News & Notes - 9/21/23 Troy Times

Troy teen receives prestigious scholarship
A Troy teen is one of 21 recipients from across the country to receive a scholarship this year from the Davidson Fellows Scholarship Program.

Michelle Hua, 18, of Troy, won a $10,000 scholarship for her project, “3D Acoustic Simulation and Optimization Algorithms for Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Delivered with Stereotactic Robotics.”

“To me, being a Davidson Fellow is an honor and an opportunity to inspire and to be inspired,” said Hua in a press release. “I can’t wait to share my work with all the other fellows as well as learn about their fascinating research. As a group, I hope we can also inspire other young students to pursue their passions in science.”

Since 2001, the Davidson Fellows Scholarship program has offered $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships to students 18 or younger who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and music.

Hua said she was motivated by her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease symptoms that distanced him from his loved ones. Hua then developed an interdisciplinary approach that combines computer science, biomedical engineering and robotics to automate the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and disorders with a surgical robot.

The Davidson Fellows said her research could make a significant contribution to the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and has numerous potential applications, including improved drug delivery, thermal ablation of cancer tumors, and treatments for essential tremor and depression.

 

Troy School District ready to go back … to the future
Roads? Where the Troy School District is going, they don’t need roads.

Superintendent Rich Machesky wanted to start out the school year with a bang for Troy Union Elementary staff, so he drove up to the Troy Historical Center to meet with them in a vintage DeLorean, playing Doc Brown to Troy Union Principal Mike Cottone’s Marty McFly, from the classic film “Back to the Future.”

The original Troy Union one-room schoolhouse sits on the grounds of the Troy Historical Center and served as a backdrop for the elementary school’s kickoff — with the message that asked staff to consider how far they’ve come.

Cottone highlighted the schoolhouse’s 175th anniversary and hopes the district will use their imaginations to make each student’s school year a little more magical.

 

White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery hosts sixth annual Patriots Race
White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery, long known for its on-site events to honor U.S. veterans, hosted its sixth annual Patriots Race, a 5K and 10K run/walk, as well as a 1-mile walk, to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The event took place at the cemetery in Troy Sept. 10 and benefited the Michigan Wounded and Returning Warriors Program, a nonprofit aiding veterans wounded in action. More than 250 people participated in the event. Top race finishers received gold, silver and bronze commemorative dog tags. Prizes were awarded for the most patriotic attire.

“It is always great to see families and friends of all ages join us each year to support this event,” said David R. Krall, White Chapel vice president. “We are honored to host the Patriots Race with the Michigan Wounded and Returning Warriors Program as a recipient of funds raised to continue their great work helping veterans with a variety of services.”