Georgetown University
The Swift Lab

Welcome to the Swift lab - where organic, materials, and analytical chemistry intersect. Our group is broadly interested in the formation, transformation, and physical properties of crystalline organic materials. Ongoing research focuses on pharmaceutical hydrates and polymorphs, the biomineralization pathways of heterocycles associated with diseases such as gout and kidney stone formation, and nitrogen excretion and/or storage in uricotelic species.

PhD graduates successfully move into scientist positions in pharmaceutical and chemical industries, government and academia. Undergraduate students are meaningful contributors to our research. If you are a curious and motivated student interested in learning more about the fascinating world of crystal chemistry, please reach out to Prof Swift.

2023

Welcome lab members Shae London and Connor Brennan ('25). 8/23

Dr. Alyssa Thornton successfully defends her PhD! 8/23

Welcome new-ish lab member Samantha Kelly. 6/23

Happy Graduation to Jen, Megan and Amanda! 5/23

Great Honors thesis presentation by Amanda Rutledge. 5/23

Dr. Megan Fleming successfully defends her PhD! 4/23

Best Poster award at the ICDD Spring Meeting - congrats to Alyssa Thornton. 3/23

Dr. Jen Mann successfully defends her PhD! 3/23

2022

Welcome new lab member Lindsey Foote. 10/22

What amazing group members - not one but TWO Poster Prizes at the Denver X-ray Conference - Congrats to Jen Werner and Alyssa Thornton. The Swift group rocks! 8/22

Best Poster award all the way from Macedonia ICCOSS XXV to Alyssa Thornton. Yay! 7/22

The big event is finally here - 2022 GRC Crystal Engineering! So proud of Megan Fleming for earning a Best Poster Award here. 6/22

Megan Fleming presents (virtually) at VS3OC. 5/22

Happy Graduation to Amalia Cappucino. 5/22

Welcome new lab member YuJai Lin. 1/22

2021

Welcome new lab member Karisma Agrawal. 10/21

Congratulations to Dr. Taylor Watts for successfully defending her PhD! 8/21

Welcome new lab members Alex Pappajohn and Amalia Cappuccino. 8/21

Alyssa Thornton presents (virtually) at the Denver X-ray Conference. 8/21

Renee Gao presents (virtually) at the ACS-MARM meeting. 6/21

Megan Fleming presents (virtually) at the 2021 Erice Crystallography School. 5/21

Jen Werner presents (virtually) at VS3OC. 5/21

Congratulations to Amanda Rutledge for her SMURF Summer Fellowship. 5/21

Jen Swift elected the next Chemistry department chair effective Jun 1. 3/21

Check out the CCDC's Behind the Paper Webinar where Jen Swift talks about recent data mining studies done with Jen Werner. 1/21

2020

Welcome new lab members Annie Haynes and Ishaan Kumar. 9/20

Megan Fleming presents (virtually) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies. 9/20

Taylor Watts and Jen Swift present lectures (virtually) at the First Virtual Symposium on Solid State Organic Chemistry (VS3OC). 5/20

Taylor Watts and Jen Werner are recipients of a Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellowships for AY 20-21. 7/20

Graduate students elect Alyssa Thornton as the next GSOC president for AY 20-21. 6/20

Amanda Rutledge is the recipient of a 2020 Zorbach Summer Fellowship. 5/20

Congratulations to all the May graduates from the group – Sara Niederberger (NHS '20), Julian Marable (NHS '20) and Courtney Lee (COL '20). 5/20

Wonderful Honors Thesis defense Sara Niederberger! 4/20

Great news – new NSF grant (DMR-2004435). 4/20

Congrats to Megan Fleming, co-president of the first recognized ACS-Graduate Student Organization! 2/20

Jen Werner is named the recipient of a ChemMatCARS 2020 Graduate Student Research Award. This award will allow her to perform 6 weeks of full time funded synchrotron research at the Advanced Photon Source this summer. 2/20

Welcome new lab member Amanda Rutledge. 1/20

2019

Welcome new lab member Sarah Rubin. 9/19

Way to go Taylor - Best Poster Prize at ICCOSS. 6/19

Congratulations to all the May graduates – Dr Frank Liu, Claire Abijay and Margaret McGraw. 5/19

Three GUROP Summer Fellowships to wonderful undergrads Sara Neiderberger, Courtney Lee and Renee Gao. 5/19

Dr. Frank Liu successfully defends his PhD. 4/19

Welcome new lab member Renee Gao. 1/19

2018

Welcome to our newest group member Alyssa Thornton! 10/19

Welcome new lab member Courtney Lee. 8/18

Big congratulations to Taylor Watts and Jen Werner who both were selected for Clare Boothe Luce Predoctoral Fellowships!

