Audrey Miller

2020 Fellowship Recipient

Pursuing a Ph.D. is a highly rewarding enterprise, and I am so grateful to have been supported by the R.J. McElroy Fellowship for the past three years as I undertake my own graduate school journey. As I write this, I am a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Davis. I live on the "planetary" side of our department, studying early Solar System formation through cosmochemistry under my PI, Dr. Qing-zhu Yin.

I study meteorites to determine how planets, asteroids, and cometary bodies formed and evolved over the last ~4.6 billion years (with an emphasis on the earliest years of our ancient Solar System, when the most interesting processes were occurring). I work specifically with chromium isotope anomalies in meteorites to uncover those meteorites' genetic reservoirs in the protoplanetary disk (i.e., what parent body did a meteorite sample originate from?). Uncovering the provenance of a meteorite sample can tell us about the dynamical mixing that occurred between the inner and outer reservoirs of the Solar System after these parent bodies accreted long ago. This research takes place in a state-of-the-art 10-100 class cleanroom to ensure that our meteorites are not contaminated by terrestrial metals - a very important consideration when working with precious and sensitive extraterrestrial samples!

In addition to this "out-of-this-world" research, another highly rewarding aspect of graduate school has been teaching and passing on scientific knowledge. Some of my favorite graduate school memories thus far come from the privilege of TA'ing courses such as physical geology, astrobiology, geochemistry, and radiogenic isotope geology; writing letters of recommendation for students with whom I developed a positive rapport; and even teaching my very own summer course in oceanography in 2021. Spending time with curious, engaged students is a highly valuable and academically enriching endeavor, and is something I hope to continue long after graduate school. I truly believe I have learned as much from my students as they have learned from their course content.

In summary, it has been a great honor to be a McElroy fellow. I have developed considerably as a scientist over the last three years, thanks in a very large part to the generosity of the R.J. McElroy Trust giving me the financial space to pursue graduate research. With such a solid foundation from these first couple years, I am excited to see where the next few years take my extraterrestrial research endeavors and development as a science educator.

Annie Bruns

2009 Fellowship Recipient

I will be graduating with my PhD in Molecular Biology from Northwestern University this July.  My research focuses on the mammalian cellular response to RNA virus infection.  RNA viruses range from the pesky common cold, to influenza, to life-threatening HIV.  A family of proteins expressed in nearly all cells of our body have the ability to detect RNA viruses, serving as the first line of defense against infection.  Throughout my thesis research I characterized the mechanism by which two of these proteins work together to detect RNA viruses, ultimately warning the cell and neighboring cells that an invader has been spotted.  This allows the infected cell and neighbors to establish a powerful antiviral state, ultimately preventing the spread of the infection.

In addition to my research, I have had the opportunity to both teach and communicate science during my time at Northwestern.  These were invaluable experiences as I aspire to become an ambassador of science to the public, generating admiration and awe of science, nature, and the scientific method. I participated in various science outreach programs for underrepresented populations, including teaching biology in ESL high school classrooms, and mentoring middle school students during a summer science camp. I was also a contributing writer for Northwestern’s Helix web magazine, and created two episodes of my own original science podcast “Science and Awe.”

This past year I also had the opportunity to independently design and teach a new freshman seminar at Northwestern called Storytelling and Science. In this course, students learned the elements of powerful storytelling and applied them to contemporary scientific discourse.  The experience of teaching this course renewed my passion for science communication.  I will be attending a highly competitive science communication conference at Harvard this June, and plan to continue with a career in science communication after completing my PhD.

I am very grateful not only for the critical financial support provided by the McElroy Trust, but also for their belief in me.  That interview was the first time I shared my dream of becoming a “science ambassador” with essentially complete strangers, and their support helped me believe that what felt like only an idea in my mind could become an achievable and meaningful career. ”

Alicia Rosburg

2006 Fellowship Recipient

I am currently an assistant professor of economics at my alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). My journey back “home” was both challenging and fulfilling. The financial assistance provided by the McElroy Fellowship was instrumental and allowed me to explore opportunities during graduate school that otherwise would not have been possible.

During my graduate studies at Iowa State University, I had the benefit of working on policy-relevant topics with top researchers in my fields (environmental and agricultural economics). My dissertation focused on the economics of cellulosic biofuel, or fuel produced from grass or crop residues (“biomass”). I have continued my research in this area and currently have research projects on the potential locations and sizes of biofuel production facilities, the economics of different biomass supply methods, and strategies to minimize biomass supply risk. In addition, I have begun to explore other areas in economics such as housing market determinants and the relationship between drug use and labor market outcomes.

Although I truly enjoy my research and the opportunity to be a life-time learner, teaching has always been a passion. My position at UNI has allowed me to cultivate this passion. I currently teach Principles of Microeconomics, Decision Techniques, and Environmental Economics. While I enjoy all my classes, Environmental Economics is special in that it allows me to incorporate my research into the classroom and to work on research projects with students. I look forward to many more years of sharing my passion for economics with UNI students.