The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation has named Washington University in St. Louis rising senior Avital Isakov an Astronaut Scholar.
The prestigious fellowship is for college juniors and seniors who are studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics with the intent of pursuing research or advancing their field upon completion of their final degree. As an Astronaut Scholar, Isakov will receive a $15,000 scholarship as well as mentorship and professional development opportunities.
Isakov is studying chemistry and anthropology, both in Arts & Sciences, and is a research assistant in the Wexler lab. This summer she is interning at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado. Isakov is interested in studying green energy solutions and plans to pursue a PhD in computational and theoretical chemistry.
“I hope that by continuing the pursuit of higher education in the field of chemistry, I will offer a unique perspective on chemistry’s ability to provide solutions to today’s greatest problems, thus fostering a world void of the intense loss associated with severed connection to the Earth,” Isakov wrote in her application.
