Karl Ocius, a graduate student in the Pires Lab, has been selected for the 2024 Merck Research Award for Underrepresented Chemists of Color.

The Merck Research Award for Underrepresented Chemists of Color recognizes graduate students and post-doctoral fellows for their chemical science research across a range of focuses — such as computational, analytical, medicinal, biological and synthetic chemistry.

Participants are paired with scientific mentors at Merck who are able to provide guidance, feedback and connections relevant to their research. The researchers then present their work to peers and mentors at an award symposium, where a team of diverse Merck scientists choose the winners. In addition to participants’ research, judges also consider their potential to be scientific pioneers and innovators.