Amgen Scholars "Ten to Watch" Includes Two with Caltech Ties

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Amgen Scholars Program, the Amgen Foundation has highlighted 10 program alumni—including two with Caltech ties—viewed as "especially poised to impact the future of science and medicine."

From more than 3,000 program alumni who represent 700 colleges and universities across 42 countries, the Amgen Foundation selected Caltech alumnus Todd Gingrich (BS '08) and Michelle Vaisman, who studied at Caltech for three months as part of her Amgen scholarship, as two of its "Ten to Watch."

Gingrich, a Physics of Living Systems Fellow at MIT, conducts research in theoretical chemistry, specifically using mathematical and computational models to understand how molecular motions are affected under dynamic conditions. As an Amgen Scholar in 2007, he worked with Nate Lewis, the George L. Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry, on the screening of metal oxides for the catalysis of water photoelectrolysis.

Vaisman, now a PhD candidate and NASA Space Technology Research Fellow at Yale University, is developing lower-cost, higher-efficiency photovoltaics in an effort to make solar energy competitive with fossil fuels. Vaisman came to Caltech as an Amgen Scholar in 2010 in her junior year at Bryn Mawr College and worked under the mentorship of the late John D. ("Jack") Roberts, Institute Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus, analyzing the structure of a biologically important chemical.

The Amgen Scholars Program gives talented undergraduates a chance to participate in cutting-edge research opportunities at world-class institutions across the United States, Europe, and Japan. The program runs for eight to 10 weeks every summer. As part of Caltech's participation in the program, the Institute provides 20 students a year with research opportunities in biology, chemistry, and biotechnology and related fields.