Mackenzie Conkling ’21 awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in Engineering
Mackenzie Conkling ’21 of Massapequa, New York, a physics and music double major and field hockey midfielder, was awarded an National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) in Engineering. She will use this prestigious fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of California-Berkeley. She also had offers from Purdue University, University of Maryland, University of Colorado-Boulder and New Mexico Tech.
“I will be joining the Berkeley Fire Research Lab, where I will be working with Prof. Michael Gollner on experimental fire research to develop better understanding of the complex physical processes behind fire spread and combustion,” Conkling says. “I am really interested in experimental fire research because of the variety of problems and applications within fire research, from wildfires to fire safety to large and small scale combustion, and I believe this research can make a difference and make the world a better place. I love experimental research, because I can make new discoveries that have widespread impact, allowing me to make a difference in the world through my career in research.”
Conkling attributes her success in garnering the NSF GRFP to her unique undergraduate experience.
“One of the most important things to me is finding what sets your soul on fire and pursuing that passion relentlessly, and that is exactly what I have done throughout my time at Centre.”
Being a four-year field hockey athlete has been one of those passions.
“Mackenzie has been a force since she set foot on campus in 2017,” says Janelle Downs, head field hockey coach. “Between balancing her academics, with athletics and her many other pursuits on campus, she has soaked up everything that Centre had to offer her. She is one of the most respected athletes in our program, both from the coaching staff and her peers. She always has a smile on her face but underneath that is a fire that burns to tackle any obstacle in her way to achieve greatness. We are so proud of her in every way possible.”
That fire includes pursuing a number of on- and off-campus research experiences, while at the same time playing an active role in Centre’s music program.
“Music has been a really significant part of my life ever since I started playing double bass twelve years ago,” Conkling explains. “From when I first started performing with orchestras and playing solo, I derived great joy from being able to create and express myself through music.
“Being able to connect and give back to the audience through what I play is an indescribable feeling, and why I have continued to pursue bass at such a high level,” she continues. “I have been principle bass of the Centre Symphony Orchestra all four years at Centre, and I plan to continue playing while pursuing my Ph.D. I hope to participate in the UCB Symphony Orchestra or other orchestras in the Bay Area.”
According to Rob Seebacher, assistant professor of music, “Mackenzie embraces her music major just as voraciously as everything else in her life. She brings her passion, leadership ability and dedication to the stage for every rehearsal and concert of which she is a part.” He adds, She’s an important member of the 60-player team that is the Centre Symphony Orchestra.”
This ties back to her larger career goals.
“This passion for music combines uniquely with my passion for physics, engineering and research,” Conkling continues. “I was first introduced to undergraduate research when I joined Prof. Bruce Rodenborn’s undergraduate physics lab in the summer of 2018. I worked on experimental fluid dynamics research characterizing the swimming of bacterium by use of a biomimetic nanobot driven by a rotating helical flagellum. This work tests resistive force theory for thrust, torque and drag to completely describe how bacterium swim at low Reynolds numbers. It was here that I fell in love with experimental research and the challenges presented by it.”
“Mackenzie is a special person, and I am so proud and happy that I could help her achieve the things she has accomplished inside and outside of the physics classroom,” says Rodenborn, associate professor of physics. “Simply put, she is ‘all in’ with everything she does. Physics is a challenging major for all of our students, but she met that challenge and managed to get another degree in music, secure two summer REU’s in top research programs, play field hockey at a high level, volunteer to mentor high school students and continue to be kind and generous to other people.”
“I continued to explore research in the summer of 2019, when I participated in the Intelligent and Energetic Systems Engineering Research Experience for Undergraduates (INTENSE REU) funded by the National Science Foundation at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology,” she explains. “I worked in Dr. Chelsey Hargather’s materials engineering lab on additive manufacturing of solid rocket propellant. Individually, I worked on the effects of catalytic content on the cure rate of ammonium perchlorate based solid rocket propellant.
“Finally, this past summer I participated in NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program,” she continues. “The internship program offers the opportunity to participate in all aspects of a scientific campaign using NASA Airborne Science Programs fleet of aircraft. Although I did not get to fly because COVID-19 pushed the program into a virtual experience, I contributed to impactful research on wildfires, developing a model of wildfire temperature using hyperspectral imagery. I was one of four students selected out of 28 participants as having the best final presentation and results to present my research at AGU Fall Meeting in 2021 with funding from NASA and the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, and I am working on submitting a publication on this research to AGU Fall 2021.”
Conkling’s dedication has impressed people across Centre’s campus.
“For the 2020 GRFP competition, NSF received over 13,000 applications and made approximately 2,000 fellowships offers; that’s about a 15% rate of success,” says Robert Schalkoff, director of the Lincoln Scholars Program and head of Centre College fellowship advising. “I believe what helped Mackenzie stand out was the solid research foundation she was able to build at Centre, her audacity when it came to landing undergraduate research opportunities at the national level, and her ability to manage a double major on top of being a student-athlete. She was able to tie all these things together in an incredibly compelling research statement that told her story in a unique and memorable way.
“To say Mackenzie is hard working is an understatement,” Schalkoff adds. “She’s also got grit and plenty of it, too. It’s the sweat and tears combined with the unique experiences, great personal story and academic accomplishments along the way that helped her cross the finish line with NSF GRFP. Giving up is simply not part of who Mackenzie is.”
But Conkling’s ambitions aren’t limited to what she’s demonstrated to this point.
“My other life goal is to become an astronaut,” she says. “One of the reasons I love research and science so much is because of humanity’s inherent need to know more and understand the universe we live in. For me personally, the desire to know and discover more most clearly plays out within space exploration. As an astronaut, I can combine my love for experimental hands-on research, understanding the world, and space to contribute to the greater good of not just America, but the whole world as my work helps address fundamental questions about our place in the universe and push the boundaries of science and technology.”
“She exemplifies the best of what a liberal arts education can provide: top notch technical and artistic skills coupled with a desire to make the world a better place,” Rodenborn continues. “I look forward to seeing her progress as a human being, musician and as a research scientist.”
And, if that’s not enough:
“I also hope to play double bass professionally and join a professional orchestra. This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and one I plan on pursuing once I am done being an astronaut or finished with my career in research.”
