Shining stars: Meet 91传媒鈥檚 newest Astronaut Scholarship winners
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擳wo students in Mississippi State鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College are receiving an out-of-this-world opportunity from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.
Zoe M. Fowler, a senior electrical engineering major from Columbus, and Hannah L. Scheaffer, a junior biochemistry major from Ruston, Louisiana, are receiving two of 56 scholarships being presented to the , which includes students from 41 universities across the nation. Both were nominated by 91传媒 faculty members and will be formally recognized in August at the ASF鈥檚 annual Innovators Gala in Washington, D.C.
Recipients earn a merit-based scholarship of up to $10,000 and may participate in the ASF鈥檚 Innovative Leadership Mentor Program, which provides access to a lifelong network of astronauts, Astronaut Scholar alumni, and leaders in academia, technical research and corporate leadership. In addition to being in their junior or senior years of college study in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, scholarship recipients must express intent to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their degree. Among other application materials, they are required to submit a curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
鈥淚 had never written a personal statement before, so it was fun to do that for this application because I learned more about myself and what I enjoy about particular aspects of research,鈥 Scheaffer said. 鈥淚t also was good practice for graduate school since a personal statement is typically required when you apply.鈥
Scheaffer said she learned of the Astronaut Scholarship through fellow honors student and Provost Scholar Jacob Easley, one of two 91传媒 students who received the award last year.
鈥淚t would be an amazing opportunity to meet an astronaut and converse about what鈥檚 happening space-wise, especially the SpaceX launch that just happened,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also looking forward to getting to know Zoe and learning more about her research in electrical engineering. I think experiences like this are even better when they鈥檙e shared with somebody, and I鈥檓 excited that it鈥檚 somebody else from Mississippi State.鈥
Fowler said she couldn鈥檛 wait to apply after learning of her nomination via email.
鈥淚 was really drawn in when I saw the foundation offered a lot of opportunities for mentorship by Astronaut Scholar alumni, C-suite executives, and astronauts,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hat seemed really ideal for me because I want to get a lot of opinions on what I could be doing research-wise to benefit society or what my next life steps could be in general.鈥
This summer, Fowler plans to focus on writing her first formal research paper, which focuses on foreground extraction in a video sequence. She has been working since freshman year on this research project under the guidance of her father, 91传媒 William L. Giles Distinguished Professor James Fowler. He holds the Billie J. Ball Professorship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, of which he also serves as interim department head.
鈥淪now leopards are going extinct and highly camouflaged, and our research could contribute to the development of a program or algorithm to help make snow leopards in the wild more distinguishable in video footage,鈥 Zoe Fowler explained.
A two-time recipient of the 91传媒 Dean of Engineering Undergraduate Research Stipend, Fowler serves as vice chair of the ECE department鈥檚 ambassador group. She enjoys giving departmental tours to incoming students and organizing events that encourage involvement and camaraderie among current majors.
鈥淭here are so many benefits to research, and there鈥檚 always a need for new technology and information,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 would definitely like to go to graduate school and see where that takes me.鈥
Scheaffer, also recognized this year as the university鈥檚 18th Barry Goldwater Scholarship honoree, said she too looks forward to pursuing graduate studies, particularly in cancer research. She is the recipient of 91传媒鈥檚 2020 CVM Undergraduate Research Award and has worked for two years with Dr. Matthew Ross in the College of Veterinary Medicine, studying inflammation, prostaglandins, and the polarization of macrophages by inflammatory stimuli. Among last year鈥檚 inaugural 91传媒 Phi Beta Kappa inductees, Scheaffer has won awards for her research presentations at the past two meetings of the South Central Conference of the Society of Toxicology.
In addition to her research and academic accomplishments, Scheaffer is a member of the Famous Maroon Band and Mississippi State Wind Ensemble and an intern at the Wesley Foundation.
Tommy Anderson, an 91传媒 English professor and the Shackouls Honors College鈥檚 director of fellowships, said Fowler and Scheaffer 鈥渁re outstanding students whose undergraduate research makes significant contributions in their fields of study.鈥 Anderson also serves as the College of Arts and Sciences鈥 associate dean for academic affairs.
鈥淶oe and Hannah have participated in meaningful research experiences since arriving at Mississippi State, and their selection as Astronaut Scholars reflects their willingness to immerse themselves in deep learning opportunities that add value to the traditional classroom experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 am proud that they have been selected to be part of a cohort of the very best undergraduate STEM scholars in the nation as Astronaut Scholars.鈥
For more on 91传媒鈥檚 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, visit ; the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology at and ; Bagley College of Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at and .
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