Sharonda Johnson graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2007 with a major in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. |
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Former 49ers All-America Sharonda Johnson Wins National Science Foundation Fellowship
April 8, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - Former Charlotte 49ers track and field all-America Sharonda Johnson has been awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship for graduate study and research. Johnson, who was the first 49ers athlete ever to combine an Academic all-America Award with an NCAA all-America performance, is working on her PhD in Nanoscale Science in UNC Charlotte's chemistry department. The three-year $120,000 award includes $30,000 per year towards personal expenses and $10,000 a year educational expenses. Johnson's proposed research is titled Viability of Various Nanoparticles in Biological Systems.
"This is a very competitive fellowship," said Johnson. "I was told there was a 10% chance of success when I applied, so I wasn't really expecting it but it has been in the back of my mind. It is a weight off my shoulders because funding for research is hard to come by and this is a project I wanted to work on. I'm really excited about it."
Johnson's research will revolve around the use of nanoparticles to deliver drug treatment directly to specific cells in an effort to more efficiently battle disease and illness.
"Nanoparticles are being investigated in their use in drug delivery to target specific cells and deliver treatment to those cells" Johnson said. "But not a lot is known about how nanoparticles interact with the body. That's what I want to investigate."
Johnson will work with her advisor in the chemistry department, Dr. Sherine Obare and will collaborate with the Biology Department to better understand the interaction between nanoparticles and cells.
A native of Raleigh, N.C., Johnson is completing her first year in the university's PhD. program. In fact, this is the first year that the Nanoscale Science PhD. program has been offered at the university. Johnson will be doing all of her research on the campus of UNC Charlotte.
A 2007 graduate of UNC Charlotte, Johnson carried a 3.874 GPA as a chemistry major with a minor in mathematics. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
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Johnson earned all-America honors in the triple jump during the 2004 NCAA Outoor Track and Field Championships and the 2007 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She earned ESPN The Magazine Academic all-America honors in 2004, 2006 and 2007, becoming the school's first three-time academic all-America. She was named the 2005 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar of the Year, the first individual national academic award bestowed upon a 49ers student-athlete.
"Sharonda continues to shine as a post graduate and is the finest example of a successful role model for any student-athlete or student in general," said track and field head coach Bob Olesen. "The 49ers track and field family is extremely proud of this latest accomplishment in her string of numerous athletic and academic achievements."
The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,100 graduate fellowships in this competition. Only 50 fellowships are offered in the field of Chemistry. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in the relevant disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees.
