Satviki Singh Named 2022 Undergraduate Researcher of the Year

Congratulations to Satviki Singh on receiving the 2022 “Undergraduate Researcher of the Year” award for the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science! Singh was presented with the award on April 13 at the Honors Convocation. Singh is working on her Bachelor of Science in Biological/Physical Sciences from Florida Atlantic’s Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, with a double concentration in biology and mathematics.

How do you feel about being honored with the award?

After spending many hours in the lab and working on research presentations, earning the honorable title of “2022 Undergraduate Researcher of the Year for the College of Science'' feels very rewarding. Further, as the first person from my family to attend an American university, I feel encouraged to pursue my career goals in academia.

How does the award support your work?

The award gave me the opportunity to not only feel rewarded for my research endeavors, but it also gave me the opportunity to reflect on all the amazing people and experiences that I have had the pleasure of encountering in my research journey. I am grateful for my PI, lab mates, faculty from FAUHS who helped me get involved in research, and my friends and family. All of these factors support and encourage me to continue my work.

What type of research are you performing?

I work in  Dr. Vivian Merk’s  lab to establish a novel drug delivery system for standard antibiotics and new antibacterial compounds using metal ion-chitosan hydrogels. My research relies heavily on materials characterization, using techniques like scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and infrared spectroscopy, as well as antimicrobial testing.

Do you plan to expand your research initiatives?

I am currently in the middle of my project and establishing some protocols for data collection. I am going to be working on it over the summer and this upcoming academic year, when I will hopefully complete my honors thesis on my project. I also have a provisional patent on the research that I have conducted and hope to eventually convert it into a non-provisional patent.

How does FAU support undergraduate research?

FAU encourages undergraduate students to pursue research by offering programs and resources like SURF, FAU WAVE, the Max Planck Honors Program and FAU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI). OURI offers lots of guidance to undergraduates through workshops and one-on-one meetings on how to get involved in research, tips for navigating the academic field, making posters, and presenting and preparing for graduate school.

How has your mentor, Dr. Merk, provided guidance with complex research?

I first joined Dr. Merk’s lab to work on my FAU WAVE project in Fall 2020 and, eventually, joined her lab as a full-time student. From my first few weeks at the lab up till now, Dr. Merk has been an encouraging and supportive PI. Not only has she helped me learn more about science and research, but she has encouraged me to apply for different scholarships and awards, which I otherwise would not have pursued, including this award. Dr. Merk has provided me with great mentorship throughout my research journey, and I look forward to continuing working in her lab this upcoming year.

What are your future goals?

I hope to graduate in Spring 2023, and then, ideally, I would like to attend a Ph.D. program in the field of biomedical engineering and earn a doctorate degree.