Welcome to the Ball Group. An Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis Lab at Pomona College.
This page will include notifications of recent events and news in the Ball Laboratory. Browse the site and learn about the people, our research, and chemistry at Pomona.
Are you an undergraduate student interested in joining the Ball Lab? Check out this page.
Curious about other research opportunities? Check this page out.
This page will include notifications of recent events and news in the Ball Laboratory. Browse the site and learn about the people, our research, and chemistry at Pomona.
Are you an undergraduate student interested in joining the Ball Lab? Check out this page.
Curious about other research opportunities? Check this page out.
12.14.2024 - Prof. Ball completed his three month stint at Pfizer, Inc Groton, CT site with Dr. Christopher am Ende. He worked focused on new alkylation chemistry and parallel medicinal chemistry techniques.
11.9.2024 - Congrats to Theo Yass ('23), Yuxin (Emily) Fang ('24), Lana Ravelo ('25), Sanah Anand ('25), and Saira Arora ('25) on their new paper in Organic Letters! The paper focuses on using a range of Lewis acids to catalyze making S–N bond from S(VI) fluorides. Congrats and chirp!
5.12.2024 - Prof. Ball was received the Wig Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching! This is Prof. Ball's second time receiving this honor. https://www.pomona.edu/news/2024/05/13-pomona-college-faculty-recognized-excellence-teaching-service
5.09.2024 - Check out our new perspective with the Sammis (U. British Columbia) and Melvin (Bryn Mawr) groups in the journal Chem about the promise of P(V) fluorides! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451929424001724?dgcid=author
8.30.2023 - Check out our new paper with the Love group (U. of Calgary) in the Canadian Journal of Chemistry!
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjc-2023-0033
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjc-2023-0033
1.11.2023 - Our Chem Comm paper is featured on the Jan. 16th issue front cover!
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12.12.2022 - The Ball lab celebrate the end of the year with its 10th publication and over 300 citations since their first paper in 2017! Chirp!
12.7.2022 - Congrats to Emma Grigorian ('24), Kelvin Lee (HMC '22), Sam Khasnavis ('22), Rohan Krishnan ('24), and Theo Yassa ('24) on their new paper in Chemical Communications! The paper focuses on how dual strategies to make sulfonyl fluorides from sulfonic acids and salts. This is a collaboration between our collaborator Prof. Glenn M. Sammis and his graduate student (Brodie Thomson) at the University of British Columbia. Congrats and chirp!
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6.14.2022 - Congrats to Sam on their new paper in Inorganic Chemistry! The paper focuses on how calcium activates S(VI) fluorides for sulfur-fluoride exchange chemistry (SuFEx). This is a collaboration between our computational collaborator – Prof. O. Maduka Ogba – and their group at Chapman University. Congrats and chirp!
4.28.2022 - Congrats to our lab's seniors who have completed their thesis!
Kate Aris – who was awarded the Pomona Downing Fellowship – will be pursuing a MPhil. of Biotechnology at University of Cambridge.
Nathan Friede will be starting the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at Caltech.
Faisal Mustafa will be working at JP Morgan Chase as a Private Bank Analyst in NYC.
Additionally Postbac Sam Khasnavis will be starting the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at Stanford University.
Kate Aris – who was awarded the Pomona Downing Fellowship – will be pursuing a MPhil. of Biotechnology at University of Cambridge.
Nathan Friede will be starting the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at Caltech.
Faisal Mustafa will be working at JP Morgan Chase as a Private Bank Analyst in NYC.
Additionally Postbac Sam Khasnavis will be starting the Chemistry Ph.D. Program at Stanford University.
4.8.2022 - Prof. Ball was featured in the 2022 Trailblazer issue of Chemical and Engineering News highlight the work and impact of LGBTQ+ chemists.
3.30.2022 - Prof. Ball published a paper in Chem titled “Sulfondiimidamides unlocked as new S(VI) hubs for synthesis and drug discovery”. This was an invited preview that highlighted work by the Willis group at Oxford University.
