The College of Science is proud to have four doctoral students among the 27 young scientists and engineers selected as 2016 ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation Scholars from the Portland chapter. Students are selected based on their outstanding academic achievement and potential.
Through its partnership with the ARCS Foundation, the College is able to recruit top Ph.D. students in biochemistry and biophysics, chemistry, mathematics, microbiology, statistics and integrative biology. The ARCS award provides doctoral students with $18,000, payable over three years at $6,000 per year.
Kudos to these first-year Ph.D. students, our 2016 ARCS Scholars!
Gisela Abigail Gonzalez-Montiel, (pictured above) a graduate of the University of Portland, is pursuing research in organic chemistry. Gisela completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry and mathematics. She was a 2014 Equity Intern at Oregon Health and Science University, where she conducted research in a biochemistry and molecular biology lab to understand how mutations of the ATP-sensitive potassium ion channel lead to disease. She is currently exploring research interests in microbial natural products chemistry and stereochemistry.
She received the Goodwin/Rothschild Scholar Award from ARCS. The award is given by Sheila A. and J. Michael Goodwin and Sara and Robert Rothschild.
A doctoral student in mathematics, Dallas Foster, holds bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and political science from the University of Utah. His research interests encompass numerical analysis, multi-scale modeling, inverse problems, scientific computing, and their applications to economics, political science and geophysics. He has also received the Provost Distinguished Scholarship at Oregon State University.
Foster received the Emmerson Family Scholar Award from ARCS. The award is a gift from Ann and Ron Emmerson.
Shannon Hennessey is conducting research on predatory snails in intertidal systems and their environmental influences in the integrative biology doctoral program. She received the ARCS Foundation Oregon Scholar Award. She earned her bachelor’s degree in fishery science at the University of Washington. Shannon has also been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSFGRF). Read more about Shannon.
William "Bryce" Penta is a Ph.D. student in microbiology and is studying the metabolic pathways of phytoplankton and environmental factors that limit or alter the functioning of these processes. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame. William worked on a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) project studying the effects of the varying availability of Vitamin B 12 and other nutrients on the photosynthetic efficiency and growth of phytoplankton.
William received the Silver Endowed Scholar Award from ARCS donors Barbara and Philip Silver.
This year the College raised $50K, to support ARCS Scholars, and is hoping to secure an additional $100K to create an endowment that will support several Ph.D. scholars annually with matching opportunities available for donors.
