Student Awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Chemistry major Erin Reinhart ’15 was awarded
a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate
Research Fellowship.Media Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579
May 1, 2015 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College is pleased to announce that Erin Reinhart ’15, a chemistry major from Courtland, Minnesota, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. This fellowship is given to individuals based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering.
Reinhart is the first Saint Mary’s student to be awarded this fellowship, which will cover tuition for graduate school and a stipend for living expenses. She will attend Dartmouth College in the fall to work towards a PhD in chemistry. At Dartmouth, she hopes to continue research she started at Saint Mary’s. Her long-term goal is to be a professor at a college or university.
“It is an honor to be the first Saint Mary’s student to be awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. It speaks to the caliber of the education provided at Saint Mary’s College that its students can compete and win at a national level,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart’s research focuses on the hypothesis that age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease are caused by exposure to heavy metals in childhood. Reinhart and Kathryn Haas, assistant professor of chemistry and physics, received a Student Independent Study and Research (SISTAR) grant in 2014 for the project. SISTARs are awarded to faculty-student pairs to conduct research during the summer.
Reinhart’s interest in this research is two-fold. Alarmed by the high number of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease, she saw an opportunity to explore how metals interact within the human body. “This field of chemistry, bioinorganic, offers opportunities for major revolutionary discoveries. I am excited about bioinorganic chemistry because it is a new frontier of science,” Reinhart says.
“It’s not easy coming up with a research idea on your own, especially as a beginning researcher. But Erin did so fearlessly. I am impressed by her talent and motivation, but my favorite thing about Erin is her confidence and her willingness to take advice,” said Haas.
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is a critical program in NSF’s overall strategy to develop the globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation’s leadership in advancing science and engineering research and innovation. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees in science and engineering. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. In the fall of 2015 Saint Mary’s College will begin to offer two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News & World Report.