Bloomfield College scholar wins award for undergraduate research

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Class of 2022’s Destiny King, a Bloomfield College McNair Scholar and a member of the Honors Program, was recently recognized as a Council on Undergraduate Research award winner at the organization’s 2022 National Conference on Undergraduate Research for her presentation in the natural and physical sciences, titled “Twinkle, Twinkle, Variable Star, How I Wonder How Far You Are.” To view the presentation, visit https://tinyurl.com/44uxaje8. 

King, who just earned her biology degree from Bloomfield this May, was mentored by professor of physics Demetris Nicolaides from the college’s Division of Natural Science and Mathematics, as together they sought to “make a scholarly or artistic contribution to knowledge,” the goal of undergraduate student research as defined by the council. The award, two years in the making, followed co-publication of the research in a refereed publication, the Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. To read the paper, visit https://tinyurl.com/y8p4ny6h. 

“Destiny’s research looked at variable stars — whose brightness varies periodically as they expand and contract — with the goal to refine the method of measuring cosmic distances. Accurate galactic distances and recession speeds ultimately help scientists to determine more precisely the expansion of the universe. To my knowledge, this is the first time a Bloomfield College student has won an NCUR award, for certain in the sciences,” Nicolaides said. “Also, being published in a refereed publication as an undergraduate student is quite an achievement. We are very proud of Destiny, and know that she will continue to innovate and impress us as she pursues graduate studies in the future.”

The 2022 conference, held virtually, attracted more than 3,200 students, faculty and administrators from across the globe, from all higher education institution types and from across all disciplines. More than 2,500 students presented their research through posters, oral presentations, visual arts and performances.

“I heard about the conference from Professor Nicolaides, and he encouraged me to submit the application abstract and later the video for the competition, the first steps in the process,” said King, who hails from Gloucester County. “It was several more months before I learned I was a finalist. During the conference’s award ceremony, I finally learned that I was one of the two winners in the division of physics and astronomy. I am thrilled that my hard work has been recognized to have value, and I am very grateful to all who helped me along the way.”

In communicating with King about her research submission, the CUR executive council wrote, “Your submission underwent a rigorous review by experts in your discipline, so you should be very proud of this accomplishment! Your abstract demonstrates a unique contribution to your field of study, and we are glad to offer you the opportunity to present your work to your peers, faculty and staff from all over the nation.”

  Bloomfield College