Dr. Siva Rasapalli
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Dr. Rasapalli was born and raised in the suburbs of Bangalore, India, and grew up as an avid cricketer specializing in spin bowling. As there was no Indian Premier Cricket League back then in India and with slim chances for making a living in sports, he chose to pursue chemistry where the same dexterity and planning could be utilized. Dr. Rasapalli received his BS in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology in 1992, and his BEd and MS degrees in Chemistry in 1995 from the Regional Institute of Education (NCERT). He then obtained MEd from Karnataka State Open University in 1997. He received his Ph.D. degree in Organic Chemistry from the National Chemical Laboratory, Universität Pune in 2002. He further gained postdoctoral training in supramolecular chemistry, total synthesis, and nanomedicine at UNT, UTA, and BWH, respectively. In 2008, Dr. Rasapalli joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where he is currently an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He is also a member of UMCCTS. As the aging body does not allow him to recuperate with day-long cricket matches, he has picked up Tennis lately as a recreational sport and he is currently ranked at USTA 4.0 level. He can be either found in his lab synthesizing some marine natural products with intricate medicinal properties or on the tennis courts!

 

Reem Alshehry
PhD graduate student
Hi, I am Reem, and I hail from Saudi Arabia. I came to US in 2010 to pursue higher education after receiving my bachelor’s in Chemistry from King Khalid University under the King Abdullah scholarship program to study abroad. First, I took an intensive course in English at Wisconsin Second Language Institute. Later, I joined the master’s program in Clinical Chemistry at the University of Scranton. I researched the effect of natural products on breast cancer cells in Dr. Ling’s lab at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Then, I joined the Ph.D. program at UMass Dartmouth. I joined Dr. Rasapalli’s lab in 2018 and I am involved in the total synthesis of Quinazolinone natural products and their analogs and the study of their medicinal properties. I love to spend my free time at the animal shelter helping feed and wash the horses!

 

 

David Crampton
MS graduate Student

 

 

Shayne Velho

Senior Undergraduate Student

Hello, my name is Shayne Velho. I am a senior chemistry major at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and I am from the small town of Westport, MA. I have taken an interest in organic chemistry, and I look forward to engaging in academic research. I plan to continue my education after the completion of my undergraduate studies. I enjoy playing hockey, being outdoors, and spending quality time with my friends and family in my free time.

 

 

 

 

 

Jillian Andruck
Junior Undergraduate Student

 

 

Ashleigh Anderson
Junior Undergraduate Student

 

Jean Bulger
Junior Undergraduate Student