Contact: Bob Ratliff
Two Mississippi State University biological engineering majors are National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows for 2000.
Allison P. Kirkpatrick of Gadsden, Ala., and Dana L. Nettles of Batesville each are receiving $16,200 annually for three years, plus up to $10,500 annually to cover tuition and fees. In all, the fellowships total nearly $80,000 apiece.
More than 4,600 students nationwide applied for the 850 NSF awards, which are based on academic records, Graduate Record Exam scores and the applicants' research proposals.
Kirkpatrick's research involves the natural reduction of hog farm odors, while Nettles is working in the area of human cartilage replacement.
Under the direction of associate professor Tim Burcham, Kirkpatrick is developing a biological filtration system constructed with kenaf, a fast-growing plant native to Asia that is a cousin of cotton and okra. Kenaf already is considered a cash crop in Mississippi.
Nettles is working on a tissue engineering project directed by assistant professor Steve Elder. Using chitosan, a natural substance found in the exoskeletons of shrimp and other arthropods, she is seeking to develop a material that can replace damaged human cartilage.
Both students are in their first year of graduate study after completing bachelor's degrees in biological engineering last year at MSU. Their research also is being supported by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Kirkpatrick, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Kirkpatrick, is a 1995 Southside High School graduate.
Nettles is a 1995 South Panola High School graduate and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Kozain.