Page 10 - Abacoa Community News - May '22

Page 10, Abacoa

FAU FeAtUres

Two Students Named 2022 sciences, engineering and mathematics. The Goldwater
Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its
Goldwater Scholars type in these fields.
Maier and Zaninelli applied for the Goldwater Scholarship
By Brittany Sylvestri with assistance from FAU’s Office of Undergraduate
Florida Atlantic University students Kate Maier and Research and Inquiry and Prestigious Fellowships. For
Samantha Zaninelli have been named 2022 Goldwater Scholars. more information on Prestigious Fellowships, visit fau.edu/
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is the most prestigious fellowships.
national research fellowship for undergraduate students.
FAU Introduces Pipeline For

Innovation And Business Growth
journey, FAU’s I&BD continuum of resources and economic
By Brittany Sylvestri development assets can make their entrepreneurial dreams
Florida Atlantic University has officially debuted the come true,” said Sandra D. Marin Ruiz, Ed.D., assistant vice
Innovation and Business Development (I&BD) pipeline, an president of I&BD and regional director of SBDC at FAU.
expanded footprint of services offered to the South Florida The 11 Innovation and Business Development pipeline
business community. locations are:
The pipeline encompasses FAU opportunities such as • FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute,
FAU Wave, Adams Center for Entrepreneurship, FAU’s St. Lucie County: training rooms and outreach program
Market Validation Program, National Science Foundation locations
I-Corps Site, the Office of Technology Development, FAU • FAU John D. MacArthur Campus at Jupiter:
Maier and Zaninelli were selected from a pool of 1,242 Tech Runway , Tech Runway Investors Network, Florida SBDC and Tech Runway consulting, training and programs,
®
students from 433 institutions across the country. This is Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at FAU and outreach office
the first time in FAU history a student has been named a the Office of Global Partnerships and many more. • FAU Fort Lauderdale: SBDC consulting services,
Goldwater Scholar. Utilizing existing FAU resources, I&BD’s purpose is to I&BD outreach offices
“We could not be prouder of Samantha and Kate,” help move individuals and businesses through the pipeline • FAU Dania Beach: training rooms and I&BD outreach
said Donna Chamely-Wiik, Ph.D., associate dean for from start to finish emphasizing programs that help imagine, locations
Undergraduate Research and Prestigious Fellowships and build, grow, expand and thrive.
associate scientist in the Department of Chemistry and “No matter where someone is in their business-related FAU Features on page 14
Biochemistry. “Their curiosity and passion for research, and
determination for making their mark in science is refreshing. “Service is our number one priority”
As undergraduates, they are already contributing original
work to the scientific community as published authors. These 561-743-0070
scholars are setting the foundation to become successful
doctoral students and the next generation of cutting-edge www.palmspoolservices.com
researchers.”
Maier, 18, is a junior, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in
neuroscience from the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at
FAU’s John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, and a dual-
enrolled FAU High School senior. Her research focuses
on computer vision and computational approaches in
neuroscience under the mentorship of Salil Bidaye, Ph.D.,
through the MaryLynn Magar Data Science Fellowship at
FAU High School in partnership with Max Planck Academy.
“After obtaining a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience,
my goal is to start an independent lab to investigate diverse
brain functions through computational modeling,” said
Maier. “My mentors have been integral in shaping my
research trajectory, and I would love to take up the mantle,
mentoring the next generation of scientists.” Expires 5/31/22.
Maier also conducted computer vision research for
biomedical and neuroscience applications with Oge State Licensed & Insured
Marques, Ph.D., professor in FAU’s Department of Electrical Serving Palm Beach County CPC # 1457468 • LPG#30099
Engineering and Computer Science, and David Fitzpatrick,
Ph.D., chief executive officer and scientific director at Max
Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. Her research
accomplishments include first authorship on a publication
with Marques, multiple research presentations, along with
an impressive academic record.
“This exceptional honor is a testament to Kate’s dedication
and passion for serving the neuroscience community,” said
Joel Herbst, Ed.D., superintendent of schools at FAU Lab
Schools. “The intersection of investigating brain functions
and computational modeling create genuine awe for
anybody fortunate enough to see her work. Her body of
work is furthered by her desire to give back to the research
community both at FAU High School and The Max Planck
Academy. Our entire school community is honored by the
exceptional impact Kate’s work will have on furthering the
field of neuroscience.”
Zaninelli, 19, is a first-generation college student pursuing
a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the Harriet L.
Wilkes Honors College. Her research area focuses on
behavioral neuroscience, under the guidance of her primary
research mentor Erik Duboué, Ph.D., assistant professor of
biology in Wilkes Honors College.
Zaninelli was selected as only one of four students to
be part of the National Institute of Health (NIH)-URISE
training program, an NIH funded program to promote
underrepresented minority students in science and prepare
them for graduate school. She is also a published author,
with a manuscript in the journal Evolution.
“My goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience,”
said Zaninelli. “I would also like to lead an academic
research team conducting evolutionary neuroscience research
examining how our brain has evolved in terms of physiology
and cognition.”
The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed
agency. The scholarship program honoring U.S. Sen. Barry
Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding
students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural