Chaz Scala Awarded Biology Research Grant

2018 Feb 1

Chaz Scala '18, of Merrick, New York, recently received $4,964 from the Mindlin Foundation to fund her work studying plant microbiomes.

The grant will cover lab supplies and allow Scala to conduct genetic sequencing, where she can extract DNA from soil and outsource for further analysis. Scala's research, which focuses mainly on agriculture, is part of a larger effort spearheaded by Assistant Professor of Biology Javier Izquierdo to help rebuild and sustain dunes on Long Island.

"This work has a local impact, which is important to me being from Long Island," said Scala. "I was already interested in microbiology, so this just seemed like a natural fit."

Scala is the first from the Izquierdo Lab to be awarded a grant from the Mindlin Foundation, which supports excellence in education, engineering, and the sciences.

"I am very lucky to work with students who love what they do," said Izquierdo. "They care so deeply about their research projects, so this kind of recognition means the world."