April 24, 2008 — Katharine Michelle Sloop, an Oak Ridge High School student who already sports an impressive portfolio of scientific research, is this year's UT-Battelle Scholarship winner.
The scholarship, which is worth up to $20,000, is awarded annually to a top graduating senior who has a parent working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Katie, an honor student with a 4.111 grade-point average, has participated in research projects at Roane State Community College's Tamke-Allan Observatory and with the Clinch River Environmental Studies Organization. She was most recently named reserve champion of the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair, where she gathered a number of special awards.
"Her research efforts are original, meticulous and significant," wrote her advanced placement biology teacher. Another adviser called her "one of the most powerful and creative thinkers I have known."
One of Katie's earlier studies, called "Tune in to This Station: A Solar Study at 20.1 MHz," compared data she took at the Tamke-Allan Observatory with published data acquired by satellites and telescopes. More recently, she helped organize and lead a CRESO team that studied the eastern box turtle's response to habitat disturbance.
Katie is the daughter of Frederick V. Jr., and Betty Ann Sloop of Oak Ridge. Fred works in ORNL's Chemical Sciences Division.
The UT-Battelle scholarship is a competitive award presented annually to the child of an employee of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The scholarship is awarded in $5,000 annual increments over a four-year period to an outstanding graduating high school student who plans to study science, mathematics or engineering at the University of Tennessee.
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.