3.28.2022 - Congrats to Jonathan Elizabeth ('23) who was named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar!!
6.17.2021 - Congrats to Sabrina Carneiro ('21) whose ERoS entry about AISF has been published with Dr. Jisun Lee and Dr. Christopher am Ende at Pfizer. Also Sabrina will matriculate in the Chemistry Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/047084289X.rn02400
5.19.2021 - Congrats to Jonathan Elisabeth ('23), Nathan Friede ('22) from the Ball Lab and Sammis' Lab members Cayo Lee, and Alina Cook on our latest ACS Catalysis Perspective on S(VI) fluorides in catalytic reaction! This work was done in collaboration with Prof. Glenn Sammis lab at the Univ. of British Columbia. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscatal.1c01201
4.13.2021 The Ball lab welcome its new members Min Kyoung Kim ('23) and Cade Novara ('23)! Learn more about them here!
1.13.2021 Prof. Ball has been promoted to Associate Professor with indefinite tenure!
10.27.2020 Prof. Ball was selected as a 2020 Henry Dreyfus awardee. The award honors faculty in chemical sciences who have established an "outstanding" research program and deep commitment to undergraduate education.
8.12.2020 Prof. Ball was interviewed for the podcast “My Fave Queer Chemist,” featuring a conversation with graduate students. The topics included navigating academia as a black queer scientist, motivation behind becoming an educator, dedication to inclusive learning environments, and efforts academic institutions can consider to support LGBTQ+ faculty and staff.
5.27.2020 - Congrats to Cris Woroch ('19), Sabrina Carneiro ('21), Sabrina Kwan ('20), Samuel Khasnavis ('21) and Junha Gu ('21) on our latest Organic Letters paper! This work was done in collaboration with Pfizer (Dr. Christopher am Ende, Dr. Subham Mahapatra, and more)! https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01397
5.18.2020 - Congrats to Sam Khasnavis in being names a 2020 Beckman Scholar (Pomona). Also congrats to Jonathan Elisabeth who was named a 2020 ACS Scholar and Linares Scholar! Way to go!
5.8.2020 - The Ball Lab has received a R15 grant from NIGMS at NIH! Thanks to all the Ball Lab members and alumni who made it possible! Check out the article at pomona.edu.
5.1.2020 - Prof. Ball's chapter in Emerging Fluorinated Motifs: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications titled "Properties and Applications of Sulfur(VI) Fluorides" is published by Wiley VCH.
11.15.2019 - Our new paper is out in Chemical Communications focusing on a one-pot fluorosulfurylation of Grignard reagents using sulfuryl fluoride. This was a collaboration with the Glenn Sammis' Lab at the University of British Columbia. Congrats to Sammis student Cayo Lee!
7.17.2019 - New Ball Lab photo!
6.25.2019 - The Ball Lab welcomes it's new members: Pedro Martinez, Sabrina Kwan, Sabrina Nobrega Carneiro, and Sam Khasnavis!
6.1.2019 - Congrats to new Ball Lab member Sabrina Nobrega Carneiro for being named a Linares Research Scholar at Pomona College. This scholarship will fund Sabrina to conduct two summers of research in the Chemistry Department and research during their Junior and Senior years.
5.2019 - Congrats to Cris Woroch for successfully completing his thesis, graduation, and earning a NSF graduate fellowship!
8.2.2018 - Prof. Ball joins the Dr. Jennifer Love's group at The University of British Columbia for their sabbatical!
http://love.chem.ubc.ca
http://love.chem.ubc.ca
6.11.2018 - Join the Ball lab on twitter @theballlab or Prof. Ball @nicholasball7
6.11.2018 - The Ball lab's work is featured in virtual issue of Organometallics called, "Undergraduate Research: Contributions to Organometallic Chemistry".pubs.acs.org/page/orgnd7/vi/organometallic-undergradresearch.html
6.11.2018 - Congrats to Cris Woroch ('19), Mark Rusznak ('18), Ryan Franzese ('19), Sarah Etuk ('19) and Sabrina Kwan ('20) on our latest Organic Letters paper! This work was done in collaboration with Pfizer (Dr. Christopher am Ende, Paramita Mukherjee, and more). https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01520
5.13.2018 - Prof. Ball was awarded a Wig Distinguished Professor Award! https://www.pomona.edu/faculty/wig-awards
5.13.2018 - Congrats to Chris Ahn (CMC '18), Neil Chan (PO '18), and Mark Rusznak (PO '18) on successfully completing their thesis and graduation! Chris is working on consulting opportunities. Neil is off to UCLA to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Mark will be a research assistant at Vanderbilt Medical School.
