Four of the University鈥檚 assistant professors have received the Sloan Foundation fellowship to further their research in STEM or related fields.
Fellowship recipients, who must hold a PhD equivalent, each received $70,000 to be used on their research in a two year period. The fellowship is one of 鈥渢he most prestigious honors for early career researchers in STEM fields,鈥� wrote Jill Pipher, vice president of research, in an email to The Herald.
Among the 126 recipients of the fellowship throughout the nation, the University is represented by Managing Assistant Professor of Mathematics Kathryn Mann, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics Lorin Crawford, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Science and the Carney Institute for Brain Science Amitai Shenhav and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Brenda Rubenstein 鈥�07, Pipher wrote.
Though initially drawn toward science in high school, Mann later became excited by math due to its creative nature. She considers the study of math a 鈥渢hought experiment鈥� that allows students to invent their own parameters, Mann said, adding that she also appreciates the field鈥檚 highly collaborative process with 鈥渁n international community.鈥� With funds provided by the Sloan Fellowship, Mann hopes to start a workshop with other experts to write 鈥減opular math鈥� so that it becomes more accessible to everyone. Mann also said she hopes to continue to engage with graduate students, who have new visions and ideas.
Crawford focuses his research on genetic interactions and shape statistics. He was recognized by the Sloan Foundation for two projects, which he works on with separate interdisciplinary research teams. In the first, Crawford uses machine learning to study how interactions among genes and pathways give rise to traits and phenotypes such as type I diabetes and therapeutic resistance in cancer treatment. His second research project explores the human body on a molecular level through shape. Crawford encourages students who plan to pursue a career in scientific research to work hard, generate a vision and keep updating that vision. 鈥淭he world is quickly growing and changing 鈥ook five to 10 years down the line 鈥� and try to position yourself at the forefront鈥� of the field you love, he added.
Meanwhile, Shenhav studies 鈥渕otivational obstacles鈥� to engaging in 鈥渃ognitively demanding tasks.鈥� Shenhav hopes to use the fellowship funds to better delineate 鈥渢he cost of cognitive effort鈥� in the process of decision-making. He described the Sloan Fellowship as 鈥渆xciting and humbling鈥� and encourages students to 鈥済et involved in research in some capacity as early as possible鈥� and 鈥渢o generate questions about the world.鈥�
Rubenstein sees scientific research as a way to 鈥減ush changes at all levels.鈥� Once an undergraduate at the University, Rubenstein attributed some of her strengths as a researcher to the open curriculum. Now celebrated by the Sloan Fellowship for her work in quantum mechanics, biophysics and alternative computing, she stressed the importance of perserverance. 鈥淪cience is always an uphill battle 鈥� you still have to keep climbing.鈥�
