Whitney Woelmer is wearing a light blue sweater as she stands in the hallway of the Inn at Virginia Tech. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay. Whitney Woelmer. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay.

Kameron stands in front of stone wall on sunny day

Kameron Cummings

Outstanding Senior in the College of Science

As a high-schooler in Charlotte, North Carolina, Kameron Cummings was diagnosed with a reading disability. Some teens would be alarmed at such a diagnosis.

That diagnosis set Cummings on an early career path with a sharp work ethic and a keen desire to carry out research that betters the lives of others — especially at-risk or vulnerable youth. 

Whitney Woelmer is wearing a light blue sweater as she stands in the hallway of the Inn at Virginia Tech. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay. Whitney Woelmer. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay.

Carla stands in front of stone wall on sunny day

Carla López Lloreda

Outstanding Master's Student for College of Science

Growing up in Puerto Rico, López Lloreda developed an interest in preserving the natural resources of her home country. She earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and was working as a research technician at El Yunque National Forest when Hurricane María struck. Within a week, López Lloreda was back at work, sampling and fixing damaged monitoring infrastructure.

Whitney Woelmer is wearing a light blue sweater as she stands in the hallway of the Inn at Virginia Tech. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay. Whitney Woelmer. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay.

Whitney Woelmer is wearing a light blue sweater as she stands in the hallway of the Inn at Virginia Tech. Photo for Virginia Tech by Steven Mackay.

Whitney Woelmer

Outstanding Doctoral Student for College of Science

Spending her entire life surrounded by the Great Lakes of Michigan, it’s no surprise that Whitney Woelmer centers her research on issues of water quality.