Six Ohio State Seniors have been named NSF Graduate Research Fellows. The National Science Foundation awards approximately 1,000 Fellowships annually to graduating seniors and beginning graduate students pursuing research-based careers in the sciences, math, and engineering. The Fellowships cover three years of graduate expenses, including educational expenses and a stipend.
Craig Buckley, Chemical Engineering
Craig is conducting research with Dr. Jessica Winter modifying agarose hydrogels with gold nanoparticles in order to study cell growth in 3-D. The President of OSU’s ChemE car team, Craig plans to continue research in expanding and finding new uses for nanotechnology for biochemistry and biomedical applications, as well as teach at a university level. He will begin his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Stanford in the fall.
Caitlin Malone, Engineering Physics
Caitlin has conducted research with the BaBar particle physics research group on the D0 meson particle, and followed its decay modes through branching fractions. The president of the Society of Physics Students, she is also a member of Women in Physics and Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honorary. Caitlin will begin her Ph.D. in Physics at Stanford University in the fall.
Lindsey Pack, Biochemistry
Lindsey conducts research on DNA polymerases using pre-steady state kinetic methods, which has environmental health implications regarding gasoline and diesel emissions. She has also served as the President of the Biochemistry Club and has participated in the social issues immersion project on homelessness. Lindsey will attend the University of California San Francisco in the fall to obtain a Ph.D. in Biochemistry before pursuing a career as a research professor.
Doug Schaefer, Physics & Mathematics
A 2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, Doug conducts high-energy particle physics research searching for the higgs boson under the direction of Dr. Richard Hughes and Dr. Brian Winer.The results of his research are currently being implemented into the operations of the Collider Detector at Fermilab. He has also conducted research in mathematics in the area of graph theory. Doug will obtain a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the University of Pennsylvania before pursuing a career in academia.
Jean Wheasler, Chemical Engineering
Jean conducts research with Dr. Jessica Winter, investigating the relationship between nanoparticles and biological elements. In addition to completing an REU at Texas A&M University, she has been a member of OSU’s award-winning ChemE car team and served as Secretary of the Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Jean will attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall to pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.
Christine Zgrabik, Engineering Physics & Spanish
Christine has conducted research under Dr. Leonard Brillson on the modification of the electrical properties of zinc oxide and has co-authored a publication on the topic in Applied Physics Letters. Christine has also researched remote sensing at Tec^Edge at the Air Force Institute of Technology. She will begin to work at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in the fall and plans to pursue a career in applied physics and medical imaging research at a government laboratory.
In addition to the undergraduates listed above, several other Ohio State seniors received honorable mentions: Honors Collegium member Ehsan Sadeghipour (mechanical engineering), Marc Coons (chemistry), Gregory Ebersole (material science engineering), Eric Sacia (chemical engineering), and Patrick Wensing (electrical & computer engineering).
Students interested in applying for the NSF next fall should contact the Collegium for assistance. Applications are due to the NSF in early November.
We are hosting an information session about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship on Wednesday, June 3rd, at 4pm in 102 Kuhn Honors & Scholars House.