Two UW undergraduate students, Summer Cho and Edric Tsang, were awarded Mary Gates Research Scholarships for their work with researchers at the UW School of Dentistry.
Summer, who is currently majoring in Microbiology, is co-mentored by Dr. Sumita Jain and Dr. Daniel Chan in the Departments of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry, respectively. Summer’s research project is titled “Investigating Light/Dark Responses of ICG‑Enabled Photothermal Dental Cement Against Periodontal Pathogens P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum.”
“Receiving the Mary Gates Scholarship is deeply meaningful to me because it challenges a belief I long held—that I wasn’t “enough” to belong in research,” said Summer. “I am honored to receive this award and to pursue this project under the guidance of Dr. Jain and Dr. Chan. This research reflects my lived experiences, those of my family, and the broader community affected by oral health and disease.”
Edric, who is double-majoring in Bioengineering and Neuroscience, has been working in Dr. Fritzie Arce-McShane’s (Department of Oral Health Sciences) Orofacial Neuromechanics Lab. Edric is the third student working in Dr. Arce-McShane’s lab to receive the Mary Gates Research Scholarship.
“The Mary Gates Research Scholarship has enabled me to meaningfully engage in undergraduate research and mentorship, supporting my growth in science, especially as a first-generation student,” said Edric.
Mary Gates Research Scholarships are competitive scholarships intended to enhance the educational experiences of undergraduate students at the University of Washington while they are engaged in research guided by faculty. The UW awards them to students with the hope that they may deepen their inquiry into a discipline or project with a reduced financial burden.
Any undergraduate student from any of the three UW campuses (Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma), who is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and is planning to conduct a research and/or leadership project is eligible to apply. Applicants from any major and at any stage of their undergraduate academic career are welcome to apply.