Chemistry Students Named Recipients of Benkovic Summer Research Scholarship
For undergraduate students, conducting summer research is a great way to explore chemistry and develop as scientists. The Benkovic Summer Research Scholarship supports these important educational experiences.
The Benkovic award provides financial support for undergraduates who are conducting outstanding unpaid summer research on campus under the direction of a faculty member. The award was established by Dr. Stephen Benkovic—Evan Pugh University Professor of Chemistry at Penn State—and his wife Patricia Benkovic.
This summer, seven students have been named recipients of the Benkovic Scholarship: Autumn Williams, Jarek Metro, Jieru Zhu, Matthew Leonard, Matthew Schubach, Yujie Qian, and Alex Tai.
Autumn Williams plans to conduct research with Dr. Bratoljub Milosavljevic, Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State. Her objective is to determine the microviscosity of nano-sized water clusters. She explains that in order to determine the microviscosity of the water clusters she plans to develop a new method to measure the viscosity for water clusters so small. “Being a Benkovic scholar has created opportunities for me to explore different areas of chemistry and to apply my knowledge directly to what I am studying,” she adds, “It means a lot to be a Benkovic scholar because I am building lifelong skills while learning how to make conclusions based on applied knowledge.”
Jarek Metro will be working with Dr. Sheryl Dykstra, Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State. Metro was inspired to work with Dr. Dykstra after taking her organic chemistry class, Chem 213W. Metro, who is also interested in education, plans to research more effective ways to teach the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) technique and application with essential oils in Chem 213W. “I'm particularly proud of receiving the Benkovic award for this summer,” Metro notes “it allows me to continue my research so I can make a difference and improve chemistry education.”
Jieru Zhu is a rising senior who will be conducting research with the Allcock group this summer. “I am so honored to be named a Benkovic scholar this year,” Zhu says, “it not only helps me build my confidence in chemistry and research, but also prepares me to pursue a chemistry research career in the future.” She plans to study of synthesis of poly(difluorophosphazene) on larger scale reactions via the direct substitution route, and use trimeric cyclic fluorophosphazene as small molecule models to study the reactivity of fluorophosphazenes.
Matthew Leonard is a rising senior who will be conducting research with Dr. Bratoljub Milosavljevic, Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State. He plans to explore the possibility of a Liquid-Liquid Phase Transition in water using aqueous salt solutions. “Being named a Benkovic Scholar has been fundamental to my success at Penn State,” he adds, “it has allowed me to explore my research interests.”
Rising sophomore Matthew Schubach will be conducting research with the Elacqua group this summer. He plans to synthesize single-chain nanoparticles to study their efficacy in performing small-molecule transformations through tandem catalysis. “The use of polymers rather than traditional catalysts allows reactions to occur under mild conditions, which could include using lower temperatures and different, greener solvents,” Schubach explains. “Being able to focus on research this summer will provide me with invaluable experience that is critical for my development as a research chemist,” he adds.
Yujie Qian, who is a rising senior, plans to conduct research with Dr. Bratoljub Milosavljevic, Associate Teaching Professor at Penn State. “Receiving the Benkovic award encourages me to devote myself to my field of study,” she explains, “All the support makes what I am studying and what I am working on more meaningful. This inspires me to keep working hard and explore my potential as an undergraduate researcher.” She plans to determine the state of water in polypropylene glycol (PPG). Qian notes that this state has two possible scenarios, “The first scenario is that water is dispersed in the PPG matrix in the form of isolated droplets,” she explains, “The second scenario is that water is dispersed such that it is in the form of interconnected channels within the PPG matrix.” She also plans to study the ethylene glycol-water binary system to explore the specific state of such a system.
Rising junior Alex Tai will be conducting research with the Zhang group. He plans to synthesize various colorimetric probes that will monitor changes in pH and polarity in cellular environments through its fluorescence appearance. “Being a Benkovic Scholar means a lot to me,” Tai explains, “I'm honored to have the privilege to be able to conduct research here and apply what I learned in classes into a research environment.”
Congratulations to the 2019 Benkovic scholarship recipients!