Frank and Sara McKnight Prize in Undergraduate Chemistry

Please join us in Congratulating the 2007 Winners!

Kaylie Young, a senior at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, has won the 2007 Frank and Sara McKnight Prize in Undergraduate Chemistry. Ms. Young was awarded the $2,000 top prize for her work, titled “Conjugating Methotrexate to Magnetic Magnetite  Nanoparticles via Trichloro-s-triazine.”	The $1,000 second place award went to Brian Shuhler, a senior at Washington State University, for his work on “’One-pot’ Synthesis of Polysubstituted Thiophenes.”	Jesse Jacobsen of the University of Louisville received third place, and $500, for his research project, “A Facile Synthesis of 3-fluoro-2,4,5-trisubstituted furans: the Importance of Microwave Irradiation.”

The McKnight Prize was instituted by Dr. Steven McKnight, chairman of to UT Southwestern’s Department of Biochemistry, in honor of his parents, “because they have been the best parents imaginable,” he said. It is intended to promote undergraduate research in chemistry through recognition of outstanding accomplishment.

More than 75 undergraduates representing 62 universities and colleges from 30 states took part in the competition.

Ten finalists traveled to New Braunfels in mid-November for the biochemistry department’s annual retreat to give poster presentations on their work. Winners were chosen both for the significance of their work and the quality of their presentation.

The other finalists were:

Leslie Aldrich Mercer University	Andrew Chang Harvard University	Catt Edgley University of Maryland	William Hudson Duke University
Marc Lajoie Dartmouth College	Jamie Rogers Illinois Wesleyan University	Lisa Ryno Trinity University

This competition is open to undergraduates in their senior year who have conducted outstanding research in chemistry.    

Applications must be received by October 15, 2007.  The McKnight Prize PDF has additional submission and award details, as do the FAQs below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the Prize?

Senior undergraduates who have done laboratory research in chemistry.

How do I apply for the McKnight Prize?

Interested students should prepare an abstract describing their research and include their GRE scores and GPA.  Applicants should also arrange to have their undergraduate research mentor send a letter of support. 

What is the application deadline?

October 15th, 2007.

How long should the abstract be?

There is no formal length requirement or limit.  Most competitive projects can be well abstracted in 250-750 words.

How do I report my score/grades?

Undergraduate GPA and GRE scores may be self reported.  We expect that competitive candidates will report these accurately.

What about the letter from my research mentor?

As with the abstract, there is no formal length requirement or limit.  Again, most applicants and their projects can be adequately described in 1-2 pages.  This letter should be sent directly from the research mentor as described below.

How do I submit my application?

E-mail is preferred.  Applications should be sent to Christina Sims (christina.sims@utsouthwestern.edu). Please include "Chemistry Prize" in the subject line.

Regular mail may be sent to:

Christina Sims
Department of Biochemistry
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75390-9038

What if I don't meet one of the criteria?

While it is expected that competitive applicants will meet the application criteria, we encourage applications from all undergraduates who feel that their research should be considered.

What happens next?

The selection committee will review all applications and select twelve finalists who will be invited to present posters to the selection committee at the UT Southwestern Biochemistry Research Retreat to be held in New Braunfels, Texas, November 9-11, 2007.  Travel and accommodations for finalists will be provided by UT Southwestern.

What if I have questions?

Contact Joseph Ready, Ph.D. (joseph.ready@UTSouthwestern.Edu)

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