Double major Tucker Gratton was recently awarded a $5000 scholarship from the American Chemical Society (ACS) to continue his undergraduate education here at Boise State. He applied for the ACS Scholarship for Undergraduates in Chemistry opportunity at the encouragement of his research mentor, assistant professor Jenée Cyran. Tucker has been working with Dr. Cyran and Dr. Kris Campbell from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as a paid researcher, funded by a School of the Environment grant. His research, “Harnessing Semiconductors to Degrade PFOS,” was a large part of his application for the scholarship, and he’ll be continuing to work on the project utilizing Dr. Campbell’s semiconductor device for at least an additional year.
Tucker is a sophomore, working towards his bachelors in chemistry with an ACS Certified Professional emphasis, as well as a bachelors in applied mathematics. “I love Chemistry, and want to get the most out of my Chemistry degree that I can. I believe that having a very strong understanding of mathematics can help me to better understand the mechanics behind Chemistry and Physics. I also believe that having an applied mathematics degree is very versatile and will prepare me for situations that require more advanced mathematics.”
That versatility leaves Tucker with a lot of options in his future. While he is unsure about which direction he’d like to go in, he knows that he wants to move on to graduate school. “Currently, I believe Nuclear Engineering would be very fulfilling. That or Material Science.” Starting research early has given him a lot of opportunity and helped set him up to be successful, whatever he decides.
If you’re an undergraduate interested in getting into research, check out our Faculty Research Advisors webpage to see areas of interest. Each faculty mentor has a profile page, and many have their own linked websites. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at chemistry@boisestate.edu.