James Masters Wins National McKnight Prize Award

Jim Masters received a Sara and Frank McKnight Prize in Undergraduate Sciences at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Masters received third place in Chemistry for his “Research toward titanium-catalyzed cyclization reactions.” He was one of nine winners among 15 finalists who gave poster presentations in November.

Masters, who was supported by the College of Science Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program (SURF), conducted research in synthetic organic chemistry in the laboratory of Brandon Ashfield in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The work focuses on the development of new chemical reactions that allow for the rapid, efficient synthesis of complex chemical structures such as those found in pharmaceuticals and other biologically-active molecules.

Masters received a $500 prize for his award, judged on the significance of the work and the quality of his presentation.

Rachel Staran, who was also supported by the SURF program, studies gelatinase inhibitors in the laboratory of Mayland Chang and Shahriar Mobashery and was a semifinalist in the competition.

2/8/2010