This article is part of a series of articles on “UK Chemistry Alumni: Where Are They Now?”  Here we feature former student Jonathan Barnes, PhD, who was a student at UK from 2000 to 2006, earning both BS and MS degrees in Chemistry.  Jonathan is now an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis (link to his website). Here Jonathan answers some questions about his time at UK and offers some advice to current and future chemistry students.