A Best Poster Prize awarded to Taylor Watts at the GRC – Crystal Engineering Conference. 6/18

Claire Abijay is awarded a 2018 Summer GUROP Fellowship and a Baker Fellowship. 4/18

Welcome new lab member Sara Neiderberger 3/18

Marina Solomos successfully defends her PhD Thesis.  Congratulations Dr Solomos! 2/18

2017

Welcome new lab members Megan Fleming and Jen Werner (11/17

New "group member" Brent Hall arrives on August 16. Congratulations Victoria!

Taylor Watts awarded scholarship to attend the 3rd Modern Methods in Rietveld Refinement and Structural Analysis School (ONRL). 6/17

Yea! Both synchrotron (APS) and neutron (NIST-NCNR) instrument time awarded. 6/17

Swift group welcomes new members Margaret McGraw and Alysia Zevgolis. 6/17

Congratulations to the 2017 graduates of the Swift group.  Liza, Kelly and Serena – we will miss you!  5/17

Serena Seshadri and Kelly McKenna complete their Honors Theses. 5/17

Liza Koch successfully defends her PhD Thesis.  Congratulations Dr Koch! 4/17

Hannah Kang is awarded a 2017 Summer GUROP Fellowship. 4/17

Jen Swift nominated for the College Academic Council's Honors Teaching Award. 3/17

Kelly McKenna ('17) receives the Chemical Society of Washington Award. 3/17

Marina Solomos is awarded an ARCS Scholar Fellowship for AY 2017-2018. 2/17

2016

So happy to welcome Taylor back to the Swift group! 9/16

Victoria Hall awarded scholarship to attend the 18th National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering (ONRL & APS). 8/16

Serena Seshadri awarded the 2016 CrystEngComm Poster Prize at the ACA Annual Meeting. 7/16

Liza Koch and Victoria Hall awarded 2016 ACA Travel Awards. 7/17

Victoria Hall is selected as a recipient of a 2016 ACA Etter Student Lecture Award. 7/17

Jen Swift elected Chair of the 2020 (Vice-Chair in 2018) of the Gordon Research Conference - Crystal Engineering. 6/16

Serena Seshadri awarded a Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate 2016 Summer Fellowship.  6/16

Marina Solomos is the ARCS Danaher Scholar Fellowship for AY 2016-2017. 5/16

Liza Koch and Victoria Hall are awarded travel grants from the American Crystallography Association. 5/16

New NSF grant awarded (DMR-1609541) 5/16.

Hannah Kang and Serena Seshadri are awarded 2016 Summer GUROP Fellowships. 4/16

Serena Seshadri received a PURPAS Travel Award. 3/16

2015

Marina Solomos and Liza Koch earned first and second place poster awards at the 2015 Georgetown Student Research Day conference. 10/15

Serena Seshadri (COL ’17) and Taylor Watts (REU ’15) earned first and second place poster awards at the 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences held at University of Maryland-Baltimore County. 10/15

Marina Solomos has been named a 2015-2016 Forster Scholar of the Metropolitan Washington Chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (MWC/ARCS) Foundation.  

Victoria Hall is reappointed as a Clare Booth Luce Graduate Fellow for AY 2015-2016.  9/15

Marina Solomos is awarded a travel grant from the American Crystallography Association. 5/15
New Georgetown Environmental Initiative grant awarded 4/15.

