First year Ph.D. in Chemistry student, Kayla Poling, became one of six graduate students at Case Western Reserve University to be welcomed into the 2025 ULRI Graduate Fellowship Program. The fellowship program, organized by the ULRI STEM Pathways Program at CWRU and sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., provides six graduate students with $50,000 in individual support over the course of five years. This includes a stipend bonus and discretionary funds for travel and conferences. During the course of their program, fellows will engage in unique career, professional, and development opportunities.

Poling was admitted to the Fall 2025 Ph.D. in Chemistry program after completing her B.S. in Chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in May 2025. As an undergraduate, Poling worked in Dr. Clemens Burda’s research lab. Her undergraduate research focused on synthesizing deep eutectic solvents (DES) with varying compositions in order to systematically analyze their electrochemical properties. Her studies led to a co-authorship of a 2024 publication in Advanced Materials Interface.

Poling has previously been awarded funding for her research through the Undergraduate Research Office in the summer of 2024, during which she conducted work on next-generation energy storage technologies. She has also been an active member of Electrochemical Society Student Chapter at CWRU. Poling plans to continue pursuing her research interests of electrochemistry, green chemistry, and energy storage during her doctoral career and hopes to contribute to a more sustainable energy ecosystem.

Congratulations to Kayla for earning this prestigious fellowship!