Celebrating Excellence: 2025 ISM Ambassador Award Recipients

A graduating senior majoring in Physics and a member of the Van Keuren group, Leah Chen embodies the values of leadership, service, and research integration. At ISM, she has conducted nanoprecipitation research on therapeutic nanoparticles through the NASA DC Space Grant, contributing to the institute’s biomedical and materials science efforts.

Outside the lab, Leah has made a meaningful impact on the Georgetown community. She serves as President of Georgetown’s Blue & Gray Tour Guide Society, a Resident Assistant, a Teaching Assistant in Physics, and a Senior Editor of the Georgetown Scientific Research Journal. Her work bridges ISM with the wider university, promoting scientific curiosity, undergraduate engagement, and inclusive excellence across campus. Leah’s dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration and community impact

A Biochemistry major and Mathematics minor from Las Vegas, Nevada, Isabel Early has been a dedicated contributor to the ISM community since her sophomore year. Working in the Gavvalapalli group, she focuses on hydrogels with potential medical applications and is currently designing her senior honors thesis in polymer chemistry. Her sustained engagement across semesters and summers reflects a deep commitment to advancing ISM’s biomedical and materials research.

Isabel’s impact extends well beyond the lab. She volunteers with GUMSHOE to provide hands-on math and science enrichment in DC public schools, supports patients at Inova Hospital as an ER volunteer, and works for Campus Recreation through Georgetown’s work-study program. Entering her third year in leadership for the Georgetown Club Fencing Team, she also promotes gender equity in STEM through her involvement with the Association for Women in Mathematics. Her dedication to research, mentorship, and community service exemplifies the values of an ISM Ambassador.

Eleni Hughes recently earned her Ph.D. in Physics from Georgetown University, where she studied in the Van Keuren Lab and made significant contributions to ISM’s soft matter research community. Her doctoral work explored phase transitions in polymer systems, with an emphasis on developing novel materials for biomedical applications.

Beyond her research, Eleni was a dedicated educator and mentor. She served as a Teaching Assistant for multiple physics courses and provided individual academic support as a private tutor. Now a BioImage Analyst at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus, Eleni continues to embody ISM’s mission by combining scientific innovation with mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Charles Ochonma, a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry in the Gavvalapalli group, brings a rare blend of technical depth and entrepreneurial vision to the ISM community. Since his transition from being a quality & technical analyst in the crude-oil industry to academic research, he has progressively engaged in research on conductive soft polymer matter that supports ISM’s mission of advancing next-generation materials with practical applications in energy and electronics.

Charles’s leadership extends far beyond the lab. As an award-winning graduate teaching assistant, a GradGov senator, and co-founder of ZIPUWAY, he bridges scientific research, data analytics, and real-world innovation. His strong background in programming, project management, and cross-cultural collaboration has helped support fellow researchers and expand ISM’s impact within Georgetown and globally.