Carolyn (Carly) Graverson (she/her/hers) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Chemistry Department at Rice University. She studies “the chemical mechanisms that contribute to the growth of gold nanoparticles, with a specific focus on the dynamics of an electrostatically-bound ligand shell.” After earning her B.S. in Chemistry from Lewis University in 2020 and her M.A. in Chemistry from Rice University in 2022, she is expected to receive her Ph.D. in May 2025. She has had an impressive career thus far, giving 17 presentations at both local and national conferences and receiving prestigious award including the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and Barry Goldwater Scholarship. After finishing her Ph.D., Carly hopes to pursue managerial positions at an innovative research company.
Carly’s undergraduate background was an impetus for her scientific excellence. As one of the first in her family to pursue higher education, she is familiar with how a lack of STEM opportunities for individuals in small towns can limit education and career possibilities. Due to her academic and athletic dedication in high school, Carly had the opportunity to attend Lewis University on scholarships, which allowed her to hone her intellectual and scientific curiosity. She underscores the importance of diversity, citing her exposure to more diverse communities as an undergraduate student as a catalyst for her scientific curiosity and approach to problem-solving.
In addition to recruiting diverse communities in STEM, Carly also speaks to the importance of promoting a sense of belonging for all individuals. She states that, “as a queer woman, there are times [she] has questioned if [she] belongs in the academic ivory tower.” Despite initially feeling like a “fish out of water” in graduate school, Carly has found her place in academia by helping others and elucidating the “hidden curriculum” that limits educational accessibility.
To foster a sense of belonging in the scientific community and academia at large, Carly takes a “bottom up” approach. As a graduate student, she has mentored both undergraduate and graduate students and is a member of numerous student organizations. For example, she founded Facilitating Advances in Chemistry for Equity and Transparency for Students (FACETS) with 10 other graduate students to create an anti-racist scientific community by improving the recruitment and retention of historically excluded groups in STEM. FACETS has established long-lasting relationships with minority-serving institutions to provide over 300 undergraduate students throughout the United States, Mexico, and China with information about STEM graduate school and “to provide a sense of belonging, regardless of their backgrounds.” Carly has been involved with this organization since its inception, and she highlights “the importance of persistence” to reach broader audiences and create a wide-reaching sense of belonging in STEM.
Outside of FACETS, Carly is involved with several other organizations aimed to build community among diverse graduate students. As a Graduate Student Ambassador, she interacts with academic administrators, current graduate students, and prospective/admitted graduate students to encourage recruitment and retention practices. She is also a Liaison for Students Transforming Rice Into a Violence-Free Environment (STRIVE), where she hosts activities and provides resources to help graduate students navigate and minimize interpersonal violence and gender-based inequality. Within her department, she also serves on the Executive Board of the Chemistry Graduate Student Association, where she manages social and professional development events for graduate students, ultimately helping graduate students maximize their personal and professional potential.
As one of Carly’s previous mentees in a Fellowship Coaching program at Rice University, I can personally attest to her ability to create interdisciplinary connections and push both individuals and institutions to be the best they can. If you’re interested in learning more about Carly’s work, check out her publications listed below! You can also click the links below to connect with her on LinkedIn, Google Scholar, X and her blog.
Graverson, C. F.; Wortman-Otto, K. M.; Linhart, A. N.; Sampurno, Y.; Philipossian, A.; Keleher, J. J. Striking a Balance: Role of Supramolecular Assemblies on the Modulation of the Chemical and Mechanical Contributions during Post-STI CMP Cleaning. Materials Chemistry and Physics. 2021, 259, 124170.
Philipossian, A.; Sampurno, Y.; Theng, S.; Sudargho, F.; Wortman-Otto, K.; Graverson, C.; Keleher, J.J. Tribological Characterization of Anionic Supramolecular Assemblies in Post-STI-CMP Cleaning Solution Using a Novel Post-CMP PVA Brush Scrubber. Solid State Phenomena. 2021, 314, 264-269.
Wortman-Otto, K. M.; Graverson, C. F.; Linhart, A. N.; McDonough, R. K.; Mlynarski, A. L.; Keleher, J. J. Synergistic Effect of Pad “Macroporous-Reactors” on Passivation Mechanisms to Modulate Cu Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) Performance. ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology. 2020, 9 (5), 054005.
Linhart, A. N.; Wortman-Otto, K. M.; Deninger, I.; Dudek, A. L.; Lange, H. R.; Danhausen, D. M.; Graverson, C. F.; Beckmann, T. J.; Havens, M. A.; Keleher, J. J. Strategic Design of Antimicrobial Hydrogels Containing Biomimetic Additives for Enhanced Matrix Responsiveness and HDFa Wound Healing Rates. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2020, 3 (9), 5750-5758.
Graverson, C. F.; Wortman-Otto, K. M.; Linhart, A. N.; Zubi, T. B.; Keleher, J. J. Development of “Soft” Cleaning Chemistries for Enhanced STI Post-CMP Cleaning. ECS Transactions. 2019, 92 (2), 165-174.
Zubi, T. B.; Wiencek, R. A.; Mlynarski, A. L.; Truffa, J. M.; Wortman-Otto, K. M.; Saucedo, C.; Salinas, M. G.; Graverson, C. F.; Keleher, J. J. Unraveling Slurry Chemistry/Nanoparticle/Polymeric Membrane Adsorption Relevant to Cu Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) Filtration Applications. ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology. 2019, 8 (7), 3022-3027.
Carly E. Karrick 🏳️🌈 