Personnel
Principal Investigator/Faculty Member
PROF. GLEN P. JACKSON, FAAFS, MCSFS, FRSC
Ming Hsieh (Shay) Distinguished Professor
Dept. of Forensic & Investigative Science & C. Eugene Bennett Dept. of Chemistry
Recent funding: NIJ 15PNIJ-24-GG-03856-RESS, NIJ 15NIJ-21-GG-04179-COAP, NIJ 2018-75-CX-0033, NIJ 2018-DU-BX-0225, NSF CHE 1710376 & NIH R01GM114494
Hometown: Coventry, England, United Kingdom
PhD Analytical Chemistry,
West Virginia University, 2002
MS Analytical Chemistry,
Ohio University, 1998
BSc (Hons) Chemical and Analytical Science,
University of Wales Swansea, 1998
Graduate Students
BS Biochemistry, Harding University, 2018
MADELINE SCHUCH
4th year graduate student (PhD Chemistry, Aug 2021-present)
COURTNEY LAPOINTE
3rd year graduate student (PhD Chemistry, Aug 2022-present)
HANNAH MCMILLEN
1st year graduate student (PhD FS, Aug 2022-present)
Hometown: Charles County, MD
CHANEY GANNINGER
2nd year graduate student (MS FIS, Aug 2023-present)
Interpretation of data from fire debris analysis
Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA
BS Forensic Chemistry, West Virginia University, 2023
Minor: Criminology
Undergraduate Students
MCKENNA OAKS
Undergraduate Researcher in Forensic Chemistry (Fall 2022-present)
Interpreting mass spectra of novel psychoactive substances (NPS)
Hometown: Independence, KY
Major: Forensic Chemistry
Previous Members
POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE:
Dr. William (Billy) D. Hoffmann
Billy was an Assistant Professor at Texas State University.
GRADUATE STUDENTS:
Erica Maney (Aug 2020-July 2024)
Max Denn (MS FIS, Aug 2021-Aug 2023)
Christopher Poulos (MS FIS, Aug 2021-Aug 2023)
Isabel Galvez Valencia (MS FIS, Jan 2021-Aug 2023)
Alia Hacker (Sept 2019-Dec 2022)
Dr. Balapuwaduge Praneeth "Mario" Mendis (PhD Chemistry, Sept 2016-Dec 2021)
Dr. Halle M. Edwards (PhD Chemistry, Sept 2016-Dec 2021)
Dr. Zachary J. Sasiene (PhD Chemistry, Sept 2016-May 2021)
Dr. J. Tyler Davidson (MS FIS, Sept 2015-May 2017; PhD Forensic Science, Jun 2017-May 2020)
Caitlyn Wensel (MS FIS, Aug 2018-May 2020)
Thomas M. Hakey (Chemistry Jun 2018-July 2019)
Dr. Mayara P. V. de Matos (PhD Biology, Aug 2014-May 2019)
Taylor Krivenki (Sept 2014-Jun 2018)
Korina Menking-Hoggatt (MS FIS, Sept 2015-Dec 2017)
Korina is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in FIS with Prof. Trejos at WVU.Ashley Cochran (MS FIS, Sept 2015-May 2017)
Ashley is currently working as a Crime Scene Investigator at Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification. Before that, she was a forensic scientist at RTI in Raleigh, NC.Dr. Pengfei Li (PhD Chemistry, Sept 2012-May 2017)
Pengfei worked at a Mass Spectrometrist in the School of Chemical Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, IL before returning to China.
Dr. Feng Jin (PhD Chemistry, Sept 2009-Dec 2014)
Feng is currently a Scientist in the Metabolomics Core at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston,TX.
Kateryna I. Konstantynova (Sept 2012-Aug 2014)
Katya earned an MS degree at U. Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Dr. Robert (Bobby) E. Deimler (PhD Chemistry, WVU, Sept 2009-May 2014)
Bobby is a quality control chemist at PremierTox.
Dr. Yan An (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2008-May 2013)
Yan works as a research scientist at Baxter, a global healthcare and pharmaceutical supplier.
Dr. Mengliang Zhang (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2010-Nov 2014)
Mengliang is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University.
Dr. Ayat Bani-Rashaid (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2010-July 2014)
Ayat completed two years of research with Dr. Jackson on clinical and forensic biomarkers in human hair. Ayat joined Dr. Harrington’s group in the fall of 2012 when the group moved to WVU. She is currently an assistant professor of chemistry at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan.
Dr. Shannon L. Cook (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2006-April 2011)
Shannon worked for several years as an LCMS senior product specialist with Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc.
Dr. Carolyn M. Friedrich (nee Zimmermann) (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2005-April 2010)
Carolyn is a partner and lab director for a medical marijuana lab in Streetsboro Ohio. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher the Department of Proteomics at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in the Leipzig, Germany.
Dr. Zeland Schwartz (nee Muccio) (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2006-Jan 2010)
Zeland was a Forensic Strategic Business Manager at NMS Labs. Before that, she was a research fellow with Prof. Jeffrey Supko at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and an isotope ratio sales specialist at Elementar.
Derrell L. Hood (MS Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2007-Aug 2009)
Derrell currently serves in the US Air Force.
