Here’s a mouthful for you: “The Structure- Function Relationship of Methacrylated Hyaluronan Hyrdogels for Tissue Regeneration.”

Behind the tongue twister is a big goal: to find new techniques for repairing damaged tissue, something that could help the 53 million Americans suffering from arthritis.

The study is the work of University of Vermont student Alex Poniz ‘14, under the guidance of Dr. Rachael Oldinski. Poniz -- and arthritis sufferers everywhere -- have the Barrett Scholarship program to thank for this.

Each year, between four to eight undergraduates at the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences are awarded Barrett Scholarships, which enable them to spend their summers researching topics ranging from how heavy snows might harm Shelburne Farms’ breeding barn roof to developing standards for measuring nano-scale particulates.

In Poniz’ case, he wanted to know if changing the physical properties or environment of a sort of scaffolding that cells grow on might offer helpful new tools for regenerating the type of damaged tissue found in the cartilage of arthritis patients.

The answer seems to be yes. “I saw how changing the parameters changes the physical properties,” Poniz says. “This technique might lead to better treatment for people with arthritis.”

And that’s part of the point of the Barrett Scholarships.

Richard Barrett ‘66, who studied mechanical engineering at UVM, created the scholarship program a decade ago with the goal of inspiring CEMS undergraduates to follow their research passions.

In one important respect, the Barrett Scholarship and Poniz’ research into cell scaffolding have the same purpose. Much as the molecular scaffolding creates an environment that helps tissue grow better, the Barrett Scholarships create an environment that encourages student researchers -- and their subsequent careers – to thrive.

‘ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES’

A personal experience with research during a summer internship gave Barrett that insight. Between his junior and senior year at UVM, in the summer of 1965, Barrett secured an internship at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, New York, where he was put to work on a variety of projects including working on a restroom ventilation system.

“That summer was one of the best experiences of my career,” Barrett said in a 2008 interview. “It gave me the opportunity to see what engineering was all about.”

As Barrett’s own career blossomed – he founded vendor lease company Leasetec Corporation in 1979 and sold it to KeyCorp two decades later – he turned his attention to how he might help UVM students, leading to the creation of the Barrett Scholarships program.

During job interviews, students often face questions about academics and work experience, says Magdalena Paul, the director of the Barrett Foundation, which administers the scholarships. But Barrett Scholarship winners are able to shift the conversation to their research expertise. “The employer gets to see this enormous passion,” Paul notes.

CEMS faculty members are essential to creating a favorable research environment for Barrett Scholarship winners. “All the students have terrific working relationships with their professors,” Paul says.

Paul cites Dr . Donna Rizzo, a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEMS, in particular with helping students develop excellent research proposals and carry on with their findings. “Donna Rizzo has been the champion of the program for years,” says Paul.

INSPIRING FUTURE RESEARCH

The impact of the Barrett Scholarships goes well beyond the benefits to UVM students.

With her Barrett Scholarship, Anna Nadler ‘14 studied tailpipe emissions, specifically, whether the Environmental Protection Agency’s methods of measuring the emissions are accurate. It turns out Nadler’s research showed those methods might not be, given changes in automotive technology, such as hybrid cars that have come on the market since the EPA last established its emission measuring parameters.

James Lent ’14 used his Barrett Scholarship to better understand how microbes withstand unfavorable environments. The work might lead to more efficient production of biofuels as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, which is worsening climate change.

“The microbes that produce biofuel will eat sugar and turn it to fuels that can be burned, but they’re not very good at it,” Lent explains.

‘ENCOURAGING AND MOTIVATING’

Disastrous flooding from 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene provided a silver lining for Hannah Anderson ’15. Her Barrett Scholarship project was to study stream bank erosion, and the storm provided new data and opportunities to explore the subject.

“Finding ways to decrease the amount of erosion is important for the future of our watersheds,” given rising phosphorus levels and changes brought on by climate change, she says, noting that studies may help town and environmental officials make more informed planning decisions.

“This research has created a great experience for me to use my knowledge and help the community and environment. I want to continue doing work like this after I am done with school,” Anderson says.

“That’s just the kind of feedback Barrett likes to hear,” Paul says.

The students are appreciative of the support they receive from the Barrett Scholarships, with one student even seeking out Barrett during one of his visits to Burlington.

The student, aware that Barrett was in town, found him in a restaurant so he could personally shake his hand. “He’d gotten a dream job,” Paul says.

Poniz, the student studying tissue regeneration, seems headed in precisely that direction. The Barrett Scholarship led to a Eureka grant from the National Institute of Health that enabled Poniz to continue studying his subject, and he’s planning on attending graduate school.

“The benefits of hands-on research is very encouraging and motivating,” he says.

This article originally appeared in the spring 2014 edition of SUMMIT.