Leonard Research Group
Current Group Members
Daniel Harris
B.S. 2014, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston LA
Hometown: Pensacola, FL
Andrew Smith
B.S. 2016, Fort Lewis College, Durango CO
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Interests: Chess, Backpacking, Skiing, Dungeons and Dragons, Space and Science Fiction
Joseph McBride
B.S. 2019, Seattle University, Seattle WA
Hometown: Lincoln, Nebraska
Interests: Outdoor activities (hunting, fishing, hiking), golfing, lacrosse, computers, chess
and skating
Hilarie Arellano
Hometown: Philippines and Rawlins, WY
Interests: I enjoy hiking and traveling with family and friends whether locally or internationally.
Rene Mendez
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
Interests: Hiking and exploring the outdoors. Visiting new places to see their different cultures and cuisine. I am interested in inorganic chemistry related to renewable resources, fuel cells, and materials science.
Leonard Group Alumni
Graduate Students
Yagya Narayan Regmi, PhD 2015
B.S.: 2005, Lyon College, Batesville, AR
Hometown: Mangalsen, Achham, Nepal
Current Position:
Cheng Wan, PhD 2016
B.S.: 2009, Shanghai Normal University
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Current Position: R&D manager of Materials Group at
Samantha Schmuecker, PhD 2016
B.S.: 2011, Missouri Western State University
Hometown: Holt, Missouri
Current Position: Chemist at
James (Jimmy) Thode, PhD 2018
B.S.: 2013, Rockhurst University
Hometown: Raytown, Missouri
Current Position: Sr. Sales Engineer,
Cassandra Watts, M.S. 2014
B.S.: 2010, Lake Forest College, Illinois
Hometown: Littleton, Colorado
Current Position: Senior Analyst at TXU Energy
Visiting Faculty
Sridhar Budhi
Eastern Wyoming College
Undergraduate Students
Scott Lewis, B.S. 2020
Sarah Rich, B.S. 2020
Hometown: Powell, Wyoming
Current Position: Graduate School University of Oregon
Jonah Henry, B.S. 2019
Benjamin Staldine, B.S. 2019
Courtney Colwell, B.S. 2018
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Current Position: Physician Assistant School
Lance Kailey, B.S. 2018
Current Position: Quality Control Scientist at Millipore Sigma
Nicholas Bolton, B.S. 2018
Hometown: Golden Colorado
Current Position: Western Research Institute
Ken Madsen, B.S. 2017
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Current Position: Graduate School UIUC
Dale Clouser, B.S. 2017
Hometown: Lander, Wyoming
Current Position: Millipore Sigma
Co-author on publications: Schmuecker, S. M., Clouser, D., Kraus, T. J., & Leonard, B. M. (2017). Synthesis of metastable chromium carbide nanomaterials and their electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Dalton Transactions, 46(39).
Leonard, B. M., Waetzig, G. R., Clouser, D. A., Schmuecker, S. M., Harris, D. P.,
Stacy, J. M., … Wan, C. (2016). Salt flux synthesis of single and bimetallic carbide
nanowires. Materials Research Express, 3(7).
Sean Kasprisin, B.S. 2017
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Kimberley Caywood, B.S. 2016
Chris Bammerlin, B.S. 2016
Daniel Steven Forbes, REU Student Summer 2015
B.S. 2019 Southern Utah University
Hometown: Highland, Utah
Current Position: Senior Process Technician at IM Flash Technologies
Brittney Beck, B.S. 2015
Spencer Moul, B.S. 2015
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Current Position: Process Engineer at HollyFrontier Corporation
Kyle Duffee, B.S. 2015
M.S. Chemistry 2016, UNC Chapel Hill
Hometown: Pueblo, Colorado
Current Position: University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
Co-author on publications:
Regmi, Y. N., Wan, C., Duffee, K. D., & Leonard, B. M. (2015). Nanocrystalline Mo 2 C as a Bifunctional Water Splitting Electrocatalyst. ChemCatChem, 7(23), 3911–3915.
Regmi, Y. N., Waetzig, G. R., Duffee, K. D., Schmuecker, S. M., Thode, J. M., & Leonard, B. M. (2015). Carbides of group IVA, VA and VIA transition metals as alternative HER and ORR catalysts and support materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3(18).
Jack Stacy, B.S. 2014, M.S.Eng. 2017
Hometown: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Current Position: Medical School
Co-author on publications:
Stacy, J., Yost, A. J., Regmi, Y. N., Leonard, B., Chien, T. Y., & Fan, M. (2017). A Facile Synthesis of Highly Stable Modified Carbon Nanotubes as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts. ChemistrySelect, 2(5).
Stacy, J., Regmi, Y. N., Leonard, B., & Fan, M. (2017). The recent progress and future of oxygen reduction reaction catalysis: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 69.
Leonard, B. M., Waetzig, G. R., Clouser, D. A., Schmuecker, S. M., Harris, D. P., Stacy, J. M., … Wan, C. (2016). Salt flux synthesis of single and bimetallic carbide nanowires. Materials Research Express, 3(7).
Greg Waetzig, B.S. 2013
PhD 2018 Texas A&M University
Hometown: Gillette, Wyoming
Current Position: PTD Module & Integration Yield Engineer at Intel Corporation
Co-author on publications:
Leonard, B. M., Waetzig, G. R., Clouser, D. A., Schmuecker, S. M., Harris, D. P., Stacy, J. M., … Wan, C. (2016). Salt flux synthesis of single and bimetallic carbide nanowires. Materials Research Express, 3(7).
Regmi, Y. N., Waetzig, G. R., Duffee, K. D., Schmuecker, S. M., Thode, J. M., & Leonard, B. M. (2015). Carbides of group IVA, VA and VIA transition metals as alternative HER and ORR catalysts and support materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3(18).
Nick McDougal, B.S. 2011
M.S. 2014, Chemical Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Hometown: Piedmont, South Dakota
Current Position: Sandia National Lab
Nicole Ramos Knight, REU Student 2010
B.S. 2011, Southern Utah University
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Current Position: Graduate school at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Co-author on publication:
Wan, C., Knight, N. A., & Leonard, B. M. (2013). Crystal structure and morphology control of molybdenum carbide nanomaterials synthesized from an amine-metal oxide composite. Chemical Communications, 49(88).
