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HomeNews and EventsStudent News2026 Graduates May2026Thomas Knoll ‘26
Thomas Knoll '26

PhD, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Advanced Graduate Certificate in Data and Computational Science

A person takes a selfie, smiling by the coast. Behind them, lush greenery and a calm sea stretch under a clear blue sky, evoking a cheerful mood."
Where are you originally from?

I am originally from Salzburg, Austria. After finishing high school there, I went to Munich, Germany to pursue my BS in Chemistry and Biochemistry and my MS in Chemistry at the Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU). I came to Stony Brook for my PhD in August 2021.

On Stony Brook:

Toward the end of my master’s in Munich, I was doing research in computational photochemistry and starting to look for PhD advisors. I wanted to come to the New York area and while searching for professors in my field, I came across Prof. Ben Levine’s group. The research sounded really exciting, so I reached out to him, applied and everything worked out.

The main reason I chose Stony Brook was the science. Prof. Levine’s group works in the areas of theoretical chemistry, electronic structure theory and light-induced dynamics. This is exactly where I wanted to be. Beyond that, Stony Brook offered a strong computational science environment. Especially the Institute for Advanced Computational Science (IACS), of which I’m part of now, seemed like a great interdisciplinary community to me. 

I chose to pursue my PhD in theoretical and computational chemistry because I have always wanted to understand how the universe works at a fundamental level. Theoretical chemistry sits at the intersection of physics, chemistry and applied mathematics, and it lets me study the processes that involve electrons, light and matter. I also love that the work has direct applications in fields such as solar-energy conversion, drug discovery and bioimaging.

Interests:

  • Chemistry Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student, Stony Brook University (2026)
  • Chemistry Award for Outstanding Service, Stony Brook University (2026)
  • American Chemical Society (ACS) Pride – Merck Graduate Research Award (2025)
  • Best Poster Award, Chemistry Research Day at Stony Brook University (2024)
  • Junior Researcher Award, Institute for Advanced Computational Science (2024)
  • Erasmus Plus scholarship, exchange semester at Sorbonne Université, Paris (2018)

Plans for post-graduation:

I will be starting a postdoctoral position in the group of Prof. Neepa Maitra in the Department of Physics at Rutgers University. I plan to continue doing fundamental research in theoretical chemical physics.

Advice for future Seawolves:

Connect with as many people as you can. The friendships and professional relationships you build during your time at Stony Brook will shape both your work and your life outside of it. Engage with student clubs and associations, organize events around things you care about and put yourself in spaces where you can meet people from different backgrounds. And do not be afraid to show who you are. You will do your best work when you feel like you can show up as a whole person.

Favorite SBU memory:

Some of my favorite memories at Stony Brook come from planning and attending events with the student associations that I was part of. Furthermore, the coffee breaks at IACS, where I get to talk to friends and coworkers with diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds. I also have a lot of good memories from going to the rec center with my friends. Sometimes the best thing after a long day of working is just hitting the gym together and decompressing.

Parting thoughts:

As a scientist who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, I care a lot about visibility and inclusion, especially in academic settings. I have learned that people do their best work when they feel safe to be who they truly are. Stony Brook has been a place where I could grow into that. I want to thank everyone who was part of my journey here for shaping who I have become as a scientist and as a person. These people include (but are not limited to) my advisor, Prof. Ben Levine, my group mates (especially Caitlin Hetherington), and friends at IACS and the Department of Chemistry. I would also like to thank my PhD committee members, Prof. Chris Johnson and Prof. Peter Khalifah, and mentor Prof. Jim Jiao for their support. I am leaving Stony Brook with a deep sense of gratitude.