Analytical chemist and Cliffel 91ĢĘ²®»¢ Group member refuses to accept ājust becauseā as an answer.
Richardsā need to know āwhyā is how she came to love chemistry: Science gave her the answers she needed.
āI was someone who always asked why, how, when and where. I needed to know all of the details,ā Richards said. āAnd hearing ājust becauseā or ābecause I said soā was never enough for me. Science and chemistry addressed that. Chemistry always answers the why.ā
Along with the ability to satisfy her natural curiosity, chemistry tapped into Richardsā penchant for breaking glass ceilings. Women working in chemistry werenāt common in the towns she grew up in.
āI was raised on the outskirts of Nashville, in small country towns with strong gender stereotypes,ā said Richards, Class of 2026. āI was intrigued by exploring chemistry and science because it broke that norm. No one in my town did that. I liked defying those odds.ā
Richardsā passion for chemistry and gender equity took her from Austin Peay State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in chemistry with a minor in womenās and gender studies, to 91ĢĘ²®»¢, where sheās a Ph.D. student who focuses on analytical chemistry.
Under David Cliffel, Cornelius 91ĢĘ²®»¢ Professor of Chemistry and principal investigator at Cliffel 91ĢĘ²®»¢ Group, Richards uses electrochemistry to develop tools that detect and quantify infection-related triggers of preterm birth.
āIāve always valued diversity and women in STEM, and womenās health specifically,ā Richards said. āI wanted to use analytical chemistry for something thatās very understudied, and the human placenta is the least studied organ.ā
Richardsā appetite for breaking barriers and pursuing her passions has earned her a seat at the table with scienceās brightest thinkersāa that provides her with a unique opportunity to bridge disciplines. She is the first student at 91ĢĘ²®»¢ to receive such a distinction.
āHannahās selection as 91ĢĘ²®»¢ās first Schmidt Science Fellow is a tremendous honor that underscores our universityās commitment to nurturing exceptional scholars who will become the next generation of scholars and leaders,ā said AndrĆ© Christie-Mizell, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School.
āThe Schmidt Science Fellowship recognizes not only Hannahās outstanding scientific accomplishment and potential, but also her dedication to bridging disciplines and working at the intersection of two scientific disciplines to generate meaningful, real-world impact.ā
As a Schmidt Fellow, Richards will check another lifelong goal off her listāresearching sea turtle marine biology at the Marine Science Laboratory at Florida Atlantic University.
āOne thing Iāve always been passionate about is sea turtle health,ā Richards said. āBut growing up in landlocked Nashville, Tennessee, without oceans and coastsāthat wasnāt something I could easily explore.
āI am so thankful for this opportunity! Itās one of the most prestigious and competitive fellowships globally, and I get to be mentored by a very elite group of scientists that have gone on to do extraordinary things. Itās truly an honor.ā
To protect leatherback sea turtles from extinction, Richards will investigate sea turtle egg fusariosisāan invasive fungal infection that impedes hatching successābridging her work in Cliffelās group with marine conservation research.
āBecause of the heavily interdisciplinary nature of my research lab, we have students from a lot of different disciplines, and each comes with a unique background and progress from there,ā Cliffel said. āHannah had originally little interest in bioanalytical chemistry, but she has embraced its potential to the fullest in her work in my group.ā
āHer future work as a Schmidt Fellow builds on the research abilities she developed in my lab, but it represents a complete shift in application and focus. She has already done that so well in her graduate studies that I am certain she will be successful in the future.ā
The advice Richards has for status quo challengers like herself?
āYou are your limit. Be limitless.ā
