Potomac Student $10,000 Scholarship for Graphene Model Project

From The Davidson Institute:

RENO, NV – The Davidson Institute of Talent Development has announced the 2016 Davidson Fellows. Among the honorees is 17-year-old Josephine Yu of Potomac, Md. Yu won a $10,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship for her project, Lattice and Continuum Models of Solitons and Vortices in Bilayer Graphene. She is one of only 20 students from across the country to receive this honor.

“Being a Davidson Fellow has given me encouragement for the academic path that I am currently on,” said Yu. “My research has been personally rewarding in the sense of achievement that I gained from learning about and experiencing first-hand physics research, but being acknowledged for the work is incredibly encouraging."

In her project, Yu analyzes the mechanical properties of bilayer grapheme, drawing from the research done by a group at Cornell University. She explains the results of an experiment with two theoretical models that demonstrate graphene’s tensile strength and its efficient ability to conduct electricity, making it an ideal material for future technologies. She concludes that further research along this path may allow for more affordable, higher quality electronics, which would affect the general public.
Beside her love of scientific research, Yu has many creative pursuits, including piano, photography and creative writing. She is an accomplished debater and captained her high school debate team in her senior year.

Yu is a graduate of the Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School, where she developed her love of the sciences. She will enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall, with plans to continue her studies in physics.

“We are thrilled to recognize the 2016 Davidson Fellows not only for their incredible projects, but also for the journey they forged to reach this point,” said Bob Davidson, founder of the Davidson Institute. “Every year I am amazed by the depth of the Fellows’ accomplishments. Through encouragement and recognition, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development anticipates that gifted students like these will be among the pioneers who will solve the world’s most vexing problems.”

The 2016 Davidson Fellows will be honored at a reception in Washington, D.C., on September 21.
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offers $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships to students 18 or younger, who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship has provided more than $6.7 million in scholarship funds to 286 students since its inception in 2001, and has been named one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships by U.S. News & World Report. It is a program of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Reno, Nev. that supports profoundly gifted youth.

Founded by Bob Davidson in 1999, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development recognizes, nurtures and supports profoundly intelligent young people, and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. The Institute offers support through a number of programs and services, including the Davidson Fellows Scholarship and the Davidson Academy of Nevada. For more information about the 2016 Davidson Fellows, please visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.

Photo courtesy of The Davidson Institute.