Three years of intense research have recently paid off for one Penn scholar.
On May 5, Kelly George -- a third-year Chemistry doctoral student -- received an award from the L' Or‚al USA for Women in Science program for her research and contributions to organic chemistry.
George, who has studied in the lab of Penn Chemistry Professor Gary Molander since 2001, was chosen from a pool of over 600 applicants nationwide. She is the first to receive the award.
Four other female researchers from across the country also received the award, which consisted of a $20,000 stipend and recognition in a special ceremony, which was held on May 5 at the New York Academy of Sciences. Winners were also given a Mayoral Certificate, which signified their contributions to the sciences.
This is the first year L 'Or‚al USA has held the competition. According to L 'Or‚al representative Sam Mattingly, criteria for winning the award include U.S. citizenship, affiliation with an accredited institution, and contribution to science through research.
George's research is in synthetic organic chemistry and, in particular, "the construction of a variety of biologically and medicinally significant natural products."
Specifically, these products are "compounds produced in nature but limited in quantity and of interest for both their biological activity and structural complexity," George wrote in an e-mail interview.
There was no age restriction for applicants, and, after narrowing the pool to the top 42, a jury of three laureates reviewed applications to choose the five winners.
The jury consisted of representatives from Yale, the National Institute of Health, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Although the "amount of the fellowship won't change" in future years, Mattingly said that many questions and problems were addressed this year, and the program should be "much stronger next year."
Other winners of the award this year include Pardis Christine Sabeti from Ma. Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Amy Prieto from Harvard University, Sheila Tandon from MIT, and Karen Menuz from the University of California, San Francisco.
Guest speakers at the award ceremony included executives from the L 'Or‚al USA corporation, as well as Dr. Mae Jemison, the first black female to travel into outer space.
In his speech to the winners, L 'Or‚al USA CEO and President Jean-Paul Agon, stressed the importance of scientific research in his company's success.
"Science is central in our ability to produce and distribute the very best products," he said in a L 'Oreal press release.
George plans on using the money from the award to fund her research in what she says may be her final year as a doctoral student at Penn.
After concluding her research, George hopes to work as a synthetic organic chemist in an industrial or pharmaceutical setting and help discover and develop pharmaceuticals.
