Peer Advisors
Our current peer advisors are all chemistry majors in their senior year and have gone through training with the Center for Advising Services, and also work with the chemistry Undergraduate Studies Committee.
They can help students with:
- Declaring a major
- Making connections with faculty
- Reviewing research opportunities
- Exploring study abroad options
- Investigating independent and interdisciplinary study options
If they can't answer your question, they are happy to point you in the right direction!
Chemistry Peer Advisors 2025-2026
Robert Ghetiu
Major: Chemistry (BS)
I am a senior, I grew up in Iași, Romania, and moved here for college. I have liked Chemistry since middle school, but thought I wanted to be a biochemistry major when I got here. But, after I started taking Organic Chemistry, and after seeing the friendly community of students built around Chemistry, I decided a Chemistry major is better for me. I liked the breadth of the major, requiring classes in all major areas of Chemistry, but also its flexibility: I was able to start taking graduate classes as soon as my sophomore year. A lot of Chemistry majors are also involved in research, and I am no exception: I joined the Frontier lab my sophomore year, where I have been working on using the halo-Prins and halo-Nazarov reactions on new substrates. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a workshop leader for both lab and theory classes, ranging from Organic to Physical Chemistry. In my free time, I serve on the EBoard for the Undergraduate Chemistry Society; I like reading, learning about foreign languages and cultures, and going to the theater and opera.
Email Robert
Matthew Gleason
Major: Chemistry (BS)
I am a senior originally from Philadelphia, PA (ask me about Philly!). I had originally started at the University as a Chemistry major intending to pursue medical school, but I decided to consider different career paths after taking the First-Year Organic Chemistry sequence with Prof. Paradine and Prof. Kennedy. I joined the Kennedy Research Group in Fall 2023 and have since found my passion to be synthetic chemistry! In the Kennedy Group, my research focuses on advancing understanding of nickel-catalyzed reactions. I am also a Research Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Research, so please reach out with any questions regarding research in our department! Outside of lab, I have been a Workshop Leader for CHEM 171/172 (First-Year Organic Chem) during my sophomore year, and for CHEM 211 (Inorganic Chemistry) and CHEM 433 (Advanced Organic Chemistry) during my senior fall. The past academic year I was the secretary for our Undergraduate Chemistry Society (UCS) and look forward to being the Vice President for the upcoming year (UCS is an awesome way to get help with chemistry coursework and meet other Chem majors!). I look forward to hearing your questions about classes, research, life in the department, or anything I else I can help you with!
Email Matthew
Riley Joseph
Major: Chemistry (BS)
I am a senior from Buffalo, NY. When I started at U of R, I thought that I wanted to major in biochemistry; however, after taking General Chemistry with Professors Matson and Knowles, who expanded on a lot of the topics I had learned in high school, I became very interested in exploring chemical concepts more deeply and decided to make Chemistry my major! Since then, I have done research in the Matson Lab, working with semiconductor nanocrystal systems to optimize proton and carbon dioxide reduction for green energy applications. I have also had the opportunity to be a workshop leader for Chem 131 and 132. Around campus, I am a member of the varsity cross country and track and field teams. Feel free to ask me questions about courses, research, or anything else you may need help with!
Email Riley