Leonard R. MacGillivray obtained his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s University (Canada) and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he was supported by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Fellowship. He then served as a Research Associate at the National Research Council of Canada in the Functional Materials Program at the Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences.
In 2000, he joined the faculty of the University of Iowa, where he was promoted to Professor in 2010 and held appointments in both the Department of Chemistry and the College of Pharmacy. He was named a Collegiate Fellow in 2019 and served as Departmental Executive Officer (Chair). In 2023, he was awarded a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Crystal Engineering for Green Chemistry and Sustainable Materials.
Prof. MacGillivray currently holds a joint appointment at the Université de Sherbrooke across the Faculties of Science, Engineering, and Health Sciences and Medicine. His research program focuses on crystal engineering, solid-state photochemistry, and the design of functional molecular materials for applications in sustainable chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and advanced materials.

Adam’s graduate and postgraduate research focused on the photophysical characterization of organic dyes and polymers, with particular emphasis on optical properties, energy transfer, and electron transfer processes. His work spans conjugated molecular systems, organic polymers, and carbon-based nanomaterials. He completed his Ph.D. at the Université de Sherbrooke in the Harvey research group, followed by postdoctoral training at the Université de Sherbrooke (Claverie group) and the University of Windsor (Rondeau-Gagné group), where his research centered on the photophysical properties of graphitic dots and semiconducting organic polymers. During his graduate and postdoctoral training, he was the recipient of both the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship and the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Adam has held lecturer positions at Bishop’s University and the Université de Sherbrooke, teaching courses in general and inorganic chemistry, spectroscopy, materials science, laboratory safety, and laboratory instruction. In 2022, he received the Contract Faculty Teaching Award in the Natural Sciences Division at Bishop’s University, where he continues to teach part-time.
As Research Manager of the MacGillivray laboratory, Adam provides scientific, administrative, and academic support to the research group and works closely with students to develop experiments and troubleshoot research challenges.

María G. Vasquez Ríos earned her B.Sc. in Chemistry (Hons.) from the Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (Mexico), where she conducted research on ruthenium–phosphine organometallic complexes. She completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Science at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (Mexico) under the supervision of Prof. Herbert Höpfl Bachner, specializing in supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering of organotin compounds, with a focus on anion recognition, polymorphism, and solid-state inclusion.
She subsequently held postdoctoral appointments at the University of Iowa (USA) and the Université de Sherbrooke (Canada) in the research group of Prof. Leonard MacGillivray. Her postdoctoral research focuses on the crystal engineering of boron-based molecular materials, emphasizing solid-state reactivity, including cocrystals, host–guest systems, molecular separations, and pharmaceutical cocrystal development for prostate cancer applications.
Her postdoctoral training has been supported by prestigious fellowships from the Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT) and the Secretaría de Educación, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SECTEI) of Mexico City.

Jean-Claude Chartrand earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry from the Université de Sherbrooke, where his graduate research focused on infrared spectroscopy and physical chemistry. Under the supervision of Prof. Patrick Ayotte, he investigated the kinetic conversion of nuclear spin isomers in endohedral water molecules and developed specialized ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) chambers for advanced sample preparation and spectroscopic measurements. During his master’s studies, he received multiple competitive awards, including the FRQNT Master’s Research Scholarship and the NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Following his graduate training, Jean-Claude joined Allumiqs, a contract research organization delivering multiomics, mass spectrometry, and data-driven analytical solutions. He progressed to a senior LC–MS specialist role, where he spent four years managing multiple LC–MS platforms, contributing to method development, and supporting complex analytical workflows. During his career, he also held part-time teaching appointments at the Université de Sherbrooke, Cégep de l’Outaouais, and Bishop’s University.
Jean-Claude currently supports the MacGillivray laboratory through instrument design and integration, programming, and spectroscopic expertise. His role bridges experimental development and research operations, providing technical and methodological support for advanced analytical, solid-state, and materials-focused research projects.