Congratulations to the 2019 NSF GRFP Awardees and Honorable Mentions!
The Department of Chemistry is so proud of its NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awardees for 2019! The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides recognition and support for outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines. The GRFP selects recipients with great promise to achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional endeavors.
2019 NSF GRFP Awardees:
Anna Kaplan
Anna earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin college before coming to Emory University in 2018. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program for two different projects. She has since joined the Wuest Lab, where she works on organic synthesis of natural products and analogs thereof to discover new narrow-spectrum antibiotics. She is also involved in various outreach events with PACS and The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), including the Atlanta Science Festival and the Emory Summer Science Academy.
Savannah Post
Savannah joined the Wuest lab in 2018 after earning her undergraduate degree from Berry College. While at Berry, she worked on methods for stereoselective synthesis and the synthesis of Lumacaftor analogues for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Now, Savannah works on the total synthesis of an antibacterial natural product. Savannah is also actively involved with The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), currently serving as their Treasurer.
Daniel Salgueiro
Daniel, who graduated from Emory University in 2018, now attends graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He works in the lab of Dr. Dan Weix, where he uses Cross-Electrophile Coupling (XEC) to form sp3-sp3-sp2 C-C bonds. His NSF proposal was on the use of cooperative diaryl ketone/palladium catalysis to use allylic C-H bonds as pronucleophiles for traditional cross-coupling, based on the research he worked on in Blakey Lab during his time at Emory.
Ingrid Wilt
Ingrid is a member of the Wuest lab, currently working on total synthesis of a natural product with anti-fungal activity. Before joining the Wuest lab in 2018, Ingrid attended Colorado College where she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Habiba Vaghoo. In addition to her research, Ingrid serves as the co-speaker chair for The Association for Women in Science (AWIS).
2019 NSF GRFP Honorable Mentions:
Rachel Bender
After graduating from Capital University with a B.A. in chemistry and biochemistry and minors in math and biology, Rachel came to Emory University where she is co-advised by Dr. Jen Heemstra and Dr. Khalid Salaita. Her project involves characterizing the biophysical properties of peptide nucleic acids with a goal of developing them into a tool for analyzing cell mechanics. In addition to her research, Rachel volunteers with Science for Georgia and the Atlanta Science Festival and serves as STEM Activity Leader with the Discovery Program Inc. Rachel has also been the recipient of an Emory Graduate Diversity Fellowship.
Aaron Bosse
Aaron joined the Davies Lab in 2017 after earning his bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross. In the Davies Lab, he works on total synthesis of paracyclophane natural products, method development of new diazo precursors for C-H functionalization, and exotic C-H functionalization substrates useful to pharma. He actively works with the CCHF, having helped run their booth at the Atlanta Science Festival for the past two years. Aaron was named the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Most Outstanding Senior Undergraduate at Holy Cross and he was the recipient of the Quayle New Student Award here at Emory.
Ana Cheng
Ana came to Emory University from New College of Florida. She joined the Wuest lab in January 2018, where she currently works on synthetic retinoids with anti-MRSA activity. In addition to her interests in total synthesis and medicinal chemistry, Ana is a member of The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Ana is actively involved with Atlanta Roller Derby as both a skater and board member.
Maddie Dekarske
Maddie earned her Bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College before coming to Emory, where she now works in the Wuest Lab. She has two projects in the lab: making analogs of nTZDpa, which kills growing and persisitent S. aureus, and investigating the mechanism of action of honokiol derivatives, which kill S. mutans. Maddie has also received a Goldwater Honorable Mention in 2016 and another NSF GRFP Honorable Mention in 2017, she has been inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board, and she has been recognized in Who’s Who Among Students at American Universities and Colleges.