Kelly McKenna is awarded a 2015 Summer GUROP Fellowship and an Adams Fellowship. 4/15

Serena Seshadri and Adam Lupicki are awarded 2015 Summer GUROP Fellowships. 4/15

Liza Koch and Marina Solomos are  awarded spring Graduate School Conference Travel Grants. 3/15

Marina Solomos is recognized with a Best Poster Award at the Bruker-AXS/MIT Symposium. 2/15

2014

Victoria Kugel is awarded a Clare Boothe Luce Predoctoral Fellowship for AY 2014-2015. 9/14

Jessica Urbelis successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 7/14

Steven Spangenberg  is awarded an ARCS Predoctoral Fellowship for AY 2014-2015. 6/14

New NSF MRI grant awarded (CHE-1429079). 6/14

Cameron Mohammadi (’14) graduates. 5/14

Victoria Kugel and Marina Solomos are awarded summer Espensheid Fellowships. 5/14

Cameron Mohammadi (’14) receives the Chemical Society of Washington Award. 3/14

2013

James Allen (’16), Victoria Kugel, Marina Solomos and Frank Liu join the lab. Fall 2013

Destiny Spence and Clara McCreery join the lab on an NSF- REU Fellowship.6/13

New NSF grant awarded (DMR-1306247). 6/13

Steven Spangenberg is awarded a summer Espensheid Fellowship. 5/13

Cameron Mohammadi (C’14) is awarded a GUROP Summer Fellowship. 4/13

2012

Liza Koch, Steven Spangenberg and Vidumin Dahanayake join the lab. 11/12

Pranoti Navare and Sarah Fried join the lab just in time to move to Regents Hall. 6/12

Claire Usala (’14) is awarded an Adams Summer Fellowship. 6/12

Janeth Presores successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 4/12

2011

Ilana Goldberg successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 10/11

Jen Swift is named a Doyle Fellow for AY 2011-2012.

Rochelle Osborne (Howard ’12) and Huangquiang Zhao (Fudan U ’12) join the lab as REU and GU-Fudan exchange summer students. 6/11

Dr. Clare Perrin successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 4/11

Jen Swift is faculty-member in residence at Georgetown’s Villa le Balze. Spring 2011

2010

Ilana Goldberg
is awarded a Best Poster Prize at the Annual DTRA Technical Review. 8/10

Dr. Amanuel Zellelow successfully defends his Ph.D. dissertation. 6/10

Adam Hoy ('13) attends the 2010 ACA Small Molecule Crystallography course on a full scholarship. 6/10

Natasha Khatri (Fordham, '11) joins the lab on a NSF-REU Fellowship. 5/10

Lindsey Roecker and Dr. Christina Capacci-Daniel graduate. 5/10

Ilana Goldberg is awarded an ARCS Graduate Fellowship for AY 2010-2011. 4/10

Adam Hoy ('13) is awarded an Adams Summer Fellowship. 4/10

Lindsey Roeker ('10) receives the Chemical Society of Washington award. 3/10

2009

Dr. Christina Capacci-Daniel successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 9/09

Jessica Urbelis is awarded the CrystEngComm Poster Prize at the 2009 ACA meeting in Toronto. 7/09

Brian Fochtman ('10) is awarded a GUROP Summer Fellowship. 6/09

Ilana Goldberg is awarded an ARCS Graduate Fellowship for AY 2009-2010. 4/09

Clare Yannette is awarded a Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellowship for AY 2009-2010. 4/09

Lindsey Roeker ('10) is named a Beckman Scholar. 3/09

Janeth Presores is awarded a Travel Grant from the American Crystallographic Association. 3/09

2008

New group member Samantha Kelly arrives on Dec 30, 2008!

A paper by Christina Capacci-Daniel, et al. was selected as a HOT ARTICLE (see CrystEngComm, 10, 1875-1880, 2008) 10/08

Ilana Goldberg was awarded a Pauling Poster Prize at the 2008 American Crystallographic Association Meeting in Knoxville, TN. 6/08

Clare Yannette was selected for a Margaret C. Etter Student Lecturer Award at the 2008 American Crystallographic Association Meeting in Knoxville, TN. 6/08

Stevara Moses (VCU, '09) joins the lab on a NSF-REU Fellowship. 5/08

Katrina Heyrana ('08) graduates and receives the American Institute of Chemists Award. 5/08

Ilana Goldberg is awarded an ARCS Graduate Fellowship for AY '08-'09. 4/08

Clare Yannette is awarded a Clare Boothe Luce Graduate Fellowship for AY 2008-2009. 4/08

Clare Yannette, Ilana Goldberg and Christina Capacci are each awarded Travel Grants from the American Crystallographic Association. 1/08

2007

Jessica Urbelis awarded a 2008 Summer Espenscheid Fellowship. 12/07

Christina Capacci, Ilana Goldberg and Clare Yannette each receive Graduate School Travel Awards. 12/07

