Contact: Phil Hearn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State doctoral student in biomedical engineering is one of 20 university winners of National Science Foundation fellowships to attend 2005 summer institutes in their respective fields of study.
New Orleans native Lakiesha N. Claude is visiting Northwestern University in Chicago this week [June 6-10] to participate in the Summer Institute on Nanoscale Mechanics,
Bio-inspired Hierarchial Structures and Potential Applications.
Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale to build complex structures. Claude said she hopes the short course will enhance her current research in developing a multiscale viscoelastic constitutive model for soft tissue, while exchanging ideas with other researchers in the field.
"This short course will enhance my understanding of nanotechnology and its application to mechanics of biomaterials," said Claude, daughter of Deborah Claude and the late Rodney Claude Sr. "I also will gain insight into other nano mechanics research areas, to which potentially I can apply my research skills."
Claude's career goals are to explore the areas of bone and cellular mechanics, and later implement the information into a model of human mechanics. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in biological engineering from Louisiana State University.
"Lakiesha is a top-quality student who will represent our department well in this prestigious workshop," said William Batchelor, head of MSU's department of agricultural and biological engineering.
"This is another indication of the quality of students we have in our department," he added. "It will reflect well on MSU's biomedical engineering program."
The summer institute is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, NASA University Research and Technology Institute on Biologically Inspired Materials, NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program, and American Vacuum Society Science and Technology Society.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Julie Lemons or Leanne Feibelman at (662) 325-8098, or jlemons@engr.msstate.edu and lfeibelman@engr.msstate.edu.
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NEW ORLEANS EDITOR: Ms. Claude's residential ZIP code is 70126.