Aspiring Undergrad Scientists Receive Goldwater Scholarships

Three University of Texas at Dallas undergraduates have been named recipients of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation award.

Biomedical engineering senior Zachary Lee, biochemistry senior Harish Suryadevara and neuroscience senior Jackson Trotter are among 437 new scholars chosen from 1,353 science, engineering and mathematics students nominated by 446 academic institutions for the scholarships, which provide up to $7,500 per academic year.

"Our scholars' recognition by the Goldwater team once again reveals UTD to be one of the best universities in the nation for STEM students," said Dr. Douglas Dow, associate dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College who heads the Office of Distinguished Scholarships.

"Our undergraduates bring so much passion and creativity, along with a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication, to their research. In turn, they are met with personal mentorship and professional opportunities, often resulting in opportunities to co-author conference papers and publications," said Dow, who is also a clinical professor of political science in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

Zachary Lee

Lee, who grew up in an economically underserved area of Austin, is passionate about improving accessibility to health care. His current research focuses on electrochemical biosensors.

"A lot of diseases can be hard to diagnose, treat and track," he said.

Electrochemical biosensors could provide more accessibility to treatment, especially in regions that do not have the infrastructure to deal with certain diseases, he said.

"Even though solutions for certain diseases might already exist, they're not cost effective for some regions of the world. Accessibility is a really big pillar of the work I hope to do in the future," he said.

Lee has been working under the guidance of Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering and the Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, and is a co-author on two papers on biosensors with Prasad.

"Zach is curious, committed and not afraid of failure," she said. "All of this has held him in good stead as he has developed his research skills."

Lee plans to pursue a PhD program "that really focuses on building foundational knowledge and pushing the frontier of our understanding of how certain cells interact with their environment to allow our nervous system to function," he said.

Harish Suryadevara

Suryadevara studies the molecules made by living organisms.

"Living organisms produce an array of really interesting molecules, ones that are very structurally complex and difficult to make in the lab correctly, and some of these molecules are really helpful for health," said Suryadevara, who first became interested in laboratory research while in high school. "There's value in figuring out how these compounds are synthesized and how we can remake them in a laboratory setting or in bulk."

Dr. Filippo Romiti, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and a Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas Scholar, works with Suryadevara on his research.

"Harish has a great passion for chemistry and a knowledge of organic synthesis that is typical of a more experienced researcher," Romiti said. "He eats, sleeps and breathes chemistry. I am certain he will be a very successful academic and will make impactful discoveries."

Last year, Suryadevara was a co-author with Romiti on a study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. After graduation, Suryadevara hopes to study organic chemistry, specifically in complex molecule total synthesis, in graduate school.

"I think organic chemistry is unique as a science in that there's no right way to make a molecule," he said.

Jackson Trotter

Trotter - a National Merit Scholar originally from Clarksville, Tennessee - loves the independence of lab work.

"I like how you can come up with your own questions, figure out ways to answer them, and pursue those questions on your own. Eventually, I want to study infectious diseases and host immunology in my own research lab," said Trotter, who plans to pursue a PhD in microbiology.

This past spring, Trotter worked under Dr. Michael Reese in the Department of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center as a Green Fellow, a semester-long research experience offered in partnership with the medical center that prepares UT Dallas undergraduates for success in their professional training for biomedical science or health-related careers. There, Trotter developed a tool to map protein signaling networks in Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasite infecting 1 in 3 people worldwide.

Reese said, "In my experience, one of the marks of potential in a trainee is true excitement about their project and the willingness to take ownership of it and drive it forward themselves. Jackson clearly has this in spades, which is especially unusual in an undergraduate."

Research has opened doors for Trotter outside the laboratory as well. He spent the last two summers as a peer advisor for the Anson L. Clark Summer Research Program, which gives incoming first-year UTD students the opportunity to launch their research careers through an intensive summer experience. He mentors about 200 students.

"I constantly get questions from Clark Scholars about research advice," he said. "They have been a big part of my undergraduate career. It's easy to get tunnel vision when it comes to lab and schoolwork. It's refreshing to see so many young, talented, and like-minded students having fun and catching the research bug before they start college."

Wendi Kavanaugh, associate director of the Clark program and the National Merit Scholars Program in the Honors College, said, "Jackson has brought enthusiasm and leadership to the Clark Summer Research Program as a peer advisor. He is dedicated to research and helping students find their path at UT Dallas. He has been a fantastic Honors College student."

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