SALISBURY, MD—As an undergraduate at Salisbury University, Lela Bones has been able to conduct research on brain-computer interfacing.
“I take EEG data and transfer it into an algorithm that the computer will understand and then I use that to move a prosthetic arm,” she said. “From this research, I hope that I will be able to help people who’ve lost limbs. A greater use is being able to control drones and other things with your mind alone.”
Bones has been named an Amgen Scholar and will spend 10 weeks this summer conducting her own independent research at Johns Hopkins University.
“I’m excited to network with some of the greatest biotech engineers in the nation, gain valuable research experience and hopefully publish my work,” said Bones, a junior mathematics and computer science double major from Georgetown, DE.
Her award is a first for an SU student, said Dr. Kristen Walton, director of SU’s Nationally Competitive Fellowships Office.
Amgen Scholars are funded by the Amgen Foundation, an affiliate of an international biotechnology company that seeks to inspire the next generation of innovators. There are 13 host universities in the U.S., and some 200 student scholars will meet at a research symposium in California in June.
Bones is a member of SU’s Honors College. She also is president of the Mathematics and Computer Science Club and a board member for Women in Tech. She credits SU’s welcoming staff and faculty with helping her realize her potential.
“The Math and Computer Science Department has allowed me to conduct research with multiple professors giving me a strong research background,” she said. “I’ve also been aided by the care that all of these teachers give; they are welcoming in their office hours, provide me with tools that I’ll be able to use outside of college and engage in conversations about things I’m simply curious about.”
Dr. Michael Scott, dean of SU’s Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, added: “We have outstanding faculty mentors who provide opportunities for students, involving them in research and guiding their work.”
Last summer, Bones was a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, working in an engineering lab. After graduating, she plans to continue studying biotech or human-computer interfacing and eventually pursue a doctorate.
Recently, The Chronicle of Higher Education identified SU as the No. 1 public institution (by percentage) for enrolling and graduating women in computer science.
For more information about applying for national fellowships, SU students or alumni may contact Walton at kpwalton@salisbury.edu or visit www.salisbury.edu/nationalfellowships.
