The Benicewicz Group
The Benicewicz Group is made up of undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctorates, and senior personnel at the University of South Carolina. The underlying theme for our work is our ability to synthesize polymers by new methods with properties or combinations of properties not found in existing materials. Learn about each member of the group by clicking on the names above or to the right.
Ashlin Deatherage
I am a senior undergraduate student from Townville, South Carolina, just outside of Clemson, SC. I’m currently working on completing my B.Sc in chemistry with ACS certification and leadership distinction in research. I joined the Benicewicz Group in 2021. My work is focused on synthesizing polymer nanocomposites for ion transport membranes. I received the Magellan Scholar Grant to continue my research for the Fall 2022 semester. I plan to graduate in the Fall of 2023 and continue to graduate school, for a Ph.D. in polymer/material science. Outside of research, I enjoy spending time with my friends, sewing, and hiking with my dog.
USC Email: [email protected]
Personal: [email protected]
Ben Howard
I was born and raised in Norwich, located in the South-East of England. I completed my master’s degree in Chemistry at The University of Hull, UK, in 2017. During my studies, I received a couple of additional research grants to investigate education aids to improve student learning and computational methods to explore polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in space, using data provided by NASA. My master’s project was to synthesize novel macromolecular chelating ligands to coordinate with radioactive Zr89. These structures allowed me to trace cancer in the body using the imaging technique Positron Emitting Tomography (PET). In 2021, I received my Ph.D. at The University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where I designed and synthesized new Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as gas sorption and separation materials. I joined the Benicewicz group in 2022 as a postdoctoral fellow. My current research focus is on the development of polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes for a plethora of applications, including hydrogen fuel cells, vanadium redox flow batteries, and gas separation membranes. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, bowling, hiking, and writing short stories.
Contact: [email protected]
Ishwor Karki
I am originally from Pokhara, Nepal. I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry from Tribhuvan University Nepal. I came to University of South Carolina in the fall of 2016 to pursue my Ph.D. In December of 2016, I joined Prof. Dr. Ken D. Shimizu's Lab and started working on the project to develop hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) polymers for solid-phase extraction applications (SPEs). During my Ph.D. I also trained myself with computational skills such as density-functional theory (DFT), symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT), and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and helped other graduate students perform calculations and train them too.
After receiving my Ph.D. in December 2021 I joined Prof. Dr. Brian C. Benicewicz's group in January 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, I am working on polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane project. I am focused on the development and optimization of PBI membranes for their application in different electrochemical devices. I utilize my free time playing soccer and hanging out with friends.
USC Email: [email protected]
Personal: [email protected]
Huina Lin
I am originally from Fujian, China and received my B.S. in chemistry from Fuzhou University. I earned my Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rutgers University in 2020 under the guidance of Prof. Frieder Jäekle. My doctoral research focused on the synthesis of borane-functionalized polyolefins for catalysis and materials application. After graduation, I worked in Prof. Chuanbing Tang’s group as a postdoc at the University of South Carolina for two years. During that time, I was focusing on the synthesis of polymer electrolytes for alkaline fuel cells. I joined Dr. Benicewicz’s group as a postdoctoral research fellow, and my research focus on the development of polymer nanocomposites for applications in high-performance materials.
Contact: [email protected]
Caroline Rohlfing
I am a native of Lexington, Kentucky and I received my BS in chemistry with a minor in computer science from Wofford College in the spring of 2018. As an undergraduate I studied Fusobacterium nucleatum and its possible gene functions. I came to USC in the fall of 2018 to pursue my PhD and joined the Benicewicz group in October. My research focuses on synthesizing PBI membranes for electrochemical devices. Apart from research, I enjoy cooking, crafting, and spending time with family and friends.
Contact: [email protected]
Eric Ruzicka
I am originally from Neenah, Wisconsin and received my B.Sc. from the University of Wisconsin– La Crosse. I started graduate school in the fall of 2018 to pursue my PhD under Dr. Brian Benicewicz. My research projects include synthesizing polymer grafted nanocomposites for gas separation and dielectric properties, Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy, and designing novel molecules to facilitate controlled radical polymerizations. Outside of research I enjoy running, swimming, tennis, and hiking.
Contact: [email protected]