Please welcome Will Thauer to the department. Will is pleased to join the UNC Chemistry Department as Executive Assistant in the Energy Frontier Research Center, led by Dr. Thomas Meyer. For the sixteen years prior to his move to the Triangle, Will held administrative positions at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, most recently serving as Associate Secretary of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. As the only EFRC team member who does not hold an advanced degree in Chemistry, he is adapting to the ominous hazard warnings and emergency showers that line Kenan Labs' hallways. In his occasional, parallel life, Will is a well-known performer, scholar and collector of 17th-19th century oboes, and has been a featured soloist with period instrument orchestras in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, Dallas and Montréal.
Please welcome Crista Farrell to the department. She works with the Science and Technology Center filling the shoes of Sarah Kocz. Crista is from the Philadelphia area; which is sometimes code for "New Jersey". She grew up in Burlington, New Jersey and after high school attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she played softball and earned a BA in Philosophy while minoring in English and Religious Studies. Prior to coming to UNC, Crista worked in the nonprofit sector in Philadelphia for three years and in New York City for three more. As a grantmaker, grantwriter, program coordinator, and studio manager, she focused on areas ranging from early childhood education to criminal justice system reform to photojournalism and the arts. Crista is an avid Phillies fan and loves baseball in general. She also loves big gentle dogs, cheese, writing, and the beach - even when it is cloudy.
Please welcome Catherine Heyer to the department. Catherine was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. While working as a Postdoc in France she met a New Yorker, so naturally they married and settled in North Carolina! Catherine is a chemist and has worked as a researcher in industry, and also in science administration in the Chemistry Department at Duke University. Now proudly wearing a lighter shade of blue, she is the new Assistant Director of the Energy Frontier Science Center, EFRC. Among other administrative tasks, Catherine will manage the EFRC budget, write reports and ensure compliance with Department of Energy requirements. She will also help to create a collaborative information portal to meet the needs of EFRC researchers. Catherine has two high school children ages 18 and 15 and a black and white dog named Bonnie. She spends much of her spare time traveling the East coast to Irish dance competitions with her daughter.