Pitt 2006 Rhodes Scholar Justin Chalker Named 2006 Emma W. Locke Award Winner

PITTSBURGH—Justin Chalker, a Pitt Honors College senior majoring in chemistry and in the history and philosophy of science, was named the 2006 Emma W. Locke Award winner during Pitt's annual Honors Convocation Feb. 24 in Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland. Chalker also is a 2006 Rhodes Scholar and a 2005 Goldwater Scholar.

Established in 1946 by Charles A. Locke in memory of his mother, the Emma Locke W. Award is presented annually to a graduating senior in recognition of high scholarship, character, and devotion to the ideals of the University. The student must have at least a 3.85 GPA and plan to continue his or her education after graduation.

Chalker, an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Pitt School of Arts and Sciences' chemistry department, is the founder of the Pitt Y-Sci Fest, a science research fair for area high school students. He is completing research on new chemical reactions in the synthesis of kainic acid, an organic compound used in Alzheimer's disease research, under the direction of Pitt Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Theodore Cohen. In addition to pursuing his other majors, Chalker, from Meade, Kan., is completing requirements for the Bachelor of Philosophy degree in the Honors College. His career interests are in the field of synthetic organic chemistry, and he plans to pursue the Master of Science degree by research in organic chemistry at Oxford University in England.

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03/15/06/blg