2017 has certainly been a good year for Elizabeth Delesky, a PhD student in Assistant Professor Wil Surbar’s Sustainable Infrastructure Materials Lab.
In March, she was one of 27 CU Boulder students to receive a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The awards recognize outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The very next month, Delesky was notified that she had received a Presidents’ Fellowship from the American Concrete Institute Foundation, which includes a monetary award and mentorship opportunities.
Srubar said the awards are a reflection of the innovative research Delesky has been carrying out since she joined his team two years ago.
“In her research, she is using principles of biomimicry, polymer science and cement chemistry to develop an antifreeze polymer that will mitigate freeze-thaw damage in cement-based materials,” he said. “Elizabeth has a unique background in biomaterials, which makes her ideally equipped to make innovative contributions in materials science of infrastructure materials.”
Delesky earned her bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida.