Berry College’s newest Goldwater Scholar, Hannah Blanton ’25, thrives under the lights of her biology lab and the mentorship of Berry professors like Associate Professor of Biology DeLacy Rhodes. An Honors student from Norcross, Georgia, Hannah is majoring in biology (cellular and biomedical concentration) and minoring in chemistry and One Health.
She has pursued research since her first semester at Berry.
“I met Hannah during her freshman year,” Rhodes remembers. “Hannah had expressed interest in becoming involved in research and was changing her major to biology. [She] reached out to me, and we discussed my research projects, and she started working with me the next semester.”
Rhodes adds, “Mentoring Hannah has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience. She is the ideal research student — she is intelligent, hardworking and shows a great deal of scientific curiosity.”
Hannah and Rhodes are researching the bacterium Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) that causes the highly contagious strangles disease of the upper respiratory tract in horses. Specifically, they are studying how biofilms play a role in the ability of bacteria to set up and maintain an infection.
“I love problem-solving, asking questions and getting to work with my hands,” Hannah says. “Scientific research encompasses all of these aspects! I feel a lot of personal satisfaction when I am able to solve complicated questions or propose ideas to a problem as a potential solution.”
Through her work, she has written two grants, presented at two conferences and spoken at two of Berry’s student symposiums. Her latest achievement? A 2024 Goldwater Scholarship. Named after Senator Barry Goldwater, it is the preeminent award for undergraduate students in science, mathematics and engineering. Each Goldwater Scholar annually receives financial aid for tuition, books, housing and other financial needs up to a $7,500 maximum.
“I would not be where I am currently without my mentorship experience at Berry!” Hannah says. “My mentorship experience at Berry has been very intentional and has helped me advance as a student, future researcher and as a person. … I’m very grateful for Dr. Rhodes’ mentorship and admire how devoted she is to her students’ success both inside and outside of the classroom.”
After graduation, she plans to obtain her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology and lead research at a federal agency.
“Antibiotic resistance is an urgent concern in the health-care field that I plan to research in my future career,” Hannah explains. “At the completion of my Ph.D., I hope to lead a diverse research team that will make significant contributions to the development of alternative treatment options against antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.”
Hannah’s story reveals lessons for thriving at Berry and beyond: Find mentors, dig into research and learn from obstacles.
“I realize how my roadblocks are more valuable to me than everything going right the first time because I learned how to persist through setbacks,” she notes. “These setbacks led to new discoveries within my research!”
Written by student public relations manager Elizabeth Chandler
