Postdoctoral and Research 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 as well as Solid Form Development. He joined the Hutchins Group in December 2022 as our first Postdoc where he studies pharmaceutical cocrystallization and polymorphism. In his free time, Delbert is an avid Geocacher, hiker, cyclist and runner.
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Liulei Ma
B.S. (Chemistry), 2014
Yangzhou University
M.S. (Fine Chemical), 2017
East China University of Science and Technology
Ph.D. (Chemistry), 2025
University of Missouri
Liulei 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. Liulei earned his PhD with the group in summer 2025, and is staying with the group as a research specialist.
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.
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
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 senior majoring in chemistry on the ACS track here at Mizzou and would like to get his PhD in pharmaceutical sciences 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 has been in the group since 2024, and in his free time, Jack likes to hang out and go on trips with friends and go to Mizzou football games!
Visiting Students
Supakjira (Cream) Sookpreedee
Major: Material Science
Home Institution: Chulalongkorn University
Cream was born and grew up in Chonburi, Thailand. After high school, she attend Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok Thailand and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Department of Chemistry in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry program, majoring in Material Science. During her junior year, she found herself interested in creating fragrances by extraction and synthesizing materials. In fall 2025, she joined the Hutchins group through an internship, and she is researching cocrystals and using halogen/hydrogen bonding to tune thermal proprieties. Cream also enjoys cooking, watching movies, traveling and creating graphics artwork.
Thomas Rapley
Major: Chemistry
Home Institution: Heriot Watt University
Thomas grew up in Fort William, a small town in the Highland of Scotland. Whilst in High School he discovered a passion for science and particularly Chemistry. However, after leaving school he decided to join the merchant navy as an officer cadet and for three years travelled the world. After his time at sea, he decided to pursue his original passion and applied to Heriot-Watt University to study a Masters in Chemistry. During this time, he developed a keen interest in materials science and processes involving rare earth metals, and Thomas joins the Hutchins group to further his knowledge and experience working in a lab environment. In his spare time, Thomas enjoys being around nature, board games with friends and PC games with those back home.
The Hutchins Group is seeking motivated graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in working in the areas of organic, materials, and supramolecular chemistry!