Biological Engineering Student Nominated for Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
3/21/2017
LSU has nominated four students for the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Faiz
Alam, Caitlin Billiot, John Paul Marceaux and Jackson Mierl will compete with students
from 
universities across the country for the chance to be named a 2017 Goldwater Scholar.
Students must be selected through an internal competition at LSU in order to compete
for the scholarship.
Goldwater Scholars are awarded one and two-year $7,500 stipends to pursue undergraduate research in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering. To apply for the scholarship, students must submit a research essay that demonstrates their interest and ability in these fields. Goldwater Scholarships are widely considered one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards available to students of the STEM disciplines.
Faiz Alam, of Lafayette, La., is a junior studying biological engineering in the College of Engineering. His research involves the design, creation and testing of microfluidic devices used to address biological problems. He has conducted research on a device that is designed to determine the efficacy of cryopreservation techniques for zebra fish sperm, an organism that is important in embryology and developmental biology research, and on a device that is designed to assess livestock fertility in resource-poor environments. Alam works in Dr. W. Todd Monroe’s Biophotonics and BioMEMS Laboratory.
“More than anything, I enjoy the people,” Alam said. “Dr. Monroe is a great mentor, and I have learned a lot from him. He is always eager to help me improve my ideas and work, and he always gives great advice, not only about my research, but also regarding career and extracurricular topics.”
After graduation, Alam plans to take some time off before pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, incorporating robotics as part of his education.
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To see the full story and learn about all four students, visit the original story posted on the LSU Honors College site. Written by Allison Howell.