15 Apr 2024 20 Hendrix students receive NSF and other fellowships, internships
CONWAY — Twenty Hendrix College science students recently received highly competitive fellowships, honors, internships, and research opportunities.
“Hendrix science majors are taking full advantage of their summer by immersing themselves in project-based research and experiential learning opportunities that allow them to explore professional paths they are interested in while developing deeper knowledge and skill,” said Professor of Chemistry Dr. Courtney Hatch, who serves as area chair for the natural sciences. A 2000 Hendrix alumna, Dr. Hatch holds the Nancy and Craig Wood Odyssey Professorship.
“These types of honors and competitive positions are often the seminal experience in a student’s career, paving the way to future lucrative opportunities, such as post-graduate education, medical and professional school, and permanent employment positions in technical professions upon graduation,” she added.
Eight Hendrix students received National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduate (NSF REU) Awards:
- Zach Bernheimer ’24, a chemical physics major, NSF REU in nanotechnology at University of Pennsylvania (complete in summer 2023).
- Andrew Clark ’25, a biology major, NSF REU at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
- Erin DeWald ’25, a chemistry major, NSF REU at the University of Arkansas.
- Harry Lance ’26, a physics major, NSF REU in thermal engineering at Texas A&M.
- James Leone ’25, a chemical physics major, NSF REU at Florida State University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
- August McQuiston ’26, a chemistry major, NSF REU at the University of Cincinnati.
- Kathryn Youn ’25, a biology major, NSF REU at the Hatfield Marine Science Center at Oregon State University.
- Demah Yousef ’26, a chemistry and mathematics double major, NSF REU in chemistry at the University of Mississippi.
Four Hendrix students received Arkansas-INBRE 2024 Mentored Summer Research Fellowships:
- Ella Kelly ’26, a biochemistry and molecular biology major
- Julie Schwartz ’26, a physics major
- Emma Riordan ’25, a biochemistry and molecular biology major
- Adam Andrews ’26, a biochemistry and molecular biology and philosophy double major
Three Hendrix students have been accepted to the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology:
- Lillian Francis ’25, a biochemistry and molecular biology major
- Agustin Kalinowski ’25, a biology major
- Demah Yousef ’26, a chemistry and mathematics double major
Several Hendrix students received individual honors and opportunities, including:
- Riley Centinaro ’25, an environmental studies and biology double major, will be doing an internship at the Systematics Entomology Lab at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History alongside Hendrix alumnus Dr. Michael Gates ’92.
- Kate Jackson ’25, a biochemistry and molecular biology and computer science double major, was accepted to the Amgen Scholars Program at Duke University.
- Isabel Jara ’26, a chemical physics major and mathematics minor, was accepted to the Irish American Scholars Program and will spend next semester at Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland.
- Nina Niemotka ’26, a physics major, has been accepted into a National Science Foundation IRES (International Research Experiences for Students) program, where she will be doing research at Nagoya University in Japan.
- Eliana Oden ’25, a physics major, will was accepted into the FY24 Pathways Intern Program with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this summer.
- Jada Shorter ’26, a physics major, was accepted for a study abroad program at Oxford University for next year.
