UO Chemistry graduate student Kalika Pai has been selected to receive a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

The fellowship honors and supports outstanding students pursuing research-based graduate degrees in NSF-supported STEM disciplines at accredited US institutions. Recipients receive three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000, as well as access to opportunities for professional development available to NSF-supported graduate students. In addition, the fellowship provides the institution with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees.

Kalika is a second-year graduate student in the Widom lab. Her research involves using single-molecule fluorescence methods to determine the kinetics of binding between short oligonucleotides and structured RNA molecules. These “fingerprints” will then be used in experiments that probe the structure of biologically relevant RNA.

Kalika’s broader impacts goals are focused on promoting science literacy in middle/high school students, and increasing the accessibility of science to underrepresented groups. She plans to work with local schools to bring hands-on, relevant STEM activities directly to the classroom, in hopes of reaching students that would not have sought out opportunities for these kinds of experiences themselves.