Princesse Thompson, a 2020 graduate of St. Martin de Porres High School and a 2018 participant in American Chemical Society Project SEED (Summer Experiences for the Economically Disadvantaged) program at the CWRU Engineering site, has received the Precision Castparts Corporation full scholarship to University of Akron.

In summer 2018, Thompson came to Case as part of the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED program.  While on campus, she worked with Research Associate Professor Laura Bruckman on a DOE Funded project on PV module backsheet degradation in the SDLE Center.  Thompson investigated the chemical changes in backsheets after they were exposed to accelerated exposures with contact angle and fluorescence measurements. Additionally, she presented this research at the CWRU- Kyocera Materials Data Science Symposium at Case.

“I'd like to think her time at Case contributed to PCC giving her the full ride,” said Jared Schnall, who helped create the pipeline for opportunities for St. Martin de Porres students at Case.  Schnall was Director of Corporate Relations at Case from 2007 to 2012 and has been volunteering at St. Martin de Porres since 2013.

Bruckman received funding from ACS Project SEED beginning in 2018 to Case Engineering.  Project SEED gives low income high school students the opportunity to spend their summers completing research projects with scientists in academic, industry and government laboratories.  Every summer, more than 300 students participate across the United States.  Bruckman's site has had 9 high school students from St. Martin de Porres high school since 2018.