Hi, I'm Alma! 

Alma grew up in the middle of nowhere, Westley, California (no beaches, just hot). As a first-generation Latina she pursued a degree in Chemistry at the University of California Davis. As an undergraduate she conducted research with Dr. Annaliese K. Franz, where she was fascinated by boron and phosphorus chemistry. She then moved far from home and worked with Dr. John P. Wolfe at the University of Michigan. While at UMich she developed the synthesis for indane derivatives via Palladium-catalyzed alkene difunctionalization while also studying intramolecular alkene carboamination reactions for the synthesis of enantiomerically enriched bridged bicyclic heterocycles. Alma loved the midwest so much that she joined the Ramirez Lab in the summer of 2025 at the University of Minnesota. Outside the lab, Alma enjoys talking to her loved ones, binge-watching series while eating chips with hot sauce, and playing any type of game (play her against mancala and she will never stop). 

Publications

• Perez, A. R.; Cruz, A.; Wolfe, J. P. “Metal-Catalyzed Carboalkoxylation and Carboamination Reactions of Alkenes and Alkynes.” In Comprehensive Organic Synthesis, 3rd edition; Molander, G., Knochel, P., Eds., Elsevier, 2025, vol. 4, pp. 677–769.

• Perez, A. R.; Hanks, G. T.; Bornowski, E. C.; Wolfe, J. P. “Synthesis of Biindene Derivatives via Pd-Catalyzed Alkene Difunctionalization Reactions.” Org. Lett. 2024, 26, 4361–4364.

• Wolfe, J. P.; Perez, A. R. “The Wittig Rearrangement.” Reference Module in Chemistry, Molecular Sciences and Chemical Engineering. Elsevier, 2024.

• Perez, A. R.; Bornowski, E. C.; Chen, L.; Wolfe, J. P. “Synthesis of 2-Cyanomethyl Indane Derivatives via Pd-Catalyzed Alkene Difunctionalization Reactions of Alkyl Nitriles.” Org. Lett. 2023, 25, 2767-2770.

Selected Awards

• Rackham Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award Nomination – Chemistry Department Finalist (2025)

• Riggs One-term Fellowship (2024)

• PPG Summer Research Fellowship (2023)

• Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF) (2020)

Favorite Reaction(s)

• Suzuki Cross Coupling 

• Grignard