Chemistry Graduate Students Named Leadership Award and Service Award Recipients
The Department of Chemistry is pleased to announce that graduate students Auston Butterfield and Jennifer Miller have been named winners of the Department of Chemistry Student Leadership Award and Student Service Award respectively.
The Student Service Award was designed to recognize graduate students who have proven to be outstanding examples of dedicated service to either their research lab, student organization, or departmental committee. This year, the award was presented to Jennifer Miller. She is a member of the Keating group, and her research focuses on designing reconfigurable nanoparticle assemblies towards tunable optical systems.
Miller is highly involved in mentorship and outreach programs across the sciences and was recognized for her outstanding work within the University community. She is a Materials Research Institute Ambassador, a NASA Space Grant Ambassador, and a Science Mentor for Penn State's STEM Extension Program for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Miller also serves as a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Outreach leader, a mentor with Penn State's Undergraduate and Research Experience program, a volunteer for Penn State’s ExplorationU program, and a volunteer at Science Day at Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
The Student Leadership Award was designed to recognize graduate students who have proven to be outstanding leaders, within either the research lab or the science community at large. This year, the award was presented to Auston Butterfield, who is a third year graduate student in the Schaak lab. He is currently studying the synthesis and surface assembly of complex nanoparticles.
Butterfield was recognized for his leadership efforts within the Department of Chemistry. He is currently serving as one of two students on the Career Network and Recruitment Fair Committee, one of six students on the Student Safety Leadership Team, the chair of professional development for the Chemistry Graduate Student Association, a new graduate student mentor, and the laboratory safety officer for the Schaak lab.
“Thank you to everyone that nominated me,” added Butterfield. “I am flattered to have won such an amazing award! I am passionate about my service within the department and aim to provide my fellow students with unique opportunities and exposure that otherwise may not be available. I look forward to continuing to serve and working to better our department.”
The Department of Chemistry thanks Butterfield and Miller for their service to the chemistry community