Clint Slocum of Essex Awarded 2013 EPA GRO Fellowship

ST. MARY'S CITY, MD (12/10/2013)(readMedia)-- Clint Slocum, an Essex native and St. Mary's College of Maryland biochemistry major,  was recently awarded the 2013 EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Undergraduate Student Fellowship. The $50,000 award will be used over the next two years in support of the junior's academics at St. Mary's as well as in support of an internship with the EPA investigating the role of plants in pollution remediation.

Slocum has a special research interest in plant-focused ecological studies, and he hopes to be involved in both lab and field work for his internship, which will begin in the summer of 2014. "I'm excited to be able to apply chemical analytics to the biological side of pollution and ecological studies," said Slocum of his upcoming internship. "I have a lot of interest in the life sciences, but I still want to understand the underlying principles of natural interactions, which requires a good knowledge of chemistry."

This dual interest in biological and chemical interactions led Slocum, who cites AP Chemistry as a favorite course in high school, to pursue biochemistry at St. Mary's. He hopes to pursue a doctorate in a field related to the ecological sciences, botany, or forest studies after he graduates.

St. Mary's College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. More than 2,000 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland.