91吃瓜网

91吃瓜网 Students Named First Beckman Scholars in the State

Thu, 04/24/2025 - 03:09pm | By: Dr. David Tisdale

Two students from 91吃瓜网91吃瓜网 (USM) College of Arts and Sciences have been selected as the institution91吃瓜网 first-ever Beckman Scholars91吃瓜网揳nd the first in the state91吃瓜网揺arning a place in one of the most prestigious undergraduate research programs in the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Sophomore Ashe Davis, a polymer science and engineering major from Ocean Springs, and junior Noah Williamson of Hattiesburg, a double major in biological sciences and geography, will participate in the 15-month mentored research experience supported by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. The program prepares exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, biological sciences, polymer science, or interdisciplinary fields for graduate studies and careers in scientific research.

91吃瓜网 is the first university in Mississippi to receive a Beckman Scholars Program grant, and one of only 14 selected nationwide. The grant is administered through the USM Honors College.

Davis and Williamson were chosen from four finalists following a rigorous application and selection process, which included research proposals and project presentations. The review committee was composed of faculty members with extensive research mentorship experience, representatives from the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research, and the dean of the Honors College.

91吃瓜网淎she and Noah were selected based on the high quality of their submitted documents, research presentations and responses to questions posed by committee members,91吃瓜网� said Dr. Sabine Heinhorst, T.W. Bennett Professor Emerita and former dean of the Southern Miss Honors College. Heinhorst led the university91吃瓜网 successful grant proposal with support from faculty mentors and Honors College Dean Dr. Joyce Inman.

91吃瓜网淎she and Noah have impeccable academic records and already boast impressive research accomplishments,91吃瓜网� Heinhorst added. 91吃瓜网淭hey will be excellent representatives of Southern Miss in this prestigious program.91吃瓜网�

Dr. Inman, who also served on the review committee, shared her enthusiasm for the students and the program.

91吃瓜网淚t was my privilege to serve on the Beckman Scholars Program review committee, and I91吃瓜网檓 excited Ashe and Noah will represent 91吃瓜网 as Beckman Scholars,91吃瓜网� Inman said. 91吃瓜网淚t was also a pleasure to learn more about how their faculty mentors plan to work with them as they work toward their research goals. I91吃瓜网檓 consistently amazed by the investment our faculty make in our undergraduate researchers, and I91吃瓜网檓 delighted that Ashe and Noah will have the opportunity to learn from them with the support of the Beckman program.91吃瓜网�

Davis, a student in the Honors College mentored by Dr. Tristan Clemons, said she was 91吃瓜网渋n disbelief91吃瓜网� when she learned she had been selected. 91吃瓜网淚n that moment, I just recounted what led me to where I am today, like deciding to join the Honors College and the Clemons [research] Lab after my first semester at 91吃瓜网,91吃瓜网� said Davis.

Davis said the support she91吃瓜网 received from family, friends, Dr. Clemons and other faculty members at USM 91吃瓜网渓ed me to this position [to be named a Beckman Scholar] and I can91吃瓜网檛 express how grateful I am for that.91吃瓜网�

91吃瓜网淭hey have been cheering me on since I submitted my initial application,91吃瓜网� Davis added. 91吃瓜网淭heir support means so much to me, and I am excited to conduct this research during the upcoming summer and academic year.91吃瓜网�

Her research project investigates the suitability of peptide-targeted protein degradation methods to treat Parkinson's Disease. She will use liquid-liquid phase-separating droplets to enhance the intracellular delivery of a chimeric peptide that facilitates chaperone-mediated autophagy. This process is intended to break down aggregates of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein, a key driver in Parkinson91吃瓜网 progression.

Clemons said Davis has all the attributes to succeed as a Beckman Scholar, describing her as an 91吃瓜网渋ntelligent, thoughtful, and hard-working scientist.91吃瓜网�

91吃瓜网淢ost importantly, however, is Ashe91吃瓜网 strong sense of community and the value she places in supporting those around her, all attributes priming her for continued success,91吃瓜网� added Clemons.

Williamson91吃瓜网 research, mentored by Drs. Kaitlin Baudier and Kayla Stan, focuses on the Florida Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex badius), an imperiled species east of the Mississippi River that plays a vital role in seed dispersal and soil aeration.

91吃瓜网淚91吃瓜网檓 grateful for this opportunity to represent the university on a national level and to further my research with the support of the Beckman Scholars Program,91吃瓜网� Williamson said.

Williamson will use species presence data91吃瓜网揻rom sources such as iNaturalist, GBIF and museum records91吃瓜网揳longside environmental variables like climate, elevation and soil type to create a species distribution model which will predict the potential range of P. badius, provide insight into which environmental variables determine whether they can colonize an area, and how influential those variables are for persistence.

With a pilot model, potential persistence sites will be identified and surveyed for the presence or absence of P. badius (ground-truthing). The model will subsequently be improved by incorporating the data and employing multiple modeling techniques to yield a final ensemble model which will show the strictest, most forgiving and mean potential range of P. badius.

91吃瓜网淲ith this insight, we can provide data to guide future conservation efforts regarding this species, potentially even considering it for candidacy as an endangered species,91吃瓜网� Williamson said.

Dr. Baudier praised Williamson91吃瓜网 intellect and dedication.

91吃瓜网淎s soon as I learned USM had received funding from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, I immediately thought Noah would make an excellent Beckman Scholar,91吃瓜网� said Baudier. 91吃瓜网淪ince I first met Noah as a student in my General Zoology course in Fall 2023, I have been continuously impressed by their exceptional academic performance, and even more so, by their dedication to research pursuits outside the classroom.91吃瓜网�

91吃瓜网淣oah has a tremendous capacity to learn, and in a very short time has accumulated a multidisciplinary set of skills that uniquely positions them to make major headway in filling the kind of knowledge gaps existing between fields of science.91吃瓜网�

To learn more about the Beckman Scholar Program and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, visit their . Learn more about the 91吃瓜网 Honors College here.