This month, Chemical Physics major Marco Allodi ‘08 became Hamilton’s second student in two years to clinch a spot on the USA Today All-USA College Academic Third Team. Fellowship Coordinator Ginny Dosch and Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields nominated Allodi, a native of Oriskany, N.Y., for the award.
Every February, the nation’s number one newspaper pays tribute to 60 high-achieving undergraduate scholars who excel both in and out of the classroom. Out of the 500 students nominated each year for the honor, twenty academic all-stars make the Scholarship’s First Team, and 40 make the Scholarship’s Second and Third Teams.
“You can’t go around asking for recognition, but when you see the caliber of students named to the first, second, and third teams, it’s hard not to be excited about being a part of such a select group,” Allodi told The Spectator.
A member of the Hamilton College Chemical Society, Allodi has collaborated on research with Shields and Co-Director of Molecular Design Karl Kirschner for the past three summers. In 2006, he appeared as first author on the article “Do Hydroxyl Radical-Water Clusters, OH(H2O)n, n=1-5, Exist in the Atmosphere?” published in the 2006 Journal of Physical Chemistry A. He has also presented research at the Sanibel Symposium in Florida, the MERCURY conference––Hamilton’s annual computational chemistry seminar––and Hamilton chapter of Sigma Xi’s poster session for student research.
“Chemical Physics interests me because it combines two of my intellectual passions: chemistry and physics,” Allodi explained. “I am interested in doing research on systems familiar to chemists, like materials, by using the tools of physics. I love this field because it allows me to bridge the gap between the two disciplines to produce innovative research.”
A Goldwater Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa member, and Hamilton Dean’s List student, Allodi hopes to get a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and become an academic. “Marco will make a wonderful professor,” Shields told The Spectator. “He’s very outgoing. He’s curious, intelligent, and good-natured. It is nice to have him working in the lab.”
But Allodi’s talents extend well beyond the laboratory. On campus, he is an avid member of the Spanish Club, a tenor in the Choir, and a brother in Tau Kappa Epsilon, where he has acted as chaplain and rush-chair. Off campus, he is a volunteer coach for an inter-city soccer team in the Cornhill area of Utica. He also teaches himself German, according to Shields.
Allodi credits the college and its liberal-arts emphasis for making him a well-rounded student, and in particular, the chemistry and physics departments for motivating him to pursue a career in academia.
“I firmly believe that I would not have been able to achieve anywhere near what I have at any other school,” Allodi said. “Hamilton provided me with opportunities to do chemistry research after my first year at Hamilton. The faculty in both chemistry and physics are outstanding, and they have inspired me to strive to become a scientist – which I believe is my calling.
“In addition, Hamilton has nurtured my liberal arts background, allowing me to be a holistically educated person” he adds. “I’ve been able to pursue academic research in history as well as chemical physics thanks to my Schambach scholarship. Hamilton taught me how to think critically, and write effectively, which is the goal of a liberal arts education.”
