Davin Piercey received his PhD from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 2013 under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas M. Klapötke and completed his postdoctoral research in 2015 at Los Alamos National Laboratory under Dr. David Chavez.  Since 2018 he has been faculty at Purdue University.  His research interests include synthesis and applications of high-nitrogen compounds.  The group is interested in the structure property relationships of high nitrogen compounds, plasma fixation of nitrogen, and develops new synthesis methods for high-nitrogen compounds whether by traditional chemical routes or by photo or electrochemistry.  The applications for high-nitrogen compounds can be as diverse as the pharmaceutical industry, to energetic materials, to surfactants, to medical devices and his group is active in all these areas.  His long term goal for his research is to show that high-nitrogen chemistry can be as versatile as high-carbon chemistry.

Tim Manship has over a decade of experience in research in energetic materials including 7 years in small-business R&D developing novel propellants and explosives. His focus is on synthesis, formulations, material characterization including combustion, detonation, and mechanical properties. He received his undergrad ('08) and masters ('10) in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Purdue with a focus on propulsion. He has been a Research Scientist for Purdue Energetics Research Center since 2018. He wanted to be a roller coaster designer growing up but has found this work to be equally thrilling and, for those that do research knows, there are still plenty of ups and downs.

Cześć! I’m Angelique, a joint Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering working with the Piercey and Beaudoin research groups. I joined Purdue University in 2021 after earning dual bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Food Science & Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. During my undergraduate research, I focused on electrochemistry and materials science, developing molecularly selective, redox-active interfaces for contaminant separation and detection. My experience spans advanced materials design, wet-chemical synthesis, cyclic voltammetry, adsorption/desorption kinetics, and analytical characterization. My graduate research centers on designing, synthesizing, and characterizing next-generation high-nitrogen compounds with enhanced performance, stability, and potential applications beyond traditional defense.

Michael Thoenen is a recent graduate of the Piercey Group. He specializes in high-nitrogen small molecule synthesis and characterization. After graduating, he accepted a research position for the Department of Defense at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake. There, he will develop new small molecule fuels, oxidizers, and explosives. He enjoys hiking, weightlifting, sports, and board/card/video games in his spare time.

Kyle Kramer is a second-year M.S. student in the Materials Engineering Department at Purdue University, where he serves as a PMRI fellow investigating high-nitrogen compounds via electrochemical and photochemical strategies. He joined the lab in 2024 after earning a B.S. in Engineering Chemistry—with a minor in Nuclear Weapons and Strategies—from the United States Air Force Academy. At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Kyle contributed to plasma vapor deposition thin-film development and microencapsulation projects across diverse material systems. His undergraduate research further honed expertise in ligand synthesis and quantum dot functionalization. Outside the lab, Kyle applies the same determination to racquetball, embracing a 0–8 loss streak as a testament to perseverance and continuous improvement..

Jake Everett Zuckerman is pursuing a PHD in Materials Engineering advised by Dr. Davin Piercey at Purdue University. Jake is from Florida and has lived overseas for 11 years. He can fluently speak both English and French. Jake completed his undergraduate degree also at Purdue University in Chemical Engineering. Jake’s current research is in high-nitrogen compound desulfurization as well as halogenated nitrogen-rich compounds.

Kamden Bryant is a first year PhD student in Dr. Piercey’s group at Purdue University. His PhD research focuses on the synthesis of high nitrogen materials via electrochemistry. Prior to joining Dr. Piercey’s group, he studied Solid State Sodium Ion Batteries in the laboratory of Dr. Alevtina Smirnova at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota, during his bachelor’s studies in Chemistry.

Nicholas Scherschel is a PhD candidate in Dr. Piercey’s group at Purdue University and a casual student of Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research focuses on the synthesis of new high-nitrogen materials, particularly those containing furoxan, furazan, triazole, and tetrazole heterocycles. Prior to joining Dr. Piercey’s group, he studied the electrochemical reduction of various aromatic chlorides in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis G. Peters at Indiana University Bloomington during his bachelor’s studies in Chemistry.