The Ohio State University has two nominees for the 2024 Astronaut Scholarship, Ashley Tarrant and Anitvir Taunque.
Ashley is a junior Morrill Scholar double majoring in Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics with a minor in Mathematics. At Ohio State she works with Professor Todd Thompson researching high-velocity gas clouds observed in starburst galaxies. Last summer, she completed an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at University of Hawai’I working with Professor Benjamin Shappee analyzing Active Galactic Nuclei. She also is the Chief Operating Officer of the Be W.I.S.E. Initiative, a non-profit working to expand access to STEM education in underprivileged communities in Columbus. In the future, she aims to earn a PhD in Physics to become a professor and amplify outreach efforts to increase participation from underrepresented communities in STEM fields.
Anitvir is a junior Stamps Eminence scholar majoring in Biomedical Science. At Ohio State, he works with Assistant Professor Lluis Samaranch researching gene therapy approaches to treat neurological genetic disorders. He also helped build ServUS Volunteering Corporation, a sustainability start-up empowering and incentivizing students to volunteer, and the project won $50,000 through the President’s Buckeye Accelerator. As a member of Buckeye Leadership Fellows, he is currently collaborating with Boston Scientific to enhance medical device customer service efficiency through artificial intelligence integration. In the future, he aims to become a physician scientist to revolutionize the treatment of rare neurological genetic disorders.
The Astronaut Scholarship program awards scholarships to sophomores and juniors representing the brightest and most talented college students in STEM. Astronaut Scholars are awarded $15,000 toward undergraduate tuition and life-long membership to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.