Chemistry Research Fellowships

The Kubota and Myhre Research Fellowships in Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College has two research fellowships in Chemistry in honor of Mitsuru Kubota and Philip C. Myhre, emeriti professors of chemistry, in recognition of their dedicated service and significant contributions to Harvey Mudd College.

These Fellowships provide research support for chemistry and joint chemistry/biology majors to conduct research on campus with a chemistry faculty member in the summer following their sophomore year, continuing through the junior academic year, and in the summer following their junior year. Summer stipends, academic-year wages, research expenses, and conference travel funds will be available. This year’s 2023-2024 Kubota Research Fellowship was awarded to Britney Baez ’25 in the lab of Professor Brucks.

To be eligible to apply for the next Myhre Research Fellowship in Chemistry, HMC chemistry and joint chemistry/biology majors in the Class of 2026 should apply to the chemistry summer 2024 research program and express their interest in being considered for the Myhre Research Fellowship. Upon acceptance to the summer program, interested students will be asked to complete an application form and prepare a short research proposal in conjunction with their faculty research mentor. Finalists will participate in a brief interview, and the Myhre Research Fellow will be announced in the spring of 2024.

Questions should be directed to Professor Haushalter (haushalter@g.hmc.edu).

Kubota Fellow – Britney Baez ’25

Britney Baez is the recipient of the 2023-2024 Kubota Fellowship and is currently conducting organic materials research with Prof. Brucks. This summer, Britney is continuing her investigation on the effect of stereochemistry on polymer degradability. Britney is studying how the method in which polymers are produced affects their ability to be broken down and recycled. She synthesizes her own polymers by ring-opening metathesis, using different organometallic catalysts to control the stereoisomerism, then determines the size distribution and stereochemistry of her products. Next, Britney subjects her polymers to ultrasonic shearing forces that gradually cleave the polymer chains. She then remeasures the size distribution of her polymers post-sonication and observes how the degradation rate varies with the stereochemistry of the materials. Britney is also interested in functionalizing her polymers with small molecules like polyethylene glycol linkers that she can synthesize herself. Outside of the lab, Britney likes to play Terraria, build Lego sets, and drink unnecessary volumes of iced coffee.

Award Year	Recipients
2023	Britney Baez ’25/Kubota Fellow/Brucks Lab
2022	Natalie Couch ’24/Myhre Fellow/Nemr Lab
2021	E. Bacon-Gershman ’23/Kubota Fellow/Van Ryswyk Lab
2021	Drew Pronovost ’23/Myhre Fellow/Hawkins Lab