{"id":96740,"date":"2025-06-12T16:24:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deltastate.edu\/news-and-events\/?p=96740"},"modified":"2025-06-12T16:24:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:24:27","slug":"delta-state-stem-students-selected-for-prestigious-international-research-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deltastate.edu\/news-and-events\/2025\/06\/delta-state-stem-students-selected-for-prestigious-international-research-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Delta State STEM students selected for prestigious international research opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

CLEVELAND, Miss. \u2014 <\/strong>\u00a0Two exceptional students from Delta State University\u2019s Division of Mathematics and Sciences have been selected for competitive international research internships, further showcasing the University’s commitment to academic excellence and global engagement.<\/p>\n

Janne Bodemer, a rising senior from Muenster, Germany, will spend seven weeks this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, conducting polymer research at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). A double major in Chemistry and Mathematics, Bodemer is no stranger to international travel, but this will be her first time in Brazil.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be working with professors on a polymer science project, which will be more experimental than my previous, more theoretical, honors research,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m also excited to experience Brazilian culture and try speaking Portuguese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bodemer, a student in DSU\u2019s Honors Program and a standout student-athlete, recently received the 2024\u20132025 Lady Statesmen Award for the Women\u2019s Swim and Dive Team and earned second team All-American honors at the 2025 NCAA National Championships. She also presented her poster, \u201cPolyethylene Terephthalate and Corresponding Enzymes That Break It Down,\u201d at the 2025 Mississippi Academy of Sciences conference. In recognition of her academic achievements, she received the Dr. Joe C. Greever Organic Chemistry Award and the Rose Strahan Scholarship for Mathematics. She also works as a math tutor in the Student Success Center.<\/p>\n

Meredith Rice, a May 2025 graduate from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, will begin a nine-month internship this fall at the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation on the island of Samos, Greece. As part of the Marine Mammal Conservation Research Unit, Rice will study dolphin populations in the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose this internship for two reasons,\u201d she said. \u201cFirst, I\u2019ve always been passionate about marine science and see this as a great opportunity to build on my previous research experiences and prepare for graduate school. Second, my mother is from Greece, and I want to connect with that part of my heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rice graduated with honors from Delta State with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science (concentration in Wildlife Management) and in General Biology. A four-time President\u2019s List scholar and recipient of the 2024 NCAA Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award, she served as president of Delta State\u2019s TriBeta Biological Honor Society chapter. At the 2025 Mississippi Academy of Sciences conference, she presented two research posters: \u201cEffects on Bacterial Competition by Tailocin Fiber Mutation and Anatomical Features of Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion).\u201d Rice also completed previous research internships at Savannah State University and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and was a member of the swim and dive team while an undergraduate at DSU.<\/p>\n

Dr. Joe Bentley, Interim Chair of the Division of Mathematics and Sciences and Professor of Chemistry, praised the students\u2019 accomplishments.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe selection of Meredith and Janne for prestigious international research positions reflects both the strength of our academic programs and their outstanding personal commitment,\u201d Bentley said. \u201cTheir ability to balance demanding athletic schedules with academic excellence speaks volumes about their dedication and discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n

To learn more about Delta State University\u2019s degree programs in mathematics and sciences, visit www.deltastate.edu\/nursing-health-sciences\/mathematics-sciences<\/a>.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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