After braving four harsh winters in the tundras of Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania, Van returned to the sweet shores of California to satiate her desire to further impact the field of organic chemistry in the Engle Lab. Honing her skills in the Kozlowski lab, Van studied hydrogen bonding colorimetric sensors in the field of organocatalysis. Eager to add the powerful applications of transition metals in organometallic chemistry to her mastery list, Van was quick to don a TSRI lab coat and organize her bench.