Personal Mention
Physics Ph.D. candidate Dacen Waters attended the 69th annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany. The meeting is a chance for young scientists to meet and mingle with the mavens behind some of science’s greatest discoveries. This year’s gathering brought together 39 Nobel Laureates and 580 scientists from 89 countries for an extensive week of discussions, dialogue and social gatherings. Waters participated in a master class on topology, the mathematical study of shapes and space, which, in recent years, has begun to provide unique insights into the physics of materials. Some of the most memorable moments for Waters included attending a Laureate Lunch with Konstantin Novoselov, who received the Nobel Prize in 2010 for his co-discovery of graphene, and meeting Duncan Haldane, a prominent condensed matter theorist who was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for his work on topological phases of matter. “Being able to listen to them and talk about what is going on in the field right now and tell them about my own work was an amazing experience,” Waters said. Find out more.
M. Shernell Smith will serve as interim director of the Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion for the 2019-2020 academic year. During her 16 years as a member of the CMU community, Smith has been a standard-bearer for the university’s commitment to equity and inclusion, and was a member of the working group that identified the need for a common space and interdivisional partnership that became the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion. Through a number of roles within the Division of Student Affairs, Smith has consistently aided in the expansion of the university’s understanding and efforts in civic engagement and sustainability, as well as equity, diversity and inclusion “She has been a tireless advocate for all students, shining a light on how best to ensure that Carnegie Mellon is a transformative experience regardless of background or identity,” wrote Holly Hippensteel and Jen Gilbride-Brown in an email announcing Smith’s appointment. Smith assumes the duties of Angela Campbell, who stepped down in June due to personal circumstances.
Andrew Wolff and Surya Aggarwal, Ph.D. candidates in the Department of Biological Sciences, have been named recipients of the 2019 Glen de Vries Graduate Fellowship. Made possible through the generosity of alumnus and founder of Medidata Solutions, Glen de Vries, the fellowship is awarded to recognize outstanding research achievement and potential among Ph.D. students in biological sciences.
Working in the Hinman lab, Wolff is interested in how a wounding response can lead to regeneration in a larval sea star model. His research has directed his focus to the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathways. Wolff plans to further investigate the MAPK pathway, with additional analysis of gene expression following MAPK inhibition.
Aggarwal is working in the Hiller lab to gain an understanding of the survival mechanisms of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumonia. This insight may shed a light on the bacterium’s pathogenesis and enable the design of intervention strategies, as Streptococcus pneumonia is the leading cause of lower respiratory infections. Find out more.