Shayne Gracious is a 2018 Canada Student Merit Award winner. He achieved this award for obtaining the highest standing of his class in the fourth and final year of his degree. Here is a brief biography of the winner.
I started my post-secondary studies at Dalhousie in 2014, where I was enrolled in Dalhousie’s Integrated Science Program (DISP). Through DISP I was able to conduct a research project in my first year of undergraduate studies. This project was entitled Materials Discover for New High Energy Batteries and was conducted in Dr. Mark Obrovac’s lab. I was instantly captivated by the field of research, and started seeking opportunities to further engage myself in the field. I was soon volunteering in Dr. Bruce Grindley’s lab, working on synthesizing carbohydrate derivatives as a potential treatment for Lyme disease. Concurrently, I was part of Dalhousie’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team. The teams project revolved around isolating porcupine enzymes for the production of biofuel. In the final years of my undergraduate studies I returned to the Obrovac Research group. While there, the majority of my projects revolved around novel silicon based materials for anodes in lithium ion batteries. I also completed my Honours Project with Dr. Obrovac in my final year at Dalhousie.
Throughout my undergraduate degree I was fortunate to be involved in a large variety of research projects. Currently, I am a research intern at Tesla, where the skills I developed throughout my undergrad are applicable in my daily work. The internship ends in January, 2019, following which I will be moving to Montreal to complete my PhD at McGill.
Outside of my academic studies my hobbies mainly revolve around sports and music. Originally, I am from London, Ontario and moving to the east coast offered many new opportunities in these areas. One of the best examples of this is working as a certified kayak & canoe instructor at a local boat.
Shayne GraciousDalhousie University
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