The scholarship, which Congress established in 1986, encourages participation in the fields of science, math and engineering. Promising undergraduates are awarded with $7,500 to be put toward their tuition, room and board for a year. In determining the scholarship winners, the foundation considers nominees’ career goals, academic merit and preparation for and dedication to their selected fields. In order to apply, Fink and Harris had to write several essays and submit multiple letters of recommendation.
Harris, a chemistry major, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry. She said, “I’ve been interested in protein structure and folding since I understood the connection between evolution and the changing structure and function of proteins in high school. I hope eventually to perform structural biology research and teach at a university.” She has researched at Biology Professor Caroline Goutte’s lab at Amherst, and this summer will work with Chemistry Professor Anthony Bishop in preparation for her senior honors thesis. Upon hearing she won the award, Harris “was ecstatic, and thankful for the recognition and for all the support [she has] had from [her] family, friends and scientific mentors.”
Chemistry Professor Helen Leung, Harris’ advisor as well as professor of two classes she has taken, said, “Leigh has been a real pleasure to work with. She has consistently contributed to a rich, positive, intellectual dynamic in my classes. She thinks broadly and is thoroughly engaged in her academic life at Amherst.”
Fink, a biology major who is contemplating a double major with chemistry, plans to get a Ph.D. and “teach and do research at the university level. I am particularly interested in Molecular Biology and Genetics.” For the past two years, she has also worked in Goutte’s lab during Interterm and plans to work this summer at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory with Dr. David Spector. Since she is only a sophomore, the award is renewable for her senior year.
Biology Professor David Ratner first encountered Fink when she asked to enroll in his biology course for her first semester at Amherst. Despite his warning that they did not usually accept first-years due to the difficulty of the class, Fink enrolled anyway.
“Emma was one of just two first-years in the class, but she performed in absolutely first rate fashion, earning one of the top grades at the semester’s end and reminding us all why rules should not be absolute,” recalled Ratner.
Moreover, Fink’s curiosity and inquisitive nature also struck Ratner as he has taught her in more classes.
“She regularly [posed] questions to me that made me pause, re-examine my thoughts on a subject and on more than one occasion scurry back to the primary literature,” Ratner said. “In lab, Emma was fully engaged and ruthlessly efficient. The point is that Emma is fascinated by biology and thoroughly devoted to research. She’s the kind of student that makes teaching at Amherst such fun.”
Both Harris and Fink will use their scholarship grants to continue studying their respective interests in chemistry and biology.