The Scientific Activist

Fellow ScienceBlogger Shelly Batts of Retrospectacle was chosen this last week as a finalist for a blogging scholarship being offered by Scholarships Around the US. She's a hell of a blogger, and I think she deserves our support. If you agree, you have until midnight (Eastern Time) TONIGHT to vote for her. Vote here! If you're looking for reasons to vote for her, here's her case for herself:

I'm a PhD student studying a cure for deafness. My thesis is related to the regeneration of the sensory cells in the inner ear, which people lose as they age, in response to noise, or are born without. Deafness and hearing loss is a very serious and prevalent disability in America, and my research and education will have a significant impact on a cure. I have presented my research at many conferences (recently France) and have published several papers (and poetry).

Also, I'm in a lot of debt from school and while I've been trying to secure funding from the NIH, its a long and difficult road. There are many books etc related to my studies that I've put off buying because I'm broke. My parents live in China, and the very expensive plane tickets make it where I can only visit them once a year, if that. I would love to be able to see them more often. This scholarship would also make it possible for me to attend more conferences to learn about research in my field, and to present my research to others in my field.

So, short and sweet version is, I could really use the money for my PhD thesis which is very much related to improving peoples' lives. Won't ya vote for me?

Update: The winners have been announced, and Shelley came in third place, meaning that she will receive a $1000 scholarship. The first place winner will receive $5000, second and third place will receive $1000 each, and the other seven finalists will receive $100 each. Congrats to Shelley and everyone else!