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The Team.

Benjamin Boyle, Ph.D.
boylebt@umd.edu

Ben graduated from Whitman College, majoring in chemistry, in 2015. Prior to attending graduate school, he worked at Seattle Genetics in process chemistry developing stereospecific routes to DNA binders for use in anti-body drug conjugates. 
 

Building on his background in organic synthesis, Ben completed his Ph.D. in chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Andrew McNally at Colorado State University in 2021. During his Ph.D., he developed new strategies for bipyridine couplings and pyridine halogenation by utilizing underexplored intermediates and reaction mechanisms. 
 

He then moved to Princeton University to work with Prof. David MacMillan where he developed photocatalytic strategies for accessing carbene intermediates from abundant functionalities. 
 

Ben is currently an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Maryland College Park. 

Graduate students

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Dennis Skiba
1st year graduate student

Dennis was born in Trenton, NJ and grew up in Levittown, PA. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Pitt, he performed research under Professor Kazunori Koide, working on the total synthesis of meayamycin, an analog of FR901464. Dennis then moved to Maryland and joined the Boyle group in Fall 2024, where his research focuses on the development of under-explored leaving groups in organic chemistry.

Outside of lab, Dennis enjoys going to the gym, playing basketball (2024 UMD 3v3 intramural champs), watching sports, and cooking. 

Wenkai Zhang
1st year graduate student

Wenkai was born in Szechuan, China. He earned his BSc Environmental Science in China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and BSc (Hons) Chemistry in the University of Edinburgh. During his time in Scotland, he developed a molecular balance for examining halogen bonding under the guidance of Prof. Scott Cockroft and Dr. Krzysztof BÄ…k. Following his time in Scotland, Wenkai joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2024. He is currently developing strategies for selective C-H functionalization using organometallic species.

When not in lab running experiments, Wenkai enjoys classical music and playing PC games.

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Mya Gaddy
1st year graduate student

Mya was born and raised in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania. She received her B.A in Chemistry and German from Lafayette College in 2024. During her undergraduate career, she worked with Dr. Daniel Griffith on synthesizing bridged azapolycycles using tropone as a starting material. She also worked on the total synthesis of a Streptothricin F analog in the Manetsch Lab at Northeastern University during the Summer of 2022. She joined the Boyle lab at the University of Maryland in Fall 2024, with her research focusing on selective manipulation of abundant functional groups. 
 
Mya enjoys baking and designing press-on nails when not in the lab.

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