Phillip Tucciarone will graduate from the State University of New York at Buffalo in May 2014 with a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering. A Goldwater Scholar, Phil has dedicated much of his research to the synthesis and application of novel silicon nanoparticles. In the community he mentors students to develop scientific interest and literacy through the NSF funded Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Partnership. Phil spends much of his free time playing rugby as the starting wing for UB's rugby team. At the University of Oxford, Phil will study for a DPhil in Materials Science, pursuing graphene research