prof. Yurij Mozharivskyj group at McMaster University, Canada, as a graduate student. His project focused on the synthesis and characterization of new inorganic luminescent materials. Sergei also provided support to other students interested in single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. After graduating with Ph.D. from McMaster University, Sergei joined the Klepov group as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. In his free time Sergei enjoys hiking, wildlife observations, cooking, and music.

Emily Chopra

Emily is from Duluth, Georgia and received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Georgia in 2024. She aspires to be a physician with a concentration in radiation and nuclear technology. She joined the Klepov group in Fall 2024 to study radiation detection as a guest researcher during her gap years. Emily also works as an ophthalmic medical assistant. Her hobbies include reading and music.

Jared Solovei

Jared is a fourth-year chemistry major at the University of Georgia. After graduating he plans on continuing his education to pursue a PhD degree in Materials Chemistry. His current project focuses on the purification of starting materials and the synthesis of semiconductor radiation detectors. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his dog.

Jay Krueger

Jay is a third-year chemistry major at the University of Georgia. He is interested in pursuing a career in materials chemistry and plans to go to grad school after graduating. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, reading, and watching baseball.

Keith Ho

Keith is a third-year chemistry major at the University of Georgia. He plans to pursue his doctorate in graduate school in textiles or materials chemistry where he wants to work with sustainable clothing, energy, and general materials sciences. His hobbies and interests include fashion design, streaming, and collecting Pokémon cards.

Olivia Waldis

Olivia is a fourth-year chemistry major at the University of Georgia with a minor in business. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to earn her PhD in Chemistry. Outside of school, Olivia enjoys reading, baking, and music.

Abe Gonzalez

Abe Gonzalez is from Buford, Georgia and is a third-year chemistry and psychology major at UGA. He plans to pursue graduate school to become a Physician’s assistant. Outside of lab, he enjoys dancing, playing sports, and spending time with his friends and family.

Hope Eden Smith

Hope was doing research with the Klepov group as a part of the SURO program at UGA while she was a senior at Valdosta State University. She is graduating in May 2024 with a B.S. in Chemistry as well as a B.S. in Biology. She wants to continue her education after graduation, getting her PhD in Chemistry. Hope has two years of experience in organic photochemistry research, but she has a special interest in inorganic crystallography. In her free time, which is rare, she loves to paint, read, and play intramural sports.

Currently a graduate student at University of South Carolina

Maria Goncalves

Maria is a third-year chemistry major. She has an interest in pursuing a career in Nuclear or Material Chemistry. Maria plans on continuing research in Dr. Klepov's lab until graduation. She works alongside Hope Long for graduate student oversight where they mainly work with the synthesis of uranium compounds.

Currently a graduate student at University of South Carolina

Klayson Rumell

Klayson was born and raised in Byron, Georgia. She will graduate with a B.S. Chem in Chemistry from The University of Georgia in May of 2024. While being a full-time student, Klayson enjoys being with her dog, Daisy, spending time with her friends and family, as well as driving around listening to country music through rural parts of Athens.

Currently a teacher at Perry High School