Katrina Heyrana ('08) receives a Poster Award � 2nd Place at the UMBC Undergraduate Research Symposium. 10/07

Christina Capacci is awarded a Best Poster Award at the 39th Erice Crystallography School: Engineering of Crystalline Materials Properties in Erice, Italy. 6/07

Melat Abiye (Texas Women's College, '09) joins the lab on a NSF-REU Fellowship. 6/07

Clare Yannette, Christina Capacci, Janeth Presores and Ilana Goldberg each receive Graduate School Travel Awards. 5/07

Kun-Hae Kim ('07), Paul Kenyan ('07) and Julius Griauzde ('07) graduate. 5/07

Katrina Heyrana ('08) is awarded a GUROP Summer 2007 Fellowship. 4/07

2006

New "group member" Jacob Kelly arrives on Sept 19, 2006!

Ryuk Byun (UVA '08) joins the lab on a NSF-REU fellowship. 6/06

Dr. Rupa Hiremath, Megan Carroll ('06), Caitlin Fogarty ('06), and Joseph Basile ('06) graduate. 5/06

Christina Capacci and Amanuel Zellelow receive Graduate School Travel Awards. 5/06

Paul Kenyan ('07) is awarded a GUROP 2006 Summer Fellowship. 4/06

Julius Griauzde ('07) is awarded a Howard Hughes 2006 Summer Fellowship. 4/06

Dr. Rupa Hiremath successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 3/06

2005

Clare Yannette awarded a 2006 Summer Espenscheid Fellowship. 12/05

Jen Swift receives the College Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching. 11/05

Jen Swift promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. 8/05

Jen Swift received Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award from the American Crystallography Association. 5/05

Rupa Hiremath is awarded a Best Poster prize at the 2005 Mid-Atlantic ACS meeting. 5/05

Catherine Ford ('05), Dr. Richard Abendan, Dr. Crina Frincu, Dr. Rositza Petrova and Dr. Ryan Sours graduate. 5/05

Catherine Ford ('05) graduates and receives the Chemistry Departmental Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award and the Miljevic Chemistry Award (highest award in dept). 5/05

Dr. Richard Abendan successfully defends his Ph.D. dissertation. 4/05

Megan Carroll ('06) is awarded a 2005 GUROP Summer Fellowship. 4/05

Rupa Hiremath is awarded a Best Poster prize at the AAAS 2005 meeting. She is also named a Finalist in the Georgetown Student Research Days Competition. 3/05

Dr. Crina Frincu successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 3/05

Dr. Rositza Petrova successfully defends her Ph.D. dissertation. 2/05

2004

Crina Frincu gets married! 12/04

Catherine Ford ('05) and Caitlin Fogarty ('06) are awarded 1st and 2nd place Poster Prizes at the UMBC Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences. 10/04

Dr. Ryan Sours successfully defends his Ph.D. dissertation. 9/04

Richard Abendan receives a Best Poster Award from the Colloid & Surface Chemistry Division at the 228th American Chemical Society national meeting. 8/04

Steve Varney ('04) and Andrew Pogozelski ('04) graduate. 5/04

Rositza Petrova is awarded a Travel Grant from the American Crystallographic Association. 5/04

Richard Abendan wins Best Student Presentation at the SCANNING 2004 conference. 4/04

Jen Swift is named a 2004 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar. 4/04

Rupa Hiremath wins Best Overall Poster in the GSO Research Days Competition. 4/04

Caitlin Fogarty ('06) is awarded an Adams 2004 Summer Research Fellowship. 3/04

Andy Pogozelski ('04) receives the College Chemistry Achievement Award. 2/04

2003

New �group member� Michelle Mihalov arrives on August 22, 2003. Congratulations Rositza!

Ryan Sours is awarded Graduate School Dissertation Fellowship. 6/03

Crina Frincu wins a Best Poster Award at EURESCO meeting. 6/03

Rakesh Patel ('03), Dorothy Fink ('03) and Kristin Cox ('03) graduate. 5/03

Steve Varney ('04) is awarded an Adams Summer Research Fellowship. 4/03

Dorothy Fink ('03) is awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Fellowship. 4/03

Ryan Sours and Crina Frincu win Innovation Awards and Rositza Petrova wins a Peer Award for their posters at the GSO Research Days. 4/03

Dorothy Fink ('03) named to USA-Today's First-Place All Academic Team. 2/03

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