Sophomore Julia Vidlak, of Williamsburg, Virginia, has two major passions — dancing and chemistry — and a long list of related accolades.

Vidlak is a Richmond scholar, a member of University Dancers, and a hospice volunteer for AseraCare Hospice. She has also made Dean’s List each semester at UR, received a certificate of commendation from Phi Beta Kappa, and earned the William Trout Award in the spring of 2018, which is awarded to the best student based on performance in general chemistry. And her list just got longer.

Vidlak was recently awarded a prestigious Beckman Foundation Scholarship to pursue her research on organometallic compounds, which contain metal-carbon bonds. Vidlak is majoring in chemistry and minoring in dance.

Under the mentorship of chemistry professor Miles Johnson, Vidlak’s undergraduate research focuses on the synthesis of cost effective and sustainable materials for cross-coupling reactions, where two different materials react together with the help of a catalyst. They’re important in the creation a variety of pharmaceuticals.

“My research focuses specifically on the synthesis of ligands, which are molecules that bind to metals, to improve cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by earth abundant metals such as nickel,” Vidlak explains. “Earth abundant metals are cheaper, and also believed to be comparatively less toxic to the environment than more commonly-used metals for catalysis such as palladium.”

Vidlak’s scholarship is part of a larger award to the University of Richmond from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman foundation, which supports student research in the sciences.

“This award affirms my dedication to my research and will provide me with the opportunity to continue to develop independence in my work,” said Vidlak, who plans to pursue a M.D.-Ph.D. program, which provides training in both medicine and research, following her undergraduate career at Richmond.