Beckman Scholars Program
» Meet our Beckman Scholars
Chloe Castanon '25
Biological Sciences major, minor in Chemistry
Castanon is working with Associate Professor of Food Science Rosalee Hellberg, investigating authentication of grass-finished beef. Consumer demand for grass-finished beef is driven by concerns regarding quality, nutrient density, and environmental sustainability. Castanon investigates such concerns relating to four different finishing diets. Using gene expression profiling, Castanon is linking gene expression data to nutrient density data, hypothesizing that genes regulating the synthesis of long-chain n-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and vitamin E will exhibit differential expression based on supplemental feeds used in grass-finished beef production.
Benjamin Janda '23
B.S. in Chemistry, minor in Spanish; Ph.D. student in Organic Chemistry at UCLA
Janda worked towards developing more sustainable chemical processes, investigating organic catalysts that can serve as more sustainable and cost-effective replacements for precious metals.
Emma Kocik '22
B.S. in Chemistry, minor in Environmental Science; Ph.D. student in Earth & Environmental Sciences at University of Pennsylvania
As Chapman's first Beckman Scholar, Kocik filled a key gap in marine research with a project to test nanoparticles as a tool for restoring ecosystems.
Kevin Nguyen '24
B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, minor in Nutrition; Ph.D. student in Nutritional Sciences at University of Texas
Nguyen researched drought tolerance in chia by zeroing in on these plants at the genomic level. In addition to being a Beckman Scholar, Nguyen was also a Simon STEM Scholar and Goldwater Scholar.
Paul Rosa '24
B.S. in Biological Sciences, minor in Chemistry; Ph.D. student in Chemical Biology at UC Davis
Rosa used computational techniques to investigate how Lewis acidic salts activate sulfur-fluoride bonds.
Ishaan Shah '23
B.S. in Chemistry, minor in Computational Science; Ph.D. student in Physical Chemistry at UC Santa Barbara
Shah worked with Assistant Professor Jerry LaRue throughout his entire time as an undergraduate, focusing on making hydrocarbon-based fuels more energy-efficient.
Lea-Sophie Vetter '26
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, minor in English
Vetter is working with Professor of Biological Sciences Chris Kim in assessing arsenic bioaccessibility in mine wastes. Prevalent in the earth’s crust, arsenic harms the environment and humans exposed to it. Inhalation or ingestion are common routes of exposure — especially for people living near abandoned mine sites. Vetter's aim is to determine the effectiveness of arsenic spatial distribution as an indicator of the changes in arsenic's bioaccessibility in mine wastes over time, using simulated gastric fluid extraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Her findings will likely offer a novel approach to long-term risk assessments of these mine sites.
