When Abigail Simmons sat down with her CMU genetics professor, Aaron Mitchell, to chat about her future, she was grateful for the mentoring. But as the conversation turned to Mitchell’s research projects and Simmons’ summer plans, she began to suspect that their meeting was more than just a friendly check-in. When she opened her email a few hours later to find that Mitchell had offered her a research position in his lab, she was thrilled. A hectic spring semester followed, as Simmons sent out grant and fellowship applications to finance the opportunity. Her effort paid off when she was selected for the highly competitive American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Undergraduate Research Fellowship. Simmons (S’13), one of only 56 recipients, was awarded support for her summer research as well as the chance to present at the 113th ASM General Meeting this spring.
—Olivia O’Connor (DC’13)

Related Links:
Department of Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences Student Receives Fellowship from American Society for Microbiology
2012 Summer Scholars Participants