Postdoctoral Associates
Delbert Botes
B.S. (Chemistry), 2015
Ph.D. (Chemistry), 2020
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Delbert was born in Los Angeles, CA. His parents were South African diplomats and he moved to South Africa when he was four after they finished their overseas term. He grew up in Pretoria and then moved to Johannesburg when he started his undergraduate studies in 2012. He completed his BSc and BSc Honors degrees at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg. He then continued with a PhD in Structural Chemistry studying Diels-Alder reactions in co-crystals comprised of 1,4-dithiintetracarboxydiimides and anthracenes. His interests lie in Organic, Physical and Solid-State Chemistry and he is keen to explore pharmaceutical co-crystals. Delbert is a dual citizen of America and South Africa and has always wanted to return to the USA to pursue a scientific career. He joined the Hutchins Group in December 2022 as our first Postdoc. In his free time, Delbert is an avid Geocacher, hiker and runner.
Graduate Students
Jane Eilers
B.S. (Chemistry), 2024
Kansas State University
Jane was born in Denver, CO and moved to St. Charles, MO when she was 4. As she grew up there, she found a love of science in her middle and high school courses. After graduating high school, she moved to Manhattan, KS to attend Kansas State University where she obtained a B.S. in chemistry. During her time engaging in undergraduate research, she was inspired to continue her education by pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Missouri. In her spare time, Jane likes to bake, read, play with her cats, and hang out with her boyfriend.
Liulei (Jerry) Ma
B.S. (Chemistry), 2014
Yangzhou University
M.S. (Fine Chemical), 2017
East China University of Science and Technology
Liulei (Jerry) was raised in a small village just outside of Shanghai, China. After undergraduate studies at Yangzhou University, Liulei pursued a graduate degree (Master) at East China University of Science and Technology in Shanghai. During his stay in Shanghai, he obtained the ability to design experiments based on literature and tackle unexpected obstacles with interdisciplinary collaboration. These experiences will help him to do research in polymers and crystal engineering. In his spare time, Liulei likes to play basketball with his friends.
Bowyn Ziebarth
B.S. (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Chemistry), 2023
Missouri Western State University
Bowyn was born in Springfield, Missouri, and raised in Ozark, just south of there. It was here where his interest in math and science was cultivated, eventually leading to him pursuing a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Missouri Western State University. Along the way, he added a second major in chemistry, and after graduation, found himself wanting to pursue a Ph. D. in chemistry at the University of Missouri. When not actively pursuing his research, Bowyn enjoys baking, playing card games with friends, or woodworking.
If you are interested in the graduate program in Chemistry at the University of Missouri, we encourage you to apply to the program.
Undergraduate Students
Ali Bajramovic
Major: Chemistry, Minor: Business
Ali was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but raised in St. Louis, MO. While in high school, this great opportunity opened up and I was able to finish my last two years at St. Louis Community College and earned my Associates Degree in Science General STEM Transfer Studies. Currently, I am a junior at Mizzou and should earn Bachelors Degree in Chemistry with a business minor in December of 2024. Ali hope to pursue a PhD in Chemistry, but is still undecided between organic and analytical track at this time. After successfully completing a graduate degree, Ali hopes to either teach or work as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry. Ali likes to stay active in their fraternity through leadership positions and participate in philanthropy events. Ali also enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Maiya Foster
Major: Biochemistry, Minor: Computational Neuroscience
Maiya was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with plans to graduate from Mizzou in December of 2025. Maiya’s passion for science was sparked through her high school biology and chemistry courses, and through her previous undergraduate research experience working on generating transgenic stem cell, mouse, and pig models. During the summer of 2024, Maiya was able to intern at an R&D company, in which she was able to assist in the development of new product formulations, which sparked her passion for innovation in chemical products. In the future, Maiya hopes to work in R&D in formulation or pharmaceuticals. Maiya enjoys going on hikes, kayaking, and spending time with friends and family!
Jack Gaffney
Major: Chemistry
Jack was born and raised in Springfield, Illinois. He is a sophomore majoring in chemistry on the ACS track here at Mizzou and would like to get his master’s in chemistry after completing his undergrad. In the summer of 2023, he did research at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) through the REU there in material science, studying the anti-phase signals of hyperpolarized orthohydrogen produced in MOF-Based catalysts when the catalysts were hyperpolarized via SABRE. He hopes to work in the field of forensics, pharmaceuticals, or nuclear chemistry after completing his education. In his free time, Jack likes to hang out and go on trips with friends and go to Mizzou football games!
The Hutchins Group is seeking motivated graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in working in the areas of organic, materials, and supramolecular chemistry!