Fletcher Yoder

Deidra earned her B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with Departmental Honors and a minor in French from Clemson University in 2019. Her undergraduate research spanned multiple departments, universities, and countries, covering Kevlar-like polymer synthesis, poly(caprolactone)-based bioadhesives, valorization of lactose waste streams using lactase cross-linked enzyme aggregates, and lignin-based battery electrodes. At Clemson, she was a Palmetto Fellows Scholar and a Gilman Scholar, and was named Outstanding Student in Organic Chemistry.

In 2023, Deidra earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where her doctoral research developed polymeric nanoparticles for targeted microRNA delivery in neuroblastoma and glioblastoma. That work produced several peer-reviewed publications and presentations at domestic and international conferences. She was a GEM Fellow, was named TA of the Year, and received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Honorable Mention.

Deidra then joined McKinsey & Company as an Associate, gaining in-depth exposure to a wide range of industries and technologies. She joined Fletcher Yoder as a Patent Agent in June 2026.