HUNTINGTON - Whether she is winning prestigious awards from the national honor society for women in chemistry or traveling across the U.S. to present her biochemistry research, Amanda Smythers is setting the standard for what it means to be a young scholar.

Smythers, a 27-year-old biochemistry student from Huntington, has received Iota Sigma Pi's Members At Large Re-entry Award, which recognizes excellence in chemistry achieved by a woman at the graduate or undergraduate level, according to a news release from the university.

In addition to receiving the award, she was invited to present her research at the 2017 Posters on the Hill, a competitive event held in Washington, D.C. The program gives students the opportunity to showcase their research to congressional members, meet with their representatives and learn about advocacy for undergraduate research. Out of hundreds of applications to the program, only 60 are chosen to present their research.

"It really is such a great opportunity to have our research shown on a national platform," Smythers said in the release. "Since they take so few abstracts, I did not think I stood much of a chance, but here we are. It is so important for our national leaders to understand the importance of our work and recognize the quality of research Marshall University contributes to the field."

As a non-traditional student who returned to Marshall with no intention of establishing a career in research, Smythers said she was initially surprised when she found a real passion in chemistry.

"I am excited to share my experiences and show people how great the chemistry program is here. In addition to the funding I received from NASA, I received two scholarships from our chemistry department as well as the summer research fellowship. They have also funded me to travel to a variety of conferences around the U.S., including conferences in Cincinnati, San Diego, Philadelphia and Chicago," Smythers said.

While in Washington, D.C., for the 2017 Posters on the Hill event, Smythers will present research that focuses on making microalgae a more efficient stock for biofuel production. Smythers and her faculty mentor, Dr. Derrick Kolling, will have the opportunity to present their research April 26.

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Chemistry student wins Iota Sigma Pi award - Huntington Herald Dispatch