An undergraduate student researcher at Michigan State University, Henry Pan, has been nominated for the Churchill Scholarship – a nationally competitive award that pays for graduate school in the United Kingdom.
Pan is a senior majoring in chemical engineering in the College of Engineering.
Established in 1959, the Winston Churchill Foundation’s Scholarship Program offers 14 American students of exceptional ability and outstanding achievement the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees in engineering, mathematics or the sciences in Churchill College at the University of Cambridge in England.
MSU has produced 18 Churchill Scholars.
Pan is from Troy and graduated from Troy High School.
“As a continuation to my research into biofuels and genetic modification of algae, I will be pursuing a master of philosophy in chemical engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology,” Pan said. “Through the scholarship opportunity, I will be able to combine the research I did at high school and my undergraduate research at MSU.”
As a research assistant working with Associate Professor David Hodge, Pan has investigated the physical and chemical pretreatments to improve the utility of biomass for biofuels production. He also holds a research and development internship with Dow Corning.
Pan has presented at MSU’s University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum and at the Mid-Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.
Pan has served as an intercultural aide and worked as an opinion columnist for The State News. He is also president of the MSU American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the executive vice president of Student Engineering Council.
He’s the recipient of the Maurice G. and Sara V. Larian Scholarship from the College of Engineering and a BP Academic Scholarship.
“On behalf of MSU, we are pleased to nominate Henry for the Churchill Scholarship,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College. “He is enthusiastic about his scientific research and shows great promise in his field.”