UNM chemical engineering student Julian Vigil was recently awarded the Churchill Scholarship, which will present him with the opportunity to study at The University of Cambridge in England among other accomplished scholars.
“My family and friends have been wonderfully supportive throughout my undergraduate career, and I very much appreciate all of that support and the kind wishes I have received since hearing the news that I received the Churchill Scholarship,” Vigil said. “Many of my friends and family members are also excited for the opportunity to visit me at Cambridge next year.”
In addition to his coursework, Vigil said he believes his research experience is what made him stand out among other students across the country seeking the competitive scholarship.
He has been working for nearly five years in a materials chemistry and electrochemistry research lab, under the supervision of Timothy Lambert at Sandia Labs, with a research focus in the area of materials chemistry for energy conversion and storage, he said.
Vigil said the interesting chemistry and important societal implications of alternative energy make for a highly motivating environment to work in.
Vigil was keen on science — particularly chemistry — through middle and high school, he said, but never considered it as a career until he was selected for a mentorship program at Sandia National Laboratories the summer before his senior year.
It was that experience that helped foster his interests and drove him to pursue a research career in science and engineering, he said.
“My research experience at Sandia has been an excellent supplement to the coursework here at UNM, allowing me to identify a concentration within chemical engineering that aligned with my interests in materials chemistry and catalysis,” Vigil said.
He said he plans to pursue further research in the chemistry of energy conversion and storage, and that the experience he has gained at Sandia will be invaluable in these future endeavors.
Through the Churchill Scholarship — awarded to only 14 STEM students — Vigil will be able to continue his research in an area that he is highly motivated in, while expanding his experience in the field and being exposed to a new environment with new peers, mentors, and scientific capabilities.
Upon graduation in May, Vigil says he will spend the next year at the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar, pursuing a Master of Philosophy degree in chemistry. Upon completion of his studies at Cambridge, he intends to return to the U.S. to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering.
“Ultimately, I wish to pursue an academic position to teach and continue conducting fundamental chemistry research in the area of energy conversion and storage,” Vigil said.
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Vigil said he hopes the number of STEM students applying for these prestigious scholarships will continue to increase, adding that, as a research institution close to Sandia and Los Alamos labs, there are numerous research opportunities available to students, particularly STEM students.
“I would encourage future students to become involved in research as soon as they can, pursue as many of these scholarship opportunities as possible and be creative and ambitious in proposing new research in the fields that they are most passionate about,” he said. “The application process alone is a useful exercise in personal and technical writing, and proposing new ideas or questions.”
Nichole Harwood is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Nolidoli1.
