Congratulations to Linda Wiratan, a 2018 recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship.Linda began her UMBC research career as a high school senior, working with mentors Marcin Ptaszek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Nopondo Esemoto ’12, biochemistry and molecular biology, and a current Ph.D. student in chemistry. “She learned both theoretical concepts and experimental techniques quickly,” Ptaszek recalls. After only a few months, she was working independently in the Ptaszek lab. During her two years in the lab, she contributed significantly to two academic papers, one of which was featured on the cover of Inorganic Chemistry. Based on her rapid progress, Ptaszek says, “I am sure in just a few years she will be a world-leading researcher.”