Grace Maglieri awarded 2018-19 Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Scholarship

Physics major Grace Maglieri (C’19) has been named a Clare Boothe Luce Undergraduate Scholar for the 2018-19 academic year. This merit-based scholarship recognizes high-achieving undergraduate women pursuing degrees in science, math, and engineering fields.

Tackling unanswered questions

Grace remembers being drawn to science as a child. “I was always looking to find the answers to unanswered questions,” she explains. Throughout her undergraduate career, Grace has sought opportunities to participate in physics research, where she can tackle unanswered questions and learn about different areas of physics. During a summer internship at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Grace studied corrosion processes that contributed to the failure of gyroscopes on the Hubble Space Telescope. For her senior thesis, Grace is working with Prof. Ed Van Keuren on using solvatochromic dyes to characterize interactions between solvents, polymers and powders. After completing her undergraduate studies next year, Grace plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics.

Beyond coursework and research, Grace has been an active member of the Georgetown University Astronomical Society. As President of the group (and now President Emerita), she has helped build membership, organize educational events, and advocate for the restoration of the university’s historic observatory.

Supporting women in science

The Clare Boothe Luce Program was established in 1989 through the bequest of Clare Boothe Luce, an American playwright, journalist, ambassador, and one of the first women elected to Congress. The program aims to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach in science, math, and engineering fields in which women have been most underrepresented. To date, the program has supported more than 2300 students and faculty around the country. Georgetown is privileged to be among 13 institutions designated to receive funds from the Clare Boothe Luce Program in perpetuity.