Owen Eby and Jake Cuzick, both members of the Mount St. Mary’s University Class of 2025 and students in the School of Science, Mathematics & Technology (SSMT), have been selected as semifinalists for prestigious competitive fellowships. Eby is a semifinalist for a Fulbright Study Research award, while Cuzick was chosen as a semifinalist for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford University.
Eby, a Westminster, Maryland, native, was drawn to the mentorship and community available at a small university like the Mount. His mother, Jennifer Eby, is a 1993 graduate of the Mount.
The instincts of the biochemistry and chemistry major were correct—he has found several mentors at the Mount, particularly Associate Professor of Biochemistry Michael Turner, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Chemistry Patrick Lombardi, Ph.D., whose labs Eby researched in.
Eby also conducted summer research in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) lab of Thomas Schwartz, Ph.D. Through Schwartz, Eby connected with Elena Conti, Ph.D., director of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry. He will study in her lab in Martinsried, Germany if he is awarded the Fulbright.
“This is exactly the kind of work I fell in love with at MIT, and training with [Conti] would be an incredible experience before I enter a Ph.D. program in the United States. At the same time, I'd also get to experience the culturally rich region of Bavaria—from its food and festivals to the brewing culture,” explained Eby.
With help from Lombardi, MIT’s Schwartz the Office of Competitive Fellowships, and Kristen Varney, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and chemistry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in whose lab Eby also conducted summer research, he compiled a stellar application.
Cuzick, a chemistry major from Baker, Oregon, had long been intrigued by Stanford University’s graduate chemistry program when he applied for their Knight-Hennessy Scholars program. The award funds up to three years of graduate study in any discipline at Stanford, plus leadership programming for recipients.
With the assistance of the Office of Competitive Fellowships, particularly the application writing workshop the office sponsored, Distinguished University Professor Patrice Flynn, Ph.D., from the Richard J. Bolte, Sr. School of Business, and Cuzick’s research advisor, Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Krueger, Ph.D., he completed his application.
“This was by far the most unique application I have completed. It had typical components, while also including prompts like, ‘list 8 improbable facts about yourself’,” explained Cuzick. “I aimed not to simply list my greatest achievements in an attempt to impress a committee already accustomed to reviewing resumes far more distinguished than mine. Instead, I sought to illustrate my unique journey, one that began in a small, rural town with a four-day school week and has led me to pursue advanced graduate studies in organic chemistry.”
Cuzick had previous experience with a competitive fellowship application. He has participated in competitive research internships at the University of Illinois and Boise State University, and last year was a recipient of the highly prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.
Cuzick plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry after graduation, aiming to research newer, sustainable synthetic chemistry options.
The Office of Competitive Fellowship is led by Professor of Spanish Christine Blackshaw, Ph.D., with Assistant Professor of Political Science William Christiansen, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Neuroscience Angy Kallarackal, Ph.D. as associate directors. In addition to Blackshaw, Christiansen and Kallarackal, members of the Faculty Advisory Committee are Associate Professor of Business Josey Chacko, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Krueger, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of Philosophy Rika Dunlap, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Education Michelle Ohanian, Ph.D.; Director of the Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship Garth Patterson, Ph.D.; and Assistant Professor of Science Eric Sakowski, Ph.D.
Students interested in learning more about the Office of Competitive Fellowships can visit the program’s webpage.