LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Karisa Mychele Bowersox and Kenneth P. Snell, both of Lewistown, have been named Lock Haven University Nanoscience Scholars. The Nanoscience Scholars program is supported by a $599,908 five-year grant from the National Science Foundation’s scholarship program in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM).

According to Anura Goonewardene, Professor of Physics, chair of the Department of Geology and Physics and coordinator of nanotechnology, the Lock Haven S-STEM project is designed to build a strong cohort of students. The project is a collaborative effort with the Honors Program which, Goonewardene says, “has done a marvelous job in building such an identity for students.” The participants will either join the first year excellence program or the honors program during their freshmen year. They will also pursue an associates or minor in nanotechnology, a field which, Goonewardene points out, has application for all science disciplines. In addition, students will be involved in activities with the nanotechnology club, seminars, guest speakers and study groups.

Participants will receive four-year scholarships. The amount will be determined by need, with a maximum award of $10,000 a year per student. The scholarships will allow the students to focus on their studies and not have to hold down a job. In addition, after their sophomore year, students will be required to go to Penn State University for the summer and take 18 credit hours in their Nanomanufacturing and Technology facility. The scholarships will cover this part of their education as well.

According to the NSF, the Lock Haven Nanoscience Scholars project is “in a select group nationwide.” It is one of about 95 new S-STEM awards that will be made by the Division of Undergraduate Education this year. These awards are a result of the evaluation of 236 proposals submitted in November 2007.

Bowersox and Snell are graduates of Indian Valley High School. Both are freshmen at Lock Haven University.

Bowersox is majoring in biology with a concentration in DNA analysis methods. Her career goal is to work in a crime lab. She is the daughter of Tina and Vincent Bowersox. Snell is majoring in Biology/Cemistry. He plans to attend medical school and become a trauma surgeon. He is the son of Debbie Shoemaker.