Robert Ovalle Jr. named University Scholar

This Spring, undergraduate researcher, Robert Ovalle Jr., was selected as a part of the 2022 University Scholars Program. This prestigious award is given to 200 undergraduate students across all disciplines at UF. Those selected are paired with faculty mentors to complete a research project throughout the year. Students who receive the award are expected to present their research at the University of Florida Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium and contribute to an academic research paper.

Robbie is studying Biomedical Engineering and has been a member of the Sharma Lab since Fall 2021. Robbie is working on chemically engineering manganese dioxide nanoparticles for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

“Robbie will be taking on an important project to investigate the effects of changing nanoparticle formulation to optimize therapeutic efficacy. His growth and leadership in the lab is evident and we are very proud of the work that he is doing and the recognition through the University Scholars Program,” said Jessica Aldrich, Robbie’s graduate student mentor since joining the Sharma Lab.

Congratulations Robbie!

If you are interested, you can learn more about the University Scholars Program and check out the other Biomedical Engineering students who were selected for this award.