Hello, I’m Sam.

My research asks how molecular structure controls what happens after a molecule absorbs light. I approach this question by building experiments—including femtosecond transient absorption and magnetic circular dichroism—and developing software to extract physical parameters from the resulting data and connect those parameters with theory.

In Jeffrey Rack's research group at the University of New Mexico, I have redeveloped polarization-sensitive instrumentation, rebuilt pump-probe acquisition workflows, investigated magneto-optical activity in porphyrins, and studied photochemical inversion in chiral sulfoxides.

Scientific software, teaching, and mentorship are integral to how I approach research. My software supports instrument control, spectral processing, fitting, and visualization, while my teaching and mentorship include inorganic chemistry, advanced synthesis, mass spectrometry, and undergraduate research.