Washington, D.C. (August 15, 2025) - ARCS Foundation Metropolitan Washington Chapter (ARCS MWC) will host its 56th annual Scholar Awards Reception (SAR) at 6:30pm on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in The Great Hall and the Fred Kavli Auditorium at The National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. This premier event will honor...
Sandra Boek Werness (Sandy) became an ARCS MWC member in 2008. She was sponsored by her mother, Jean Boek, who herself had become a member in 1992. We thank Sandy for her long-time commitment to our chapter and her ongoing support of our ARCS MWC Scholars!
Kudos to Timothy (T.J.) Highley, PhD, chair of La Salle University's Math and Computer Science Department, on the preprint of his article with two LaSalle computer science students, entitled "Carry-Over Lottery Allocation: Practical Incentive-Compatible Drafts." Dr. Highley was an ARCS MWC Scholar in 2003 while earning his PhD in computer...
Alexander “Sasha” Frolov – Patsy Mote Memorial Scholar 1st Year Scholar, PhD candidate
Cybersecurity University of Maryland
Research: I work in cryptography, which is the mathematical study of secure communication and computation. My research focuses on making cryptographic systems faster and more capable. I currently work with zero-knowledge proofs, which...
Nikita Sivakumar – Global Autoimmune Institute Scholar 1st Year Scholar, PhD candidate
Biomedical Engineering, Computational Medicine Johns Hopkins University
Research: My research aims to develop a computational model using machine learning and 3D time-lapse images to understand how distinct motility behaviors of B- and T-cells in mouse lymph nodes contribute...
We hope you’ve all been staying warm and safe in spite of all this winter snow! Even though the weather was chilly, fifteen members gathered for a fun Membership Council Mixology get-together. Many thanks to Hilary Sparrell and Karen Magley for organizing our January Mixology event, and...
ARCS MWC member Elli Nesbitt has been named an ARCS Sparks at the National level! The ARCS Sparks Award is meant to honor ARCS members who exhibit small, everyday acts of kindness or displays of leadership or commitment to ARCS Foundation within the chapter or at the national level. Elli was...
Elizabeth (Betsy) Forster joined ARCS MWC in 2011 and was sponsored by Doris Pierson. We thank Betsy for her many contributions to ARCS MWC for the last 14 years, advancing our mission!
Betsy first became acquainted with ARCS MWC when she and Doris were bridge partners playing with the ARCS...
Charli Minsavage Davis – Mars Foundation Scholar 1st Year Scholar, PhD candidate
Biology Georgetown University
Research:
My research uses genomics, quantitative models, and AI to explore how cloning in foundation species affects genetic variation and evolutionary potential.
How Will Your Research Benefit Society?
Many conserved and managed species in natural populations...
