Double major Tucker Gratton (BS, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics) was recently awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the American Chemical Society to continue his undergraduate education at Boise State. He applied for the American Chemical Society Scholarship for Undergraduates in Chemistry opportunity at the encouragement of his research mentor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Jenée Cyran.
Gratton has been working with Cyran and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Kris Campbell 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 Campbell’s semiconductor device for at least an additional year.
Gratton is a sophomore, working towards his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with an American Chemical Society Certified Professional emphasis, as well as a bachelor’s in applied mathematics.
“I love chemistry, and want to get the most out of my chemistry degree that I can,” Gratton said. “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 Gratton with a lot of options in his future. While he is unsure about which direction he’d like to go, he knows that he wants to move on to graduate school. “Currently, I believe nuclear engineering would be very fulfilling,” he said. “That or material science.”