{"677092":{"#nid":"677092","#data":{"type":"news","title":"  Five Graduate Scholars Earn O\u2019Hara Fellowships","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECongratulations to the students awarded the Larry S. O\u2019Hara Graduate Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EThe early career fellowship from the College of Sciences recognizes outstanding doctoral students scheduled to graduate in the calendar year following their nominations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are proud and excited to honor this year\u2019s recipients of the O\u2019Hara Fellowships,\u201d says College of Sciences Senior Associate Dean\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/david-m-collard\u0022\u003EDavid Collard\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThey represent the best of our amazing Ph.D. students with impressive research, teaching, service, and leadership accomplishments.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMeet the 2024-25 O\u2019Hara Fellows\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony (Tony) Boever, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBoever is a fifth-year EAS student, conducting research for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/taillefert.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMartial Taillefert\u2019s Group\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. His research spans the land-to-ocean continuum and includes studies on how groundwater fluctuations control the fate and transport of uranium in stream sediments, how wetland changes affect methane emissions, and how river pulses influence carbon transformations in low-oxygen ocean sediments. Boever\u0026nbsp;has been extremely active in field research, participating in six research cruises and leading the field component of a Department of Energy-funded project at the Savannah River National Laboratory that included more than six research trips in two years. As a result of his extensive field work,\u0026nbsp;Boever is working on three first-author publications and co-authoring three additional articles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI play in the mud, using sensors to monitor chemical changes that affect the environment,\u201d says Boever. \u201cField studies are tough, but what we learn is invaluable not only for improving our current understanding of these processes but also informing us of their potential influence on future ecosystem function and global climate impacts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EErin Connolly, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EConnolly will earn her Ph.D. in bioinformatics. As a member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ggibsongt.wixsite.com\/gibsongatech\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGibson Lab\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, she studies\u0026nbsp;single-cell genomics, data visualization, gene regulation, autoimmunity, cancer, and personalized medicine. In addition to her research activities, Connolly has presented posters or presentations at five national and international meetings, was active in the Women-in-Science promotion, and has mentored high school and undergraduate students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy research focuses on understanding how our immune system differs between sexes, changes with age, and responds to treatments such as radiation and immunotherapy,\u201d says Connolly. \u201cBy studying these differences, I aim to uncover details that can lead to more personalized and effective therapies for cancer and age-related diseases. This work can potentially make healthcare more effective, improving patient outcomes across diverse populations.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESierra Knavel\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Mathematics\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnavel, whose research focuses on symplectic topology and is advised by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/math.gatech.edu\/people\/john-etnyre\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Etnyre\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is an avid mentor and teacher. She served on the Graduate Council and runs the Directed Reading Program for the School of Mathematics, pairing undergraduate students with graduate students to pursue advanced topics in mathematics. She also developed a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) based on her Ph.D. research. As a teaching assistant, she has been recognized with an Outstanding Student Evaluation Award and numerous Thank-a-Teacher certificates.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy time at Georgia Tech grows more enriching each year,\u201d says Knavel. \u201cThe community is welcoming, with abundant mentorship. I\u0027ve received support at every level for my decisions to attend conferences, teach abroad, and help organize activities in the School of Mathematics. Because of the supportive community, I\u2019ve gained the skills and knowledge necessary to teach and motivate undergraduate students in both classroom and research settings.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EXing Xu, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EXu will receive her Ph.D. in chemistry and has published two first-author papers, with three more in preparation. She has contributed to four additional publications as a second or third author. Additionally, she mentored several undergraduate and first-year graduate students within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wu.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EWu Research Group\u003C\/a\u003E and served as a mentor for the Summer 2023 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022My research focuses on identifying glycoprotein alterations in human cancer,\u201d says Xu. \u201cI\u2019m particularly fascinated by how I can use chemical probes and mass spectrometry to \u0027visualize\u0027 changes in glycoproteins within clinical cancer models. This area of study interests me because glycoproteins play a crucial role in cancer progression and metastasis, and understanding these alterations could lead to new therapeutic strategies.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKai Xue, \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Psychology\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EXue specializes in cognition and brain science. Although she has been a part of the Ph.D. program for only two years,\u0026nbsp;she has published three scientific papers and has several others submitted and under review. She has also served as a highly ranked teaching assistant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022My research centers on perceptual decision-making and metacognition, focused on using computational modeling and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to advance our understanding of how confidence is computed,\u201d says Xue. \u201cThis exploration into the mechanisms of human confidence computation deeply fascinates me; I am incredibly grateful to my supervisor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/psychology.gatech.edu\/people\/dobromir-rahnev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDobromir Rahnev\u003C\/strong\u003E,\u003C\/a\u003E whose unwavering support and guidance have been invaluable throughout this journey.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe College of Sciences proudly recognizes the five graduate scholars awarded O\u2019Hara Fellowships for the 2024-25 school year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The College of Sciences proudly recognizes the five graduate scholars awarded O\u2019Hara Fellowships for the 2024-25 school year. 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