Sanjeev Gurshaney is caught in a crossroads of enthusiasm at 9 a.m. The UCF junior would like to take time to explain his research on immunotherapy-based medical treatments. But he really would like to start his daily 30-minute commute to the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences in Lake Nona.
麻豆精品 S淚f I 麻豆精品 S檓 awake, 麻豆精品 S� Gurshaney says, 麻豆精品 S渢hen I 麻豆精品 S檓 thinking about progress. 麻豆精品 S�
This visionary mindset is why he 麻豆精品 S檚 among three UCF students who have been chosen for the 2022 Goldwater Scholarship, widely considered the most prestigious award for undergraduates studying natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. Gurshaney, Camila Acevedo Carrillo and Angela Shar were selected from more than 5,000 nominees representing 433 colleges and universities.
When you know what drives these three, you understand the real importance of the Goldwater honor.
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Sanjeev Gurshaney
Studying: Biomedical sciences, mathematics (minor)
On Track to Graduate: May 2023
Goldwater Mentors: Assistant Professor Hung Nguyen (immunotherapy) and Assistant Professor Alicia Hawthorne (neurobiology)
Ultimate Goal: 麻豆精品 S�To earn an MD Ph.D. and use my lab research in immunotherapy to directly help patients in the clinic. 麻豆精品 S�
You might wonder which of Gurshaney 麻豆精品 S檚 classes requires him to be in the lab 30-plus hours a week. He already has a heavy academic load in science and math.
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Holiday weeks and summer breaks excite him because then he can spend 40-50 hours a week in the lab. It 麻豆精品 S檚 been this way since he arrived for his first semester at UCF from Montgomery, Alabama, and became attached to the tiny trials and errors with enormous implications.
麻豆精品 S淚 saw an environment where people are trying to improve lives around the world on a micro-scale, 麻豆精品 S� Gurshaney says. The Goldwater Scholarship suggests he 麻豆精品 S檚 on the right track.
Professor Hung Nguyen provided Gurshaney 麻豆精品 S檚 initial entry into a UCF lab where they studied how the metabolism of cells can be leveraged to improve the responsiveness of blood cancer patients to immunotherapy. Gurshaney says, 麻豆精品 S淲e were making progress, but then 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
COVID-19 closed everything, including the lab. Instead of shutting down with it, Gurshaney dug into whatever data he could find on COVID patients.
麻豆精品 S淲e found a clear mechanistic link between the metabolism of patients and a dysregulated immune response during severe COVID-19 disease, 麻豆精品 S� Gurshaney says.
The findings helped solidify his existing plans: to earn a Ph.D. and an MD so he can use his lab findings to treat patients. In the same way he wants to apply his research to the bedside, he applies his affinity for tennis to teaching special-needs children.
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Camila Acevedo Carrillo
Studying: Computer science
On Track to Graduate: May 2023
Goldwater Mentor: Associate Professor Pamela Wisniewski (computer science)
Ultimate Goal: 麻豆精品 S淭o make assistive devices more affordable, more durable, and more advanced for people with disabilities. 麻豆精品 S�
It took six years for Camila Acevedo Carrillo to find her academic footing. She dabbled in STEM during high school in Puerto Rico, but only as a school subject.
麻豆精品 S淚 didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know it could lead into a career, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
So, during her freshman year of college on the island she defaulted to political science.
麻豆精品 S淏ut it would be relevant only if I went to law school 麻豆精品 S� and I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have the interest or resources, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
After moving to Orlando and enrolling at Valencia College, Acevedo Carrillo started on an engineering track.
麻豆精品 S淚t wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 right for me. I began to question if I 麻豆精品 S檇 find the right fit, 麻豆精品 S� Acevedo Carrillo says.
It turns out, the answer had always been in her life.
When Acevedo Carrillo changed her major to computer science, everything clicked. She thrives in the structure of coding. She likes setting an example for young Latin American women who might question if they have a place in a male-dominant field. And she found encouragement from her mentor in computer science, Associate Professor Pamela Wisniewski.
麻豆精品 S淪he 麻豆精品 S檚 a phenomenal educator, 麻豆精品 S� Acevedo Carrillo says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been inspired with her work-life balance as a mother and wife, and her commitment to making a social impact in a field that often glorifies the opposite.”
Acevedo Carrillo has another inspiration. She remembers eating ice cream in a town square around along Puerto Rico 麻豆精品 S檚 south coast on Sundays. Her mom or dad would struggle to make sure their youngest daughter, Gabriela, could join them. Gabriela was born with numerous conditions, including cerebral palsy.
麻豆精品 S淢ost assistive devices are poorly made and expensive. It makes every day a challenge. I know we can use data and clinical trials to develop better equipment. 麻豆精品 S�
Acevedo Carrillo didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have publications or conference presentations for her Goldwater application, but her research has a distinct purpose.
麻豆精品 S淭he scholarship assures me that my vision is viable, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檇 say this to anyone trying to find direction: Whatever you think about every day that could help people, pursue it. You could be on a track to leave a legacy. 麻豆精品 S�
Angela Shar
Studying: Biomedical sciences
On Track to Graduate: Fall 2022
Goldwater Mentors: Assistant Professor Mehdi Razavi (materials science), Assistant Professor David Flory (physiology), Professor Jessica Wilson (microbiology)
Ultimate Goal: 麻豆精品 S淭o take translational research from the lab to the bedside with patients. 麻豆精品 S�
Angela Shar understands the nano-world more clearly than most of us understand the world in front of our faces. But when asked what drives her to excellence, the Goldwater recipient gives a surprising answer.
麻豆精品 S淔ailure. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the result from 99% of research. The one time you have success is rare. That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I love it so much, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
Shar has had different research projects underway since she was 11 years old, so she 麻豆精品 S檚 built quite an affection for failure. During the past three years at UCF, she 麻豆精品 S檚 been developing a platform to use nanobubbles under the control of ultrasound to help target osteoporosis in specific areas of the body. She once went 8-9 months with no solid results.
麻豆精品 S淲hen I finally saw nanobubbles targeting a pelvis, it was like an out of body experience, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭his is what I appreciate about UCF. Students are allowed to try new ideas. When I 麻豆精品 S檓 in the lab, anything is possible 麻豆精品 S�
Shar 麻豆精品 S檚 parents immigrated to the U.S. from Myanmar. They would take Angela and her brother on family trips back to Southeast Asia, in part to show them why they 麻豆精品 S檙e so appreciative of America. When she was seven years old, Shar went to an elementary school for children who were deaf and/or blind.
麻豆精品 S淚n that moment I saw how resilient those kids were. It always stayed with me, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
Resilience guides her in the lab, failures and all. She also tapped into that resilience a year ago when she applied for and didn 麻豆精品 S檛 receive a Goldwater Scholarship.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 glad that I grew from it and tried again. The real prize is the community of scholars across the country, 麻豆精品 S� Shar says. 麻豆精品 S淲e all understand the late nights in labs and the importance of failures. Without them, there would be no groundbreaking successes. 麻豆精品 S�
Students interested in applying for the Goldwater Scholarship or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards at opa@ucf.edu.
