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RICHLAND -- The poster Kristen Meyer created didn't have a trace of glitter or construction paper.
Instead, it was a sleek summary of the scientific research she's been doing for the last few months -- complete with charts and graphs and photos of fungal colonies.
It was put together so well that it earned Meyer a national award. She won first place in the life sciences division of the Department of Energy's 2009 Science and Energy Research Challenge Poster Competition in Tennessee.
The honor came with a $3,000 scholarship.
Meyer, 20, is a junior studying chemistry at Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland. She's been working for the nearby Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with senior research scientist Kenneth Bruno since May.
Meyer said that part of what attracted her to WSU Tri-Cities was that the national lab -- which is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy -- was so close by.
"The fact that I get to do research throughout the year -- that's pretty unique" for college students, she said.
Meyer worked with Bruno, a molecular biologist, over the summer and then was hired to continue working part time during the academic year. She's helping with research on fungus that eventually could lead to making plastic and other chemicals using mold, according to information from PNNL.
Bruno praised Meyer's work ethic and focus.
"From the first day, (she didn't need) a lot of training. She very quickly got in there and started during the work," he said.
The 20-year-old spends about 12 hours a week in the lab, balancing her research duties with demanding school work. Meyer and Bruno work at the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory on WSU Tri-Cities' campus.
Their research is paid for through DOE's Office of Biomass Program.
Meyer only learned about the poster contest about a week before entries were due. She and Kate McAteer, her faculty adviser at WSU Tri-Cities, attended the conference in Oak Ridge, Tenn., in November.
Meyer had to answer questions about her work from judges, which "was kind of scary," she said.
But McAteer said Meyer was more than up to the task. She's a bright student who excels in her classes, McAteer said.
Meyer is a graduate of Hanford High School in Richland. She wants to work in cancer research and oncology.
She's loved science since she was a little girl. Her parents, Perry and Lori Meyer, both have science backgrounds. And they kept a lot of animals around the house -- from dogs to iguanas and even creatures such as tarantulas -- which kept Meyer interested in the natural world.
"Fundamentally, (my interest in science) is because I'm curious about the way things work," Meyer said.
She hopes to study abroad next year in Ecuador.
About 100 undergraduate interns from DOE labs across the country -- including four others who worked at PNNL -- were asked to participate in the poster contest, the lab said.
Mike Larche of Pasco, who is studying physics at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, placed third in the energy division and earned a $1,000 scholarship, the lab said.
* Sara Schilling: 509-582-1402; sschilling@tricityherald.com
