The award, valued at $30,000, is given to just 62 U.S. college juniors annually and is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. Winners were announced April 12.

Nicodemus, originally from the small rural western Kentucky city of Hartford, is a chemical engineering major in the who is minoring in chemistry. His undergraduate research at UofL and with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change.��

Hoping to bridge the gap between technological advancements and social policy, upon graduation he plans to pursue doctoral studies in chemical engineering and continue his career as a researcher with the DOE. He hopes to transition into policy work as a subject matter expert in his field with an eye toward enabling scientific discoveries to directly serve public needs.

Nicodemus was also one of two UofL students to be awarded a 2023 , which recognizes U.S. sophomores and juniors pursuing research careers in math, science and engineering.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to represent the University of Louisville and my home state of Kentucky in both of these prestigious organizations,” he said. “It is one thing to be recognized for my accomplishments and potential as a scientist and as a public servant, respectively, but to be able to combine these two passions of mine in such elite venues as the Truman and Goldwater foundations is a dream come true; just the next step in a lifelong journey of service as a scientist.”

Among his many projects at Speed, he worked on the Team Desert Phoenix solar house in 2021 and was part of the 2020 to improve a device commonly used to treat COVID-19 and other patients with respiratory problems.

There were more than 700 applicants for this year’s Truman Scholarship from 275 colleges and universities. This year’s awardees join a community of 3,504 Truman Scholars named since the first awards in 1977. Including Nicodemus, 15 UofL students have been Truman awardees; the last UofL student to win the scholarship was in 2021.��

Nicodemus also is one of UofL’s two 2023 Goldwater Scholars. Read more.

Lori Porter, Afi H. Tagnedji and Christopher Trombley bring to 10 the total number of UofL students who have won the award, established in 1986 in honor of former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater.

Goldwater Scholars are awarded a maximum of $7,500 per academic year. To be eligible, students must be sophomores or juniors who intend to pursue a research career in natural science, mathematics or engineering.

Porter, of Campbellsburg, Kentucky, is a physics and astronomy major in the College of Arts & Sciences and a . She works with Benne Holwerda studying void galaxies and, in addition, at the Flatiron Institute in New York City, conducts astrophysical research on galaxy formation and evolution with UofL alumna Blakesley Burkhart and her postdoctoral scholar, Matt Orr.��

“Studying these natural phenomena of our universe has fascinated me since elementary school, and I look forward to continuing this research under the support of the Goldwater Scholarship,” she said.

Tagnedji is an A&S chemistry and biochemistry double major who is both a and a . A native of Togo in west Africa, Tagnedji hopes to earn an MD and PhD in pharmacology and genetics.��

“The Goldwater affirms my standing as an undergraduate researcher and scientist in training,” she said. “It’s an honor.”

Tagnedji is conducting breast cancer research as well as research in insulin-resistance. Her mentors are David W. Hein, Mark P. Running, Kyung U. Hong and Linda Fuselier.

A student leader who was executive director of the Student Government Association’s Engage Lead Serve Board, she was also one of four UofL students to serve on the first student advisory board for Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ��.

Trombley, the third 2022 recipient, double majors in computer science engineering in the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and mathematics in A&S.

His mentors are Dan Popa, Mehmed Kantardzic and Nik Chawla.

“I plan to use this award to continue my research at the on intelligent robots and computer vision under the mentorship of Dan Popa and Mehmed Kantardzic,” he said. “We are currently working on a mobile robot that uses computer vision and machine learning technology to autonomously disinfect rooms.”

Trombley plans to spend the summer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducting research on intelligent algorithms at the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines. His goal is to eventually earn a PhD.

“The University of Louisville and the J.B. Speed School of Engineering helped me grow into the researcher I am today, and I am extremely thankful for the unparalleled experience the University of Louisville and Speed School have to offer,”�� he said.

A recipient of the Woodford R. Porter and Brown Fellows scholarships, Shontee graduated last year from UofL in the top 1 percent of her class with a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree. This year, she will receive her master’s degree. The 2012 duPont Manual grad has served on numerous student organizations, including the UofL chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, Speed School’s Women in Engineering Leadership Conference and the Miss Black UofL Scholarship Pageant. As a Brown Fellows scholar, she created a summer camp for minority girls to help get them involved in STEM fields.

“My education and academics in general are very important to me, and that’s one thing I’ve always been very driven about. As far as activities and organizations I’m involved with, academics is important there too because I like to see other people succeed academically. So I try to tailor my extracurriculars and things I’m involved with to helping other people succeed.”

In her free time, Shontee volunteers at the West End School as a tutor and mentor and grades calculus homework for professors in the Engineering Fundamentals department. She has received numerous recognitions for her outstanding work, including the ASME Pi Tau Sigma Award, the NBSC Louisville Chapter Award, the KSPE Service Award and Speed School’s Alfred T. Chen Award.

Conrad Smart, a 2013 graduate of Woodford County High School, is graduating with his bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics, anticipating a perfect 4.0 GPA. During his undergrad, he participated in various research projects with applications including nanomaterials, plasma physics and particle accelerators. His work has taken him to the laboratories of UCLA and Cornell University as an undergraduate research assistant.

“The University Physics and Astronomy department has been pivotal in my development as a scientist. In the mentorships, the opportunities, the community as a whole, I have watched students, including myself, become independent and creative thinkers. My peers and my faculty in the department have constantly provided me new and interesting stimulation necessary to bring a young student into the scientific fields.”

Smart is a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, James Graham Brown Scholarship and the Dean’s Scholarship, and has participated twice in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduate Programs. When he’s not trying to unravel the universe’s secrets, Smart enjoys playing saxophone, ballroom dancing and hiking.

Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 13 at the KFC Yum! Center beginning at 10 a.m.