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LIVERMORE, Calif. – November 29, 2007 –Promising future chemist Jane Wang, who calls San Jose her hometown, looks
forward to exploring the tight link between molecular chemistry and the
macroscopic world of medicine. The
22-year-old will do so with the support of a full five-year graduate fellowship
from the prestigious Fannie and John Hertz Foundation to pursue a PhD in
chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. “I am really inspired by the potential for chemists to
bridge the gap between the molecular world and the macroscopic world, and will
continue to pursue interdisciplinary fields of study in the future,” Wang
says. “I hope to explore new
avenues of research that use organic and organometallic chemistry to tackle
problems in biochemistry or material science, and the Hertz Fellowship gives me
the freedom to do just that.” Wang is one of 15 graduate students selected from more than
580 across the country to receive the Hertz graduate fellowship. Hertz Fellows each receive up to
$240,000 over five years to pursue their own scientific interests at top
universities in the United States.
This no-strings-attached support gives Hertz Fellows financial
independence and freedom to conduct innovative research because, unlike many
other grants, university and study choices are not limited by strict funding
requirements. “Hertz Fellows represent the very best young
scientific talent in our nation,” says John Holzrichter, PhD, Hertz Foundation
president. “These students embody
the drive and curiosity to solve the most difficult problems our world faces,
and we are pleased to support them as they grow in their chosen disciplines.” As an undergraduate at Caltech, Wang worked in the
olefin metathesis lab of her mentor, and 2005 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry,
Prof. Robert H. Grubbs. She also
participated in an internship with a pharmaceutical company, Amgen Inc., where
she learned new things about medicinal chemistry research and had a chance to
see first-hand the application of synthetic chemistry to drug
design. Wang co-authored a
scientific paper based on her learnings, published this month (Oct. 2007) in
the prestigious journal Tetrahedron Letters. Born in China, Wang was raised in Hawaii and Northern
California. When she is not in the
chemistry lab, she is concocting new and creative recipes in the kitchen. A self-proclaimed “chemist cook,” she
is most proud of her ability to make a great chili from scratch. Wang also makes pottery, and was the
swim team captain in high school. Wang graduated in 2003 from San Jose’s Lynbrook High
School, where she was class valedictorian. She received a bachelor’s in chemistry, with honors, from the
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif. in 2007. In addition to the Hertz Fellowship,
honors include the Caltech Upperclass Merit Scholarship and the Richard
Schultzer Memorial Award in chemistry.
Her mother, Yibing Jiang, is a professional at Fair-Isaac in San Jose,
and her father, Oliver Wang, is a water purification specialist for an
international company. About
the Hertz Foundation The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, based in
Livermore, Calif., is a tax exempt, not-for-profit organization dedicated to
the selection and support of outstanding individuals in the applied physical,
biological and engineering sciences.
Founded in 1963, the Foundation’s mission is to build America’s capacity
for innovation by nurturing remarkable applied scientists and engineers who
show the most promise to change the world. It awards fellowships to an average of 15 PhD candidates
every year to pursue graduate studies at the nation's finest academic
institutions. As a result, the
Hertz Foundation supports the research efforts of about 75 Fellows at any given
time. The Hertz Fellowships are
widely considered to be among the most competitive and most prestigious offered
anywhere. For more information
about the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, as well as giving opportunities, go
to www.hertzfoundation.org. # # #
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