This year’s U-M STEM Research Career Award winner is Summer Wu, a junior dual-majoring in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The STEM RCA supports highly qualified sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD and research career in a STEM field. This opportunity is open to all sophomores and juniors interested in STEM research.
Summer is a 2025 awardee of the American Chemical Society Scholarship for Undergraduates in Chemistry and a recipient of both the Chemistry Department’s Outstanding Student Award and Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Fellowship. In her first research project, she studied the photochemistry of vitamin B12 derivatives, and this resulted in a peer-reviewed publication with the Penner-Hahn lab. She is now performing research in the Lehnert lab towards her honors thesis, where she investigates nitric oxide reduction in bioinorganic model complexes. Summer also values outreach and enjoys engaging deeply with the community as Vice President of the American Chemical Society’s student chapter, Co-Director of the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and a Board Member of the U-M Science Olympiad.
She plans to pursue a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, aiming to research a niche that blends both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, with the ultimate goal of becoming a professor. When asked about the application process, she notes, “Preparing my application for the STEM RCA award was a challenging but incredibly insightful process. It allowed me to think deeply about my passions and long-term goals, and I was able to visualize more clearly how my past experiences have culminated in who I am today. I highly encourage anyone passionate about their research to apply. Regardless of outcome, you will gain valuable perspective on yourself as a researcher, student, and individual.”
Summer applied for the award to showcase her research and other commitments during her time as an undergraduate, and also to bring recognition to the mentors who have guided her. She would like to thank Professor James Penner-Hahn and Professor Nicolai Lehnert for their valuable guidance during her growth as a researcher, her mentors Alivia Mukherjee and Aditya Basu, and is also incredibly grateful for the support of her lab members. Lastly, she would like to thank her parents for always supporting her personal and academic aspirations.
