The National Science Foundation (NSF) selected Dr. Diamond T. Jones, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Chemistry, for a prestigious Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (MPS-Ascend).

Diamond, who completed her UI Ph.D. in the research group of Prof. Sara E. Mason, received a three-year, $300,000 award to support her early-career research and advancement towards a faculty position. The fellowship will fund Diamond to work with Prof. Andrew M. Rappe at University of Pennsylvania to combine and advance computational methods to model chemical mechanisms associated with the synthesis of MXenes—an emerging class of two-dimensional nanomaterials with distinct properties and  a wide range of potential applications. Alongside the technical goals of the project, Dr. Jones will invigorate ongoing outreach activities at University of Pennsylvania, as well as develop and lead a new workshop for WOC to develop strategies and discuss specific struggles associated with the final stages of graduate school training.

The NSF’s public summary of the project can be found here: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2213159&HistoricalAward...

More information about the MPS-Ascend fellowship can be found here:

https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mathematical-and-physical-sciences-ascending-postdoctoral-research