2020-21 MWC Scholars

Georgetown University Scholars

Graduate Scholars, $15,000 Award

Megan E. Barefoot

Forster Family Scholar

1st Year Scholar
MD/Ph.D. Tumor Biology Program
Researching liver damage from reperfusion injury after liver transplant.

Nicole Wagner

ARCS/MWC Endowment Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biology
Researching the survival mechanisms of primitve microbial life in a perennially frozen, methane-rich Antarctic lake

Daniel N. O'Brien

ARCS/MWC Endowment Scholar

2nd Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Physics
Researching design and development of novel medical devices for biomarker sensing in non-invasively sampled human interstitial fluid.

The George Washington University Scholars

Graduate Scholars, $15,000 Award

Benjamin P. Bowman

Mars Foundation Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Engineering
Research in graph theory, machine learning, and applied cybersecurity, to develop new graph-based techniques for modeling knowledge derived from source code to detect vulnerabilities.

Isaiah J. King

Patricia and Duncan Sparrell Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Engineering
Research in machine learning on graph data structures to provide deeper knowledge about data in less time

Laith Z. Samarah

ARCS-MWC Chapter Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry
Research entails chemical analysis to unravel the intricate molecular framework behind the natural association between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

John Hopkins University

Graduate Scholars, $15,000 Award

Savahannah Est-Whitte

Forster Family Foundation Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research attempts to stimulate the immune sysetm to specifically target diseases including melanoma and inflammatory bowel disease.

Adam Li

ARCS/MWC Chapter Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research entails localizing the epileptogenic zone in the brain of epilepsy patients using intracranial EEG data.

Alexandra Rindone

Hesse Endowment Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research platform will be applied to develop targeted therapeutics to regenerate lost bone resulting from large craniofacial injuries.

University of Maryland

Graduate Scholars, $15,000 Award

Laura A. Paquin

Bill and Marilynn Sweetser Scholar

2nd Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Aerospace Engineering
Research in the development of aircraft and spacecraft that will be subjected to high-speed and high-temperature flows

Julia C. Sell

ARCS/MWC Chapter Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Physics
Research focuses on using light, with an added kick of momentum, to interact with matter in a way that is currently in accessible in traditional electronics.

Micahael J. Zuzak

Lockheed Martin Scholar

2nd Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical Engineering
Research to prevent malicious activity, such as piracy, trojan insertion, and reverse engineering within custom integrated circuits.

University of Virginia

Graduate Scholars, $15,000 Award

Audrey C. Brown

Danaher Corporation Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Molecular Generation, Cell, & Developmental Biology
Research to identify how metabolism of the malaria-causing parasite, Plamodium falciparum, changes in response to stressful conditions to prevent the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria.

Samantha M. Perez

JCM Foundation Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research focuses on the translational nexus of combining basic molecular biology and engineering principles to selectively target deadly cancers.

Stephanie Michaela Rikard

McNichols Family Foundation Scholar

1st Year Scholar
Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Research to design novel therapeuitc interventions to improve outcomes for patients who experience acute myocardial infarction.