People

Professor Bowers standing outdoors in front of a modern building with large windows and brick walls. They are smiling, wearing a fitted black t-shirt, and have shoulder-length brown hair. The setting includes green grass and a leafy tree.

Bailey B. Bowers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Professor Bowers joined Oberlin College in Fall 2024. Previously she worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. She completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry under the tutelage of Ryan Sullivan at Carnegie Mellon University. Her interest in research (and drive to become a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution) began as an undergraduate student at the College of Wooster, where she engaged in research with Karl Feierabend.

In her free time, Professor Bowers enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, crocheting, sewing, and playing video games.

Current Students

Miguel Romero '29

Winter Term 2026 - present

Assessing the Sorption of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals to Activated Carbon

Miguel is a first-year student interested in majoring in Biochemistry for the pre-med pathway. He joined the Bowers lab as a STRONG (Science and Technology Research Opportunities for a New Generation) Scholar. Now, Miguel hopes to further expand his research experience and develop a deeper understanding of the broader impact of pharmaceuticals.

Outside of the lab, Miguel is a board member for La Alianza Latinx (LAL), secretary for Oberlin’s QuestBridge chapter, and member of the kickboxing club.

Julia Cohen '28

Winter Term 2026 - present

Sunlight-Driven Photolysis of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals

Julia is a second-year Environmental Science major and Chemistry minor. She is interested in environmental and agricultural chemistry, specifically how to make farming more sustainable. Julia is a chemistry TA and tutor, and works at the Oberlin Living Machine, a system that recycles its own wastewater.

Outside of academics, Julia is a part of the Oberlin Women and Non-Binary Ultimate Frisbee Team and the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association. In her free time, she enjoys collaging, writing letters, and going to the movies with friends.

Taylor standing outside in front of a building with brick and cream-colored walls. She is smiling, wearing round glasses and a white blouse with an abstract floral pattern. Her hair is styled in medium-length twists, and the background features green grass and leafy trees on a sunny day.

Taylor Satterfield '28

Summer 2025 - present

UV-C Photolysis of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals during Water Disinfection

Taylor is a second-year student majoring in Chemistry. She was drawn to the Bowers lab because of the connections to human health and the environment. Taylor is especially interested in the synthesis of non-addictive pain medications that are effective for patients. Now that she has research experience in the Bowers lab, she has gained an understanding of the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals which she will implement in her future work in drug development.

Outside of academics, Taylor is an RA for Afrikan Heritage House, the treasurer for Sisters Of the Yam (SOY), plays the violin, and enjoys dancing and hiking.

Ingrid standing outside in front of a building with brick and light-colored walls. She has long, straight blonde hair and is wearing a brown button-up sweater over a white top. She is smiling slightly and the background includes grass, trees, and large glass windows, indicating a sunny day.

Ingrid Vigsnes '26

Summer 2025 - present

Advanced Oxidative Processes and Sorption Behavior of Fluorinated Compounds

Ingrid is a third-year student majoring in Engineering, specifically Chemical Engineering, as well as minoring in Mathematics. She has always loved science and math, but has renewed her interest in Chemistry at Oberlin. This experience has given her a unique perspective of Engineering through a Chemistry lens which she will continue to apply in the future.

Outside of class, Ingrid is a part of Oberlin’s Women & Non-Binary Club Volleyball Team as both Club Treasurer and a team member on the court, along with serving as Treasurer for the Club Sports Council. In her free time, she loves to work on the sweater she’s knitting, spend time with friends, or take a walk around campus.

Sam smiling outdoors in front of a modern building with large windows and brick walls. They have short brown hair, wear glasses, and are dressed in a light purple-blue t-shirt with a colorful graphic on the front. The background includes green grass and a leafy tree.

Samantha Taylor '27

Summer 2025 - present

Sunlight-Driven Photolysis of Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals

Samantha is a third-year double degree student majoring in Biology and Oboe Performance. The natural world has always been an important part of her life, which led her to biology at Oberlin. Initially adverse to chemistry, after taking a couple courses she developed an appreciation for the chemical sciences and even was a TA for the introductory lab course. Samantha aspires to continue to do work that will make a positive impact on the environment, whether it is through biology or chemistry or something else.

Outside of school, Samantha works as a PRSM trainer at Oberlin, is in a co-op, and loves to run and garden.

Group photos

Winter 2026

Miguel Romero, Samantha Taylor, Professor Bowers,
Ingrid Vigsnes, Taylor Satterfield, Julia Cohen

Group of four people standing closely together and smiling outside in front of a building with large windows and brick walls. From left to right: the first person has short hair, glasses, and is wearing a purple graphic t-shirt (Sam); the second has medium-length twists, glasses, and a sleeveless patterned blouse (Taylor); the third has long blonde hair and is wearing a brown cardigan and patterned skirt (Ingrid); the fourth has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a black t-shirt and olive pants (Professor Bowers). The scene is well-lit with green grass and trees, suggesting a sunny day.

Summer 2025

Samantha Taylor, Taylor Satterfield, Ingrid Vigsnes, Professor Bowers

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