Student Organizations

Graduate Colleagues in Chemistry (GCC)

The Duke University Graduate  (Instagram, Twitter) is the governing body of the Department of Chemistry and serves to coordinate fun and engaging activities for the advancement of the department, both academically and socially. Contact: gcc.dukechem@gmail.com.

GCC 2026-2027 Officers 

a graduate student stands in the arches of duke chapel

Gabriella Krisanic, President. Gabriella is a fourth year in the Becker lab working on the synthesis and additive manufacturing of polymeric materials for drug delivery. In her free time, Gabriella enjoys reading, crocheting, and practicing yoga.

 

 

 

A researcher with long dark hair stands in a green blouse in front of a stone pilar background

Natalie Labbe, Vice President. Natalie is a fourth year student in the Fitzgerald Lab. Natalie's work focuses on expanding the capability of the stability of proteins from rates of oxidation (SPROX) mass spectrometry technique. She is interested in applying SPROX to clinically relevant samples with applications for cancer and neurodegenerative disease detection.

 

 

 

A researcher with long dark hair and clear rimmed glasses stands outside on the roof of a tall building wearing a short sleeved black top.

Cora Lubahn, Treasurer. Cora is rising second year in the Becker Lab as part of their 3D-printing team. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (2025). As an undergraduate, Cora worked with Dr. Aric Opdahl to study temperature-dependent DNA binding interactions using surface plasmon resonance. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and baking for her family and friends.

 

 

A researcher with long brown hair stands in front of an english gothic arch wearing a floral blouse

Sam Eastman, Secretary. Sam is a fifth year student in Derbyshire Lab. She is from Falls Church, Virginia and graduated from Elon University in 2022 with a B.S. in Biochemistry. Outside of the lab, Sam enjoys soccer, board games, and playing with her cats.

 

 

 

Chair Positions:

Recruitment Co-Chairs: Mackenzie Smith and Tony Mack

Hill Lecture Co-Chairs: Xianrui Zhu and Henry Chesley-Vogels

Fundraising Co-Chairs: Gabriela Gonzalez and Ekaterina Balsan

Chemistry Research Symposium Co-Chairs: Hannah Switzer and Alex Gendreau

Outreach Coordinators: Natalie Labbe, Sam Eastman, Mallory Roberts, and Katie Wetmore

Media Coordinators:  Taylor Thorsen and Camille Green

Chemistry Community Committee Representatives: International: Bochu Wang and Chenao Zhang; Domestic: Sarah Angle and Mallory Roberts

Professional Development Co-Chairs: Gabriela Gonzalez and Faviola Caban Vazquez

Alumni Relations Co-Chair: Andrew Smith and Nicole Cadieu

Graduate and Professional Student Council

The Graduate and Professional Student Council of Duke University (GPSC) advocates for the needs of all graduate and professional students and seeks to build community among this diverse population. All graduate students are automatically sponsored by the Department of Chemistry.