VCU student to attend international meeting of Nobel Laureates

By Sathya Achia Abraham

RICHMOND, Va. (June 20, 2006) – The National Science Foundation has appointed a Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student to a U.S. delegation traveling to the 56^th annual meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany.

Christine A. Winschel, a graduate research assistant in the VCU Department of Chemistry, is the first VCU student to receive this honor. Winschel will visit the island city of Lindau from June 25-30, where she will represent VCU and have the opportunity to interact with Nobel laureates, learn more about their research and other aspects of their careers, as well as share news of her research with other young scientists from around the globe.

"This is a great honor for VCU that showcases the strength of our chemistry program and research on an international level. Attending Lindau is highly competitive and we are pleased that Ms. Winschel will represent the VCU Department of Chemistry," said Nicholas Farrell, Ph.D., chair of VCU's Department of Chemistry.

Since 1951, Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, physics and medicine have met with students from various countries annually in Lindau to discuss their research and issues of importance in their fields. This year, approximately 60 students in the U.S. delegation will join approximately 450 others from around the world.

"Christine is a talented student who works passionately toward her goals. Her research lays on the forefront of several interdisciplinary sciences that have emerged recently," said Vladimir Sidorov, Ph.D., a professor of organic chemistry at VCU and Winschel's academic adviser.

Winschel hopes to gain insight from these world-renowned scientists on overcoming roadblocks in research and to learn about the critical thinking processes chemists and scientists employ.

"I am excited to interact one-on-one with some of the brightest, most innovative minds of our time. These are the people who developed the very science and techniques that I work with on a daily basis. The experience will be unbelievable," Winschel said.

Winschel's major research focus is organic chemistry and her work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. She plans to pursue a career in teaching.

This program is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Science Foundation Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Army, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

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