The L’Oreal USA Fellowships for Women in Science are awarded to postdoctoral scientists in the life and physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computer science. Winners are selected on the basis of their academic records, research potential, intellectual merit, and their commitment to supporting women and girls in science. The applications are reviewed by a panel of scientists assembled by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Each recipient will receive a $60,000 grant to further her research.
Following are brief biographies of this year’s five fellowship winners:
Kellie Ann Jurado is a postdoctoral scientist in Immunobiology at Yale University. Dr. Jurado is seeking to understand how Zika virus causes damage to the nervous system. She is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where she was valedictorian of her graduating class. Dr. Jurado earned a Ph.D. in virology at Harvard University.
Felicity Muth is a postdoctoral researcher in biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is conducting research on how pesticides are influencing the foraging and pollination behavior of bumblebees. A native of London, Dr. Muth is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where she majored in zoology. She holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Ritu Raman is a native of India and was raised in Kenya and the United States. She is a graduate of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she majored in mechanical engineering. Dr. Raman earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois. She is currently conducting postdoctoral research in mechanical and biomedical engineering at the Massachusetts of Institute of Technology. Her research is focused on the delivering oral medications more reliably, economically and efficiently.
Sydney Schreppler is a postdoctoral scholar in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is also the coach of the women’s club lacrosse team. Her research is focused on superconducting qubits, tiny circuits that mimic the behaviors of small particles. A native of Delaware, Dr. Schreppler is a graduate of Yale University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Molly Schumer is a native of Washington State. She is a graduate of Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where she majored in biology. Dr. Schumer earned a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology at Princeton University in New Jersey. She currently is a postdoctoral fellow in genetics and evolutionary biology at Harvard University. Her research concerns how evolutionary forces affect our genes.