OAK RIDGE, Tenn., May 16, 2016 – Knoxville Catholic High School senior Ian Greeley has been named recipient of the 2016 UT-Battelle Scholarship to attend the University of Tennessee.
The scholarship, awarded to a graduating senior planning to study science, mathematics or engineering at UT, is renewable for up to four years and is worth a total of $20,000. The competitive scholarship is presented annually to a graduating student with a parent employed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Greeley is a Knoxville Catholic High School honors student with a cumulative 4.52 grade-point average. Ian's parents are Leigh and Mark Greeley of Knoxville. His mother, Leigh, is an industrial hygienist in the Safety Services Division and his father, Mark, is a researcher in ORNL’s Environmental Sciences Division.
Greeley is a four-year participant in the FIRST Robotics program and served as a team captain. He worked closely with ORNL's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility for FIRST Robotics competitions and gained a first-hand appreciation for electric vehicle battery technologies. At UT he plans to further explore energy storage applications through his studies combining mechanical engineering with materials science and engineering.
“A career in materials sciences that focuses on energy applications would give me the ability to help encourage the production of enough clean energy for everyone while reducing man-made contributions to climate changes, and the program at the University of Tennessee will give me the preparation and skills needed to help lead this endeavor,” Greeley wrote in his application essay.
“Innovations in the field of materials science are applied in numerous scientific fields, ranging from chemistry to electrical engineering, and many of these breakthroughs are being made right here in east Tennessee," he continued. "I want to be a part of the effort that will accomplish these goals.”
In addition to his FIRST robotics activities, Greeley is a three-time varsity soccer athlete and an Eagle Scout community leader, serving a volunteer Scout leader for the local troop. His other accolades include a 2016 National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction and Knoxville News Sentinel's 2016 Academic Achievers honoree.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit http://energy.gov/science/. - by Ashanti B. Washington
