Austin Peay student Destiny Mathews gains valuable research skills in Czech Republic
By: College of STEM August 10, 2022
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Destiny Mathews, a junior chemistry major at Austin Peay State University, had the opportunity to conduct research at the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic this summer as part of a three-year, $300,000 International Research Experience for Students (IRES) grant from the National Science Foundation.
The grant, led by Dr. Andriy Kovalskiy, a professor in the Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy, will send 18 Austin Peay College of STEM students to universities in the Czech Republic, France, and Poland. For Mathews, the experience not only advanced her research skills but also provided valuable lessons in communication and cultural adaptation.
“Being able to work in a lab and be responsible for my own results solidified my desire to work in a lab-based career in the future,” she said. “My mentors in Pardubice were able to teach me specialized techniques in a short time and allowed me to rely on my own skills as a scientist in training while still guiding me throughout the research.”
The program allowed her to work in a prominent materials science lab but also allowed her to navigate the challenges of working in another country.
“Working in a completely foreign environment permitted me to become more confident in my communication skills,” Mathews said. “The ability to explore in my free time gave me the opportunity to learn about the history of the streets and buildings I passed through, making it more real for me.”
More about the program
The three European universities participating in the program are the University of Rennes I in France, the University of Rzeszow in Poland and the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic. Each university specializes in aspects of nano and glass technology.
Austin Peay students from the departments of physics, engineering and astronomy; chemistry; biology; and geosciences are participating in the program. Their research will advance understanding of the properties of amorphous materials at the nanoscale and how these properties can achieve advanced applications such as optical computing, photonics and bioglasses.
The other students who participated this summer are Anna Sheets and Dakota Price, both engineering physics majors who attended the University of Rennes I in France.
Drs. Roman Holovchak and Justin Oelgoetz, both from the Department of Physics, Engineering and Astronomy, and Dr. Carrie Brennan from the Department of Chemistry joined Kovalskiy as co-primary investigators on the project. NSF also designated a team from APSU’s Eriksson Department of Education – Drs. Philip Short, Donna Short and John McConnell and Tasha Berry – to evaluate the program.
Austin Peay students are scheduled to travel to Europe in May and June over the next two summers before the grant ends in 2024.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation International Research for Students (IRES) grant (Project No. NSF OISE-2106457).