Marissa Lavagnino
Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Academic focus:
Discovery of new catalytic reactions that improve organic synthesis
Current research project:
The Lavagnino Lab’s focus is catalysis, or how to lower the energy barriers of challenging – yet enabling – chemical transformations. By applying the techniques of organic reaction development, organometallic synthesis and mechanistic investigation, we aim to discover catalysts and reactivities that empower chemists to build the molecules needed by the modern world.
Previous positions:
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2022-2025
Academic background:
- Ph.D., Chemistry, Princeton University, 2022
- B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, 2017
Last book read:
“Food for Thought: Essays and Ruminations” by Alton Brown
In your own time/when not working:
There are many things I love to do in my free time, such as cook, bake, play the cello, read, ski, garden and bike. The challenge has always been finding the free time.
Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:
The big undergraduate organic chemistry course. I know it is a class that students typically dread and fear, but to me that is a perfect opportunity to make a positive impact on a student’s undergraduate experience. Organic chemistry is foundational knowledge for many other fields and a key class for promoting scientific literacy in the general public.
What most excites you about Cornell:
Honestly, the Dairy Bar. I already have a t-shirt.
