1:51 p.m., April 28, 2009----Radhika Nagarkar, a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been honored with the 43rd annual Glenn S. Skinner Memorial Award in recognition of her research and service to the department. The award, which includes a cash prize of $2,500, was presented April 6.

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Brian J. Bahnson, assistant chairperson and director of graduate studies in the department, chaired the committee that selected Nagarkar.

“The award is highly competitive as it draws on a pool of roughly 150 graduate students in our program,” he said. “This year we had two nominees for the award, which included letters from their advisers, as well as supporting letters from other faculty associated with the candidates.”

The award is given to a student in the Ph.D. program who is deemed to have contributed to the department via research and other services to the department, Bahnson said. He commended Nagarkar's effort, enthusiasm and her contribution to the department.

“She has published significant manuscripts and has several more in the pipeline,” he said. “She has also presented her work at several national and international meetings. She has been a very effective and enthusiastic mentor to students in Prof. Joel Schneider's lab and the lab of a collaborator, Darrin Pochan from Materials Science.”

Nagarkar described herself as “a peptide chemist by training” who “also conducts research in the multi-disciplinary field of biomaterials.”

“Winning aside, being considered worthy of nomination by my adviser Prof. Schneider was an honor in itself,” she said. “Additionally, Prof. Pochan from Materials Science and Engineering, with whose students I collaborate with, also put in a good word.”

Nagarkar already has plans for her award money. “The money will go toward California trips to meet my fiancé, Dr. Rohan Hule,” Nagarkar said. “Also from UD, he is currently pursuing a post-doc at Caltech.”

Article by Quentin Coleman