Scott, a St. Edmond Catholic School graduate, has been selected along with two others from Waldorf University to pursue cutting-edge research at the Ames National Laboratory later this year.

Along with Dr. Bharat Bhattarai and fellow student McKenzie Kidd, Scott will conduct research to understand the intricate mechanisms by which transition metals are embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon surfaces to catalyze the hydrogenolysis of C-O bonds.

Renowned scientists Dr. Long Qi and Dr. Damien Culver will be working with the three.

“I’m really excited,” Scott said. “The experience I will gain is something that I would likely not get the opportunity to garner again. I think that regardless of what we find, it’ll be a good time.”

Scott was selected to join the research team along with fellow volleyball player Kidd. A member of the Alpha Chi honor society, she is a psychology major and biology minor who plans to attend medical school to pursue a career in psychiatry.

She is focused on gaining insights into the research process, collaborating with peers in a laboratory setting and building her knowledge and experience in preparation for her future endeavors in psychiatry.

“My chemistry professor asked me to join him on a research team he was putting together for this summer and I thought it was an amazing opportunity,” Scott said. “It’s not every day you get the chance to get paid for doing something you actually enjoy.”

Dr. Bhattarai, who worked to secure this summer research opportunity, is an expert in synthetic chemistry. The exploration of C-O bond hydrolysis holds significant importance in adding value to renewable and recycled feedstocks.