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Chemistry celebrates four NSF GRFP awards and four honorable mentions

The Department of Chemistry is celebrating four NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awards and four honorable mentions in the 2019 competition. Notably, three awardees and two scholars recognized with honorable mentions are members of the Wuest Group. The fourth awardee is from the Blakey Group with honorable mentions also going to students from the Heemstra Group and the Davies Group.

The Department of Chemistry is so proud of all the scholars who were recognized! The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides recognition and support for outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines. The GRFP selects recipients with great promise to achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional endeavors.

  • Rachel Bender
  • Aaron Bosse
  • Ana Cheng
  • Ingrid Wilt
  • Maddie Dekarske
  • Daniel Salgueiro
  • Savannah Post
  • Anna Kaplan

Rachel Bender

Honorable Mention
Heemstra and Salaita Groups

After graduating from Capital University with a B.A. in chemistry and biochemistry and minors in math and biology, Rachel came to Emory University where she is co-advised by Dr. Jen Heemstra and Dr. Khalid Salaita. Her project involves characterizing the biophysical properties of peptide nucleic acids with a goal of developing them into a tool for analyzing cell mechanics. In addition to her research, Rachel volunteers with Science for Georgia and the Atlanta Science Festival and serves as STEM Activity Leader with the Discovery Program Inc. Rachel is also an Emory Graduate Diversity Fellow.

Aaron Bosse

Honorable Mention
Davies Group

Aaron joined the Davies Group in 2017 after earning his bachelor’s degree from College of the Holy Cross. He works on total synthesis of paracyclophane natural products, method development of new diazo precursors for C-H functionalization, and exotic C-H functionalization substrates useful to pharma. He actively works with the NSF CCHF on outreach as well as research, having helped run their booth at the Atlanta Science Festival for the past two years. Aaron was named the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Most Outstanding Senior Undergraduate at Holy Cross and was a recipient of the Quayle New Student Award here at Emory.

Ana Cheng

Honorable Mention
Wuest Group

Ana came to Emory University from New College of Florida. She joined the Wuest Group in January 2018, where she currently works on synthetic retinoids with anti-MRSA activity. In addition to her interests in total synthesis and medicinal chemistry, Ana is a member of The Association for Women in Science (AWIS). Ana is actively involved with Atlanta Roller Derby as both a skater and board member.

Maddie Dekarske

Honorable Mention
Wuest Group

Maddie earned her Bachelor’s degree from Agnes Scott College before joining Emory and the Wuest Group. She has two projects in the lab: making analogs of nTZDpa, which kills growing and persisitent S. aureus, and investigating the mechanism of action of honokiol derivatives, which kill S. mutans. Maddie also received a Goldwater Honorable Mention in 2016 and a previous NSF GRFP Honorable Mention in 2017. Maddie has been inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board, and she has been recognized in Who’s Who Among Students at American Universities and Colleges.

Anna Kaplan

2019 NSF GRFP Awardee
Wuest Group

Anna earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College before coming to Emory University in 2018. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, pursuing two different projects. She has since joined the Wuest Group, where she works on organic synthesis of natural products and analogs thereof to discover new narrow-spectrum antibiotics. She is also involved in various outreach events with PACS and The Association for Women in Science  (AWIS), including the Atlanta Science Festival and the Emory Summer Science Academy.

Savannah Post

2019 NSF GRFP Awardee
Wuest Group

Savannah joined the Wuest Group in 2018 after earning her undergraduate degree from Berry College. While at Berry, she worked on methods for stereoselective synthesis and the synthesis of Lumacaftor analogues for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Now, Savannah works on the total synthesis of an antibacterial natural product. Savannah is also actively involved with The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), currently serving as their Treasurer.

Daniel Salgueiro

2019 NSF GRFP Awardee
Blakey Group Alum

Daniel, who graduated from Emory University in 2018, now attends graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He works in the lab of Dr. Dan Weix, where he uses Cross-Electrophile Coupling (XEC) to form sp3-sp3-sp2 C-C bonds. His NSF proposal was on the use of cooperative diaryl ketone/palladium catalysis to use allylic C-H bonds as pronucleophiles for traditional cross-coupling, based on the research he worked on in Blakey Group during his time at Emory.

Ingrid Wilt

2019 NSF GRFP Awardee
Wuest Group

Ingrid is currently working on total synthesis of a natural product with anti-fungal activity in the Wuest Group. Before joining Emory, Ingrid attended Colorado College where she conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Habiba Vaghoo. In addition to her research, Ingrid serves as the co-speaker chair for The Association for Women in Science (AWIS).