Undergraduate microbiology students Shelby Andersen and Lindsey Grady have been awarded the Stinski Undergraduate Research Fellowship for 2020-2021. The fellowship's purpose is to support undergraduates in pursuit of research in the field of microbiology.  Along with a monthly stipend, it covers full tuition for the next school year for each of them. Both Shelby (left) and Lindsey (right) are pictured.

Shelby's response:

"It is a monumental honor to have been selected as the Stinski Fellow for 2020-2021. The opportunity to pursue research as an undergraduate within the Department of Microbiology and Immunology has shaped my undergraduate experience, as well as my future. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Mary Weber for granting me the opportunity to perform research in her lab, as well as her continued support. Dr. Weber along with the other members of the lab have been instrumental in expanding my passion for research and assisting me in the achievement of my academic, professional, and personal goals. Following the completion of my degree in Microbiology at the University of Iowa, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. with a focus on infectious diseases that are of particular significance to human health."

Lindsey's response:

"It is an honor to be named one of the Stinski Undergraduate Research Fellows for 2020. Ever since high school, I’ve known that I wanted to study microbiology, and now I can do that to the fullest extent. I am deeply grateful for the support of the Microbiology & Immunology faculty and all my professors have taught me. I especially want to thank Dr. Wendy Maury for the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research in her lab. Working with Dr. Maury and my fellow lab members has taught me that at the heart of science is perseverance and creativity; that there is always a new angle from which a problem can be solved. I plan to attend graduate school with a focus on virology after completing my senior year at Iowa."

The Stinski Undergraduate Research Fellowship is an endowed fund created with proceeds from a successful patent awarded to Professor Mark F. Stinski. Professor Stinski was on the faculty of the Department of Microbiology from 1973-2011 and continues his affiliation with the Department in Emeritus status. To read more about the fellowship, you can visit the webpage: Stinski Undergraduate Research Fellowship