Dr. Ünige A. Laskay (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2004-Dec 2008)
Ünige is an analytical chemist at SICPA in Switzerland, which specializes in secured identification, traceability and authentication solutions using inks and dyes. Before this, she was a postdoctoral researcher with Yury Tsybin at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland. Before that, Üni spent two years as a postdoc with Dr. V. Wysocki at U. Arizona.
Dr. Olivier L. Collin (PhD Chemistry, Ohio U, Sept 2004-Dec 2007)
Olivier is currently an LC/MS field service engineer with Thermo Fisher Scientific in Canada.
VISITING SCHOLARS:
Yifan Huang and Wenjing Peng
Lauren Pepi & Prof. Jon Amster
Dr. David Ropartz & Dr. Hélène Rogniaux
Dr. Zilin Fan
Dr. David Ropartz
Visiting Scientist, INRA, France, Aug 2016
Iris Kreft
Madlen Sander
Visiting Scholar, U of Leipzig, Apr-Jun 2012
Claudia Wöckel
Visiting Scholar, U of Leipzig, Apr-June 2009
Matthias Beier
Visiting Scholar, U of Leipzig, Apr-Jul 2006
Claudia Niegel
(visiting scholar, U of Leipzig, Apr-Jul 2005
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:
(Parentheses show undergraduates research dates)
Sarah Mosinski
Undergraduate researcher (Aug 2022-May 2024). Sarah is staring her MS in FIS at with Dr. Speir in the fall of 2024.
Alexander Pfeffer
RAP Student, SURE student, and undergraduate researcher (May 2021-May 2024). Alex is staring his PhD in Pharmacology at Boston University in the fall of 2024.
Chaney Ganninger
Undergraduate researcher (May 2022-May 2023). Chaney started her MS in FIS at WVU with Dr. Jackson in the fall of 2023.
Clarissa McQuain
Undergraduate researcher (REU) (Summer 2022)
Jessica Orris
Undergraduate researcher (REU) (Summer 2022)
Jacob King
Undergraduate researcher (REU) (Summer 2021)
Evan Ferweda (BS FIS Chemistry, May 2021)
Undergraduate Researcher (Sept 2019-May 2021)
Samantha Mehnert (BS FIS Chemistry, May 2020)
Undergraduate Researcher (SURE) (Summer 2017-May 2020)
Winner of the 2019 George H. Robinson Memorial Scholarship from the CBD-IAI, the 2019 ACS Analytical Chemistry Award (to an outstanding Junior), the 2019 EAS Student Research Award and a 2020 "WVU Outstanding Graduate."
Isaac Willis (BS Chemistry & BS FIS, May 2019)
Sarah Chaffman (BS Chemistry, May 2019)
Undergraduate Researcher (June 2016-May 2019)
Brandon Lowe
Undergraduate researcher (REU) (summer 2018)
Emily Gleco
Undergraduate Researcher (REU) (Summer 2017)
Gabriel Walkup (BS Chemistry May 2017)
Undergraduate Researcher (June 2016-May 2017)
Tyler Williams (BS Chemistry May 2016)
Undergraduate Researcher (June 2015-May 2016)
Tyler is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Clemson University with Prof. Ken Marcus.
Sierra Stinson
Undergraduate Researcher (REU) (Summer 2016)
Olivia Dodd (BS FIS May 2016)
Undergraduate Researcher (Sept 2015-May 2016)
Heather Birks (BS FIS May 2015)
Undergraduate Researcher (Sept 2014-May 2015)
Heather completed an MS in Forensic Science at VCU.
Ashley Cochran (BS FIS May 2015, MS FIS May 2017)
Undergraduate Researcher (Sept 2014-May 2015)
MS Researcher (Sept 2015-May 2017). Ashley worked as a forensic scientist at RTI in Raleigh, NC before becoming a Crime Scene Investigator with the Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification.
Clayton Johnson (BS Jan 2014-Dec 2014)
Clayton will be pursuing a Ph.D. at Notre Dame U. starting 2015.
Ashley March (BS Mar 2010-May 2011)
Ashley is a forensic scientist in Indiana.
Daniel Cobau (BS Jun 2009-May 2011)
Dan is currently pursuing his DO in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University.
Christine Fisher (BS Jun 2008-May 2010)
Christine completed her Ph.D. at Purdue University under the supervision of Prof. Scott McLuckey before joining the FDA, where she is now a staff fellow.
Samantha Blake (BS Sep 2009-May 2010)
Sam completed her M.S. in chemistry at North Carolina State University and is pursuing her State Agent training in North Carolina.
Mark Barkett (BS Sep 2009-May 2010)
Mark works in the analytical labs at Dover Chemical Company in Ohio.
Megan Wenning (BS Jan 2007-May 2009)
Megan is currently working in the DNA section of BCII (Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification), Columbus, OH.
Lisa Lojek (BS Jan 2007-May 2009)
Christopher Kanalas (BS Sept 2006-May 2008)
Jen Hyland (BS Sept 2004-May 2006)
Jen obtained her MS in chemistry from U. Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2008 and now works for a small R&D company in IL.
Kate DeRhodes (BS Sept 2004-May 2006)
Brad Nichol (BS Jan-March 2006)
Aaron Jarrel (BS Jan-March 2006)
Aaron worked for Metler-Toledo before joining Metrohm.