PhD candidate Alexa Torelli is the recipient of this year's Women Chemists Committee (WCC) Merck Research Award. The award is given to 3rd and 4th year graduate students with a research focus in organic, medicinal, analytical, chemical biology, computational or structural chemistry.
"It’s an incredible feeling to have been recognized by the ACS WCC and Merck as a promising chemist," says Torelli. "I’ve had the privilege to have been mentored by Merck's Dr. Marion Emmert and to have met so many other young and ambitious scientists over the last few months."
"It’s so important as a young scientist to cultivate a diverse network of relationships within the scientific community. This award has opened a new networking arena to learn and grow in, and that’s an unparalleled opportunity."
Torelli is supervised by Professor Mark Lautens.
"Since her arrival Alexa has been a force in our projects on copper catalysis using boron, says Lautens. "She has several publications over the past three years including senior author in Organic Letters and contributing authorship in Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie and she contributed to a highly cited review in ACS Catalysis."
"Alexa has been exploring domino reactions where one reaction follows another and in the process making complex structures of interest in synthesis and medicinally relevant structures. Her selection was well deserved and the mentorship provided by Merck is particularly appreciated."
Torelli will receive a $1,500 stipend to attend the Fall ACS national meeting expenses and – along with presenting her research at a WCC/Merck half-day symposium – will be recognized at the Awards Symposium Luncheon and the WCC Luncheon.