Southern Miss Doctoral Student Receives National Science Foundation Grant

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - University of Southern Mississippi chemistry doctoral student Mary Mackey of Crystal Springs found out she was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellowship April 1.

No joke.

"I thought, 'Surely the NSF isn't playing an April's Fool joke,' but you have to wonder," said Mackey, who earned her undergraduate degree from Southern Miss and was a student in the university's Honors College.

There's no funny business in the Southern Miss laboratory of Dr. Steven Stevenson, where Mackey will continue her research that began when she was an undergraduate.

Mackey's research includes separation and isolation of metallic nitride fullerenes, which involves identification and separation of new molecules already in the process of developing, and finding new separation methodology to isolate molecules that have already been identified.

The NSF's goals for the program include support of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and reinforcement of its diversity by offering approximately 1,100 graduate fellowships. These fellowships provide three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees, and are intended for students in the early stages of their graduate study.

The fellowship provides Mackey with a stipend of $30,000 per year for three years, a $1,000 travel award and coverage of her tuition and other expenses for a total award of approximately $130,000.

Stevenson describes Mackey as "hard working and inquisitive." His wife, fellow chemistry professor Dr. Paige Phillips, has also worked closely with Mackey.

"We are honored to have Mary stay here for her graduate work," Stevenson said. "She has been a co-author on several publications, and could have gone anywhere to graduate school."

Mackey said she particularly enjoys research that includes analytical chemistry, and is interested in obtaining experience working with government research in chemistry following graduation. Her research has potential for resulting in enhancements for medical services, including magnetic resonance imaging.

"Mary has a natural curiosity toward understanding science and is tenacious researcher," Stevenson said. "She loves the idea of discovering new molecules and has discovered some new structures that mankind has not known."

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