Aldrich selected for fellowship

LEXINGTON, Va. — A Ritzville woman has been awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship.

Washington and Lee University alumna Emma Aldrich of Ritzville has received a pre-doctoral graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

The graduate research fellowship recognizes graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.

With the selection, Aldrich will receive three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 for studying at a U.S. university.

Aldrich is currently pursuing a doctorate in biomedical engineering at University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studies novel therapeutics with overlap between Alzheimer’s disease and glioma, using physics-based simulations to identify and target mechanisms that disrupt the tumor immunoediting process.

She is a part of the Interdisciplinary Quantitative Biology program at the university’s BioFrontiers Institute, which emphasizes integrated problem-solving, scientific communication and community outreach, and works in the Rationally Designed Immunotherapeutics and Interface’s lab.

“This fellowship is national recognition for my potential to contribute and an investment in my future success, which will drive my forward progress as I continue my graduate education and prepare to apply to post-doctorate — and, eventually, faculty — positions,” Aldrich said, adding “it takes a village” to raise a leadar.

“Who I am today is a product of all the family, mentors and friends who have helped me along the way, and when great things like this happen, I feel so grateful to have so many people to thank,” Aldrich said. “I work every day to give back to the people who have helped me get better and to make sure that their investment in my success is worth their time and effort. I hope to pay it forward someday and help those who have helped me, whether it was through science, mentorship or friendship.”

At Washington and Lee University, Aldrich participated in undergraduate research in the Department of Physics and Engineering. She was a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honors society; Tri-Beta, the biology honor society; and Omicron Delta Kappa.

She was also involved in the Outing Club, engineering community development, leadership education and development and Alpha Delta Pi sorority.