THE GROUP
Current Members | Group Meetings | Photos
Michael S. Inkpen
inkpen [at] usc [dot] edu
Principle Investigator
M. Chem., University of Durham, UK
Ph.D., Imperial College London, UK
Mike obtained his M.Chem. from Durham University, and his Ph.D. from Imperial College London, UK with Prof. Nicholas J. Long and Prof. Tim Albrecht (now at the University of Birmingham). He spent two years at Columbia University, U.S.A. as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, in the group of Prof. Latha Venkataraman. In October 2017 he returned to Europe for the final year of his fellowship, working with Prof. Philippe Hapiot at the University of Rennes 1, France. In January 2019, Mike joined the faculty at the Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, USA as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry.
Jazmine Prana
prana [at] usc [dot] edu
4th Year Graduate
B.S., Montclair State University
Jazmine received her B.S. in Chemistry from Montclair State University in 2021. Originally from the Jersey shore, she enjoys a good beach and boardwalk. In her free time she can be found watching trashy reality TV or reading romance novels. When she ventures outside it is usually to explore a new coffee shop or lunch spot.
Cynthia Avedian
cavedian [at] usc [dot] edu
3rd Year Graduate
B.S., California State University, Northridge
Cynthia earned her B.S. in Chemistry from California State University Northridge after transferring from Glendale Community College. During those years, she conducted research on nanoscale molecular characterization of photoresist surfaces and synthesizing dendrimers with specific biological benefits. Having grown up in LA with a love for music, she actively takes advantage of the endless concerts held nearby. She also enjoys spending her time reading, swimming, and painting.
Mukund Sharma
mukundsh [at] usc [dot] edu
2nd Year Graduate
MSc. Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Mukund is originally from New Delhi, India. He pursued his undergraduate degree at the University of Delhi before delving into the world of chemistry at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where he completed his master's degree (MSc. Chemistry). His current research focuses on scanning tunneling microscope-based break junction (STM-BJ) studies, exploring electron transport at the single molecule level, alongside computational investigations of osmium(IV) tetraaryl complexes.
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Outside of the lab, He’s a dedicated cricket enthusiast, finding joy in both playing and watching the sport. When he’s not immersed in scientific pursuits, you can often find him engrossed in movies, web shows, or with music flowing through his headphones, feeding his passion for diverse rhythms and melodies.
Andrew Fraire
afraire [at] usc [dot] edu
1st Year Graduate
B.S. Chemistry, California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
Andrew was born and raised in Palmdale, California. During his undergraduate years at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), he conducted research on lithium-ion batteries, zinc-ion aqueous batteries, and crystal violet complexes. After graduating from CSUN in 2023, he worked at Kindeva Drug Delivery as a quality control chemist, handling controlled substances such as fentanyl and buprenorphine. Later, Andrew began his Ph.D. journey at USC, joining the Inkpen lab in 2024. Outside of the lab, Andrew enjoys watching Dodger baseball, taking leisurely walks, and spending time with friends and family.
Advaith Harith
harith [at] usc [dot] edu
1st Year Graduate
B.S. Chemistry, Santa Clara University
During his undergraduate studies, Advaith explored the sensational world of molecular dynamics simulation analysis. Now, he enjoys falling into rabbit holes about music, and infrequently binges rpgs. Outside the relative energy well of his room, one can find him out on hikes or long walks. His current research focuses on using the glovebox STM-BJ technique to study the conductance of air-sensitive molecules.
Clark Otey
cotey [at] usc [dot] edu
Sophomore
USC
Clark is a Chemistry major at USC. He is from Long Beach but has enjoyed exploring the culture of Los Angeles. Outside of the lab and the classroom, Clark enjoys tennis, playing in the Trojan Marching Band, and working out with his friends.
Temin Sohn
tsohn [at] usc [dot] edu
Junior
USC
Text pending.
Lizette Miranda
lfmirand [at] usc [dot] edu
Sophomore
USC
Text pending.
Yuanhao Chen
ychen124 [at] usc [dot] edu
Freshman
USC
Yuanhao is from Shanghai, China, and is currently studying chemistry at USC. He is interested in synthetic chemistry and explores its applications. Outside the lab, Yuanhao is also a big fan of investment, nutrition sciences, and talking with friends.
Saraswoti Subedi
ssaraswoti72 [at] gmail [dot] edu
Summer Intern
Cerritos College
Text pending.
Postdoc Alumni
2020-21: Dr. Nils Rotthowe (Ph.D., University of Konstanz), Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow
Graduate Student Alumni
2019-2024: Dr. Luana Zagami → Waste Treatment Manager, Tiodize Advanced Coatings and Composites, CA
2019-2024: Dr. Thomas Czyszczon-Burton → Product Engineer 3, Lam Research, CA
2019-23: Dr. Clarissa Olivar
2018-24: Dr. Christina Trang → Product Engineer 3, Lam Research, CA
2018-21: Dr. Joseph Parr → Ph.D., Imperial College London (M. Crimmin); Post-Doc, Monash University (C. Jones)
Undergraduate Student Alumni
2025: Kelly Yan
2024: Alejandro Hernandez (Cerritos College Intern)
2023: Samantha Stukey (Cerritos College Intern)
2022: Kenneth Nguyen (Cerritos College Intern)
2022-24: Leopold Kim
2022-23: Seongje Park
2022: Grace Homann
2021: Jeremy Nunez (Cerritos College Intern)
2021-24: Sawyer Lazar → UNC Chapel Hill
2020-21: Tejpal Randhawa
2020-21: Daniel Cardenas
2019-22: Sully Chen → Duke University
2019-21: Zelin Miao → Boston University
Interested in Joining?
We are always interested in hearing from potential new group members, please contact Mike directly (inkpen at usc dot edu).
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Prospective Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate research provides a fantastic opportunity to deepen your scientific understanding and develop your problem solving and practical laboratory skills. Such experiences are highly recommended for those interested in chemistry careers, and they may even form part of your course requirements at USC. Financial support is often available through URAP or Provost's Fellowships. Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself by email and briefly describe your interests.
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Prospective Graduate Students
You can read more about and directly apply to the USC Chemistry Ph.D. Program through the Chemistry Department webpage. We are always happy to discuss our research with interested applicants, but cannot answer questions about admissions.
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Prospective Postdocs
Internal postdoctoral funding is not available unless explicitly advertised, but we would be delighted to collaborate on external funding applications (e.g., for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Postdoctoral Fellowships). In your email, please include a brief discussion of your research background and why you are interested in working with us, attaching your CV and 2-3 publications.