Hodges Group PSU Chemistry

The group

Principal investigator

James M. Hodges
James M. Hodges
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University
hodges@psu.edu · Google Scholar

Jim is a materials chemist. His group develops synthetic strategies used to build new inorganic solids with atomically precise features and targeted electronic, optical, and catalytic properties. Prior to Penn State, he was a Senior Scientist in the New Materials Group at Honeywell UOP.

Graduate students

Alex Leffel
Alex Leffel
BS Chemistry (2022), Iowa State University
Joined 2022
Daniel W. Spainhour
Daniel W. Spainhour
BS Chemistry (2022), Florida State University
Joined 2022
Pedro R. Trinidad-Pérez
Pedro R. Trinidad-Pérez
BS Chemistry (2022), University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
Joined 2022
Sonali Thanthrige
Sonali Thanthrige
BS Chemistry (2020), University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Joined 2023
Laine C. Brotherton
Laine C. Brotherton
BS Chemistry (2024), University of Michigan
Joined 2024
Azamat Yessengazin
Azamat Yessengazin
BS Chemistry (2024), Nazarbayev University
Joined 2024
Shibartha Dutta
Shibartha Dutta
M.Sc. Chemistry (2025), IIT Kharagpur; B.Sc. Chemistry (2023), RKMRC Narendrapur
Joined 2025
Keela K. Zambre
Keela K. Zambre
BS Chemistry (2025), Purdue University
Joined 2025

Undergraduate students

Matias S. Moreno
Matias S. Moreno
Materials Science and Engineering
Joined 2025
LJ Johnston
LJ Johnston
Chemistry
Joined 2025

Alumni

Graduate students

Dr. Ayat TassanovPh.D. Chemistry, 2021–2025 → Postdoctoral researcher, University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Brendan TroeschPh.D. Chemistry, 2021–2025 → Research Scientist, ExxonMobil

Undergraduate students

Nathan BaumannUndergraduate researcher, 2023
Paige GriceUndergraduate researcher, 2023
Matthew SedgwickUndergraduate researcher, 2024 → PhD student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Postdoctoral researchers

Dr. Daniel G. ChicaPostdoctoral researcher, 2025 → Research Scientist, Periodic Labs