(April 22, 2014)

Student one of 17 accepted to international research program

SHREVEPORT, LA — Sophomore biochemistry major Tierra Range recently received word that she was one of 17 students in the nation awarded acceptance to the prestigious American Chemical Society International Research Experience for Undergraduates (ACS IREU) program. Range will travel to Singapore May 16 to work on her chosen project, "Synthesis and Application Molecules for Fabrication of Dye Synsetized Solar Cells."

"Not only is the trip to and from Singapore paid for but my scholarship also includes meals in Singapore, housing, medical insurance, language lessons, an all-expenses-paid three-day trip to Washington D.C. next weekend for my program orientation, a $4,000 stipend for the summer, and an all-expenses-paid trip to next spring's ACS national meeting in Denver, Colorado, to present my research," said Range.

The ACS IREU program is a bilateral exchange that allows talented young chemical and materials scientists to spend a summer conducting research in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, or Singapore. Students spend 10-12 weeks working on frontier chemical and materials science research projects under the guidance of faculty members and graduate student mentors to sharpen scientific skills, develop collaborations with scientists abroad, and experience the life and culture of a foreign country.

"When I heard (I had been accepted) I was ecstatic," said Range. "Because of the very small number of accepted students, I was nervous about my chances. So when I got the letter in the mail, I could not stop screaming from excitement!"