Sofia Barnes ’28 and Parker Sterling ’28 selected for the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program

Sofia Barnes ’28 and Parker Sterling ’28 have been selected for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholar Program (UGSP). The NIH UGSP offers competitive scholarships to undergraduate students with financial need who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral and social science health-related research.

The transformative program is designed to support scholars at multiple points in their undergraduate years and early career. Renewable for up to two years, the UGSP provides:

• $20,000 per academic year to support undergraduate education expenses
• A 10-week full-time summer internship at the NIH immediately following the year of scholarship support
• One year of full-time employment with the NIH post-graduation

Because Barnes and Sterling have won the award as juniors, they are eligible to receive up to $40,000 in scholarship support, two paid summer internships (one between their junior and senior years, and another following graduation) and two years of employment upon graduation.

Approximately 15 scholars are selected each year from a nationwide pool of hundreds of applicants, and Elon students have been remarkably successful in this competition in recent years. The federally-funded program was on pause last year, but Samantha Hinton ’25 was selected in 2024, and three seniors—Genesis Tolbert ’24, Christopher D’Inzeo ’24 and Samuel Ramirez ’24—were selected in 2023. The addition of Barnes and Sterling to the list means that Elon has been represented in the three most recent cohorts of this highly selective program.

The next application cycle for the NIH UGSP will open in Spring 2027. Interested students should contact the National and International Fellowships Office to learn more.

Sofia Barnes ’28

Sofia Barnes is a chemistry and psychology double major from Port Washington, New York. At Elon, Barnes has worked under the mentorship of Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry, on an analysis of toxic metal concentration in medicinal herbs and spices in the United States. The research aims to fill the knowledge gap around potential contamination of medicinal herbs and spices by creating a nationwide catalog outlining the metal accumulation in numerous medical herbs and spices. This experience helped foster Barnes’ love of research and pushed her to seek out external opportunities like the NIH UGSP.

Thanks to the robust structure of the award, Barnes will be freer to deepen her research impact at Elon and the NIH.

“This award will not only give me the opportunity to further my career as a researcher and give me the chance to connect with mentors and peers to help push and encourage me,” she explained. “It has also provided me with the support to be able to lessen the monetary stress that comes with my undergraduate degree, which allows me to focus more on making the most out of my time in undergrad. It allows me to expand my reach with my post-grad options and where I may go after Elon which before felt more limited.”

In addition to her research, Barnes is active across campus. She is a service ambassador in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, a member of Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority Incorporated, a chemistry tutor, and has previously served as a SMART mentor and Peer Educator. Her constellation of Elon mentors includes Andrew Moffa, assistant Director for the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Justin Clar, associate professor of chemistry and director of Elon’s Undergraduate Research Program, and Dr. Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry.

Parker Sterling ’28

Parker Sterling is a double major in biology and history with minors in chemistry, neuroscience, and peace & conflict studies from Randleman, North Carolina. As an Elon College Fellow, Sterling is working under the mentorship of Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, to test the feasibility of a dual-drug intravaginal ring for menstrual pain. She’s supplemented her ECF research experience by assisting with data collection and processing in the Elon Physical Therapy Department’s Glen Raven Biomechanics Lab.

The NIH UGSP will be a critical step in Sterling’s development as a research scientist. While she remains committed to STEM research on her journey towards medical school, Sterling is equally committed to earning her master’s in history while working at the NIH. She seeks to understand not only the science, but also the historical and social contexts that have shaped scientific inquiry and advancement.

Sterling is highly engaged on campus outside of her research and academics. She is the Business Lead (and former President) for the Phoenix Racing Team, a physics TA, a senior resident assistant in the Global Neighborhood and a Leadership Ambassador with the Center for Leadership. As a reflection of her wide breadth of involvement, Sterling’s Elon mentors span disciplines and departments; the list includes Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, Andresa Bresler Bezerra, assistant teaching professor of chemistry, Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology, Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, and Matthew Banks, engineering lab manager and advisor for the Phoenix Racing Team.