I received the Newcomb-Tulane College grant this past fall semester and have used the funds to do a number of things. Firstly, I was able to fully afford the materials needed for my senior project in Dr. Albert’s lab. This enabled me to perform my experiments and produce results that are usable for presenting at conferences and publishing a research manuscript.

Along with materials, the grant included the costs for registration and travel to and from two conferences. These conferences are the local Applied Polymer Technology Extended Consortium, at the University of Southern Mississippi, and the national American Chemical Society’s 255th Conference and Expo, hosted in New Orleans. While at these meetings, I had the opportunity to network with professors, students, and industry representatives and see the work that is being done by other schools and agencies.

Through the funding provided, I was able to further my research and make significant progress on my project. I attended the two conferences and still have three poster presentation days coming where I will display my work to general audiences. I am grateful for this funding and the opportunities it has provided me to give back to my laboratory and increase my network and skillset.

Written by Daniel Christiansen, Dean’s Grant recipient, 2017