Department Of Mathematics, Kansas State University
| April 2008 : | Michael Reppert receives Presidential Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research |
| Reppert was schooled at home by his parents, Sue and Jay Reppert, whose acquaintance with international researchers at K-State gave their son an early exposure to scientific investigation. Since summer 2005, he has been working in the research group of Ryszard Jankowiak, K-State professor of chemistry. Jankowiak's lab investigates the basics of photosynthesis under extremely low temperatures, gaining knowledge that one day might lead to ultra-efficient solar cells. "When I was a kid, I sometimes dreamed about using plants in man-made solar devices, although I didn't have any idea how it could be done," Reppert said. "I was very excited about Dr. Jankowiak's research since it begins to make a connection between natural systems and man-made ones at a very fundamental level. "What I like most about research is that it's a bit like a giant jigsaw puzzle," he said. "You pick up a few pieces of information here, a few more there, and then try and put them together to answer the questions you're interested in." |