Nealand is awarded AAUW fellowship

DKICP doctoral student Sasha Nealand has been awarded a $20,000 dissertation fellowship by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for the 2022-2023 academic year. The organization focuses on scholarly excellence as a major criterion for the fellowship, and selected Nealand for her dissertation research on a native medicinal plant found around her home area of central California.

“The plant, Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla, is rich in resinous terpenes, which preliminary screenings indicate have useful anti-mycobacterial activity,” she explains. “Through my research, I’m trying to separate out a certain chemical class of compounds within this plant that are active against one specific pathogenic bacteria. Eventually, such a compound could have unique uses in natural medicinal products.

“I’m proud that AAUW has chosen to support my dissertation project and that I can be one of their representatives of equity in educational opportunity for women graduate students in STEM fields,” she adds.

Nealand plans to complete her Ph.D. in 2023 and hopes to work in developing new types of antibiotics for either a university or private research laboratory.