A Stone Mountain, Georgia, doctoral student was recently awarded an opportunity to work with Savannah River National Laboratory. Other students can apply for similar opportunities through April 14.
Whitney Ingram was selected to receive a Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research award. The honor will allow Ingram to work at the lab, or SRNL, to advance her research on nanomaterials - materials of which a single unit is sized between 1 and 1000 nanometers.
Ingram, a doctoral physics student at the University of Georgia, said she is excited about working with SRNL - one of only 15 national laboratories working with an award recipient in 2015. She added that her research focuses on nanotechnology and solid-state physics.
"I'm interested in the optical properties of nanostructures and their reactions to light based on size, geometry and material type," Ingram said. "Since this area is not well studied, the knowledge I gain may spark interest with those who want to use sensing techniques in similar ways."
Nanomaterials created as a result of Ingram's work will be evaluated for their ability to help detect nuclear waste residue in liquids. During her tenure at SRNL, Ingram will be mentored by senior scientist Dr. Simona Murph.
Ingram added that opportunities such as the Graduate Student Research award give the encouragement necessary to shift from being a student into being a dedicated scientist.
"As our scientific problems become more complex, we need a wealth of creative minds and collaboration to tackle these issues," she added. "As a child, I dreamed of one day being an astronomer. I never imagined I would have an opportunity such as this."
The 2015 call for applications for more graduate student research opportunities is currently underway with applications due by April 14. For more information, contact SRNL University Relations Program Manager Natalie Ferguson at 803-725-2600. A complete list of 2014 awardees can be viewed at: science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.
Clik here to view.
