ACT-IAC recently donated $41, 836.32 to the Metropolitan Washington Chapter of ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists).  The donation was received by the Chapter President Betty Polutchko and Vice President Antonia Schierling.  Aneesh Chopra, Federal Chief Technology Office, Office of Science and Technology Policy along with IAC Chair Sara DeCarlo were on hand to present the two with the donation check.  The donation was given during the IAC General Membership Meeting at the Sheraton Premiere Tyson’s Corner on July 22, 2009.

Founded in 1958, the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation is a national all-volunteer, all-women organization, dedicated to providing scholarships to academically outstanding students pursuing degrees in certain fields of natural science, medicine and engineering. With 14 ARCS chapters nationwide, encompassing 1600 members, ARCS gives approximately $4 million annually to the best and brightest American scholars in the sciences.

Scholarship Recipients

Marcin A. Balicki

Marcin is a PhD Candidate in Computer Science at   Johns Hopkins University. This will be his second ARCS Award. He received his BS and MS degrees from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. His current research centers on optical sensors for surgical instruments and microsurgical robot systems.  By providing real time navigation and tissue characterization capability built into conventional and microrobotic surgical instruments surgical performance is enhanced. His goal is to develop breakthrough systems and techniques for more accurate and less traumatic invasive surgical procedures.

Stephanie A. Sherrill

Stephanie is a PhD Candidate in Chemistry at   the University of Maryland. She received her BS degree from the University of Florida. Her research is based on the chemistry and engineering of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO). The objective is the design and fabrication of a multilayered nanotube electrostatic capacitor for electrical energy storage.  Using the dimensions of AAO with atomic layer deposition, her goal is to develop multilayered electrical energy storage nanodevices.