3.12.2018 - Congrats to Ball Group member Cristian Woroch on their honorable mention for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship! Cris was one of four Pomona students who was award the Scholarship or received a honorable mention. https://www.pomona.edu/news/2018/04/04-juniors-andy-pelos-and-sal-fu-awarded-goldwater-scholarships
6.27.2017 - We have officially moved in SN 217! Now known as the Ball lab.
6.22.2017 - The new Ball Lab is completed at Pomona College. We are ready for the move down the hall. Special thanks to the O'Leary group for sharing space with us for the past two years, Dan O'Leary, Chemistry Department and Pomona College for the new space!
5.25.2017 – Congrats to Edward Gao for being awarded the ACS POLYED Undergraduate Organic award by the Pomona Chemistry department!
5.22.2017 – The Ball Lab welcomes it new members: Sarah Etuk, Ryan Franzese, Edward Gao, Sabrina Kwan, Nick Lewis, Mark Rusznak, and Bryan Santti. Learn more about them here.
5.15.2017 – Congrats to Ball Lab member Cristian Woroch who has been named a Beckman and ACS Scholar!
5.14.2017 – Congrats to Ashish for a successful thesis project and graduating! Best wishes!
1.30.2017 – Congrats to Ariana , Izzy, and Shamira on our paper in The Journal of Organic Chemistry titled "Pd-Catalyzed Conversion of Aryl Iodides to Sulfonyl Fluorides Using SO2 Surrogate DABSO and Selectfluor". [Link]
9.30.2016 – The Ball Lab welcome its newest member Yannai Kashtan. Welcome!
7.22.2016 – The Ball Lab gets out of Seaver North for our inaugural "Get out of Claremont Day". We enjoyed the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens and spent the afternoon in Old Pasadena!
6.1.2016 – Christopher Ahn '18, Neil Chan '18, Cynthia Nyongesa '19, Melissa Petito '19, Ashish Streatfield '17, and Cristian Woroch '19 join the Ball Lab. Welcome!
From Left to Right: Cynthia Nyongesa, Melissa Petito, Christopher Ahn, NDB, Neil Chan, Ashish Streatfield, and Cristian Woroch.
Photo courtesy of Lauri Bell
Photo courtesy of Lauri Bell
05.25.2016 – Izzy and Phillip successfully completed their thesis requirement and graduated from Pomona. Izzy is starting as job at Phressia as an Associate Implementation Consultant. Phillip will enter the Chemistry Ph.D. program at Princeton. Congrats!
11.15.2015 – Ismerai Rodriguez won the best chemistry poster award at the ABRCMS (Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students) in Seattle, WA. Erick Velasquez (Liu Research Group) also won the best biochemistry poster award. Chirp!
8.27.2015 – Phillip Clayman '16 joins the Ball Lab. Welcome Phillip!
7.29.2015 – First Ball Lab group meeting over chicken and waffles with Evan and Izzy.
7.13.2015 – Moving the new Ball Lab/Chemistry Department Solvent System from JC Meyer (Thanks Connor, Doug, Liliana, Mario and Jorg!)
6.26.2015 – The Ball Lab moves to sunny California. Nicholas Ball joins the Chemistry Department and Faculty at Pomona College as Assistant Professor. Three Pomona students join his group Evan DeLorenzo '17, Ismerai Rodriguez '16 (thesis student), and Ariana Tribby '17. Zareh Joukjian joins the group as a pharmacy student from West Coast University in Los Angeles.