Sydney Floryanzia, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student, and Elizabeth Nance, an associate professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering, have been recognized as a 2024 HHMI Gilliam Fellowship student-advisor pair. This fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) supports innovative research and diversity in STEM by providing $53,000 annually to students for up to three years.
As an advisor, Nance will receive specialized training around the best practices for implementing culturally responsive mentorship and creating inclusive lab environments that promote joy and discovery in trainees.
Nance began her collaboration with Floryanzia in 2014. They connected through a shared mentor, Lisa Bullard, a professor at NC State, when Floryanzia was in high school. Nance, then a postdoc at Johns Hopkins University, introduced Floryanzia to her research on nanotechnology-based therapies for cerebral palsy, sparking a mentor-mentee relationship that influenced Floryanzia’s career path.
