2009 Biochemistry Goldwater Scholar

RIT Biochemistry Major, Jessica Alexander from Nashua NH has been named a 2009 Goldwater Scholars.  The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award for students interested in pursuing a career in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.  The award is based on academic merit, and virtually all winners plan on pursuing a Ph.D.  Jessica will receive $7500 for her senior year. Many have extensive undergraduate research experience as well.  This year, 278 sophomores and juniors were selected from 1,097 nominees. 

Jessica has been conducting physical chemistry research with Dr. Christopher Collison in the Department of Chemistry at RIT.  Her research is currently focused on the interactions between carbon nanotubes and organic molecules, which has been published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry; she has also presented this work at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Additionally, Jessica has done research through the Harvard Stem Cell Institute Summer Internship Program.  Jessica plans to obtain a Ph.D. in Biochemistry or Molecular Biology with a focus on the relationship between stem cells and cancer, and envisions a career as a PI of a biomedical research laboratory.  Jessica holds an RIT Presidential Scholarship, a Nathaniel Rochester Society Scholarship, and a Scottish Rite Abbott Scholarship.  She is in the RIT four-year Honors Program and is an RIT Chemistry Research Scholar.