Graduate Student Highlight: Stephen Koehler
Each week, the Department of Chemistry highlights a group of graduate students who are doing interesting and exciting work throughout the department. In this installment of our highlight series, we are featuring Stephen Koehler, who is a fourth-year student in the Elacqua lab.
Stephen’s research focuses on synthesizing organic electronic materials. “A lot of my work involves small molecule synthesis of monomers that have very cool designs and properties,” he notes.
This week, we met virtually with Stephen to discuss his life in and outside of the lab! Please enjoy our interview with Stephen Koehler.
Question: How did you get interested in chemistry?
Answer: I discovered my love of chemistry during organic chemistry lectures in college. I was a pre-med and physics major who was only taking organic chemistry to satisfy MCAT requirements, and the whole course made me realize how much more passion I had for chemistry than for physics or biology.
Q: What inspires you as a scientist?
A: My inspiration is the thrill of discovering new molecules. Being the first person in recorded history to report the synthesis of a molecule, no matter how minor some may be, is amazing to me. It's always possible that what a researcher makes is the first time something may have existed in the entire universe.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. John Legend is from my hometown as well, and it was very cool having some of the same teachers as he did in high school.
Q: Do you have any hobbies?
A: My hobbies include playing tennis, golf, or video games with friends. I like sampling different wines and beers as well. I enjoy going for long walks and zillowing houses that are definitely out of my price range.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I have a beautiful two-year-old American shorthair cat named Nina. She is named after the Project Runway judge Nina Garcia.
Q: If you could have dinner with anybody (living or dead) who would it be and Why?
A: I would have dinner with LeBron James. Not only is he the greatest basketball player of all time (Michael Jordan who?), but his effort to give back with founding the I Promise School is incredibly inspiring and admirable. If LeBron were paying I'd have a nice steak, and if I were paying I'd take him to Chipotle.
Thanks to Stephen for these interesting and thoughtful answers! We hope you enjoyed this interview. Stay tuned for more graduate student highlights in the weeks to come!