More than 1,700 college students applied nationwide for the 309 scholarships awarded this year. The awards support careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. A mechanical engineering student with a 4.0 grade point average, Buckley grew up in her parents' Ninth Street Bookstore. Buckley has conducted research on the fracture of nonhomogeneous materials, which are found in plant and animal tissue as well as adhesive layers and matrix regions of fiber-reinforced composites. An athlete who rows on the UD crew team and participates on Team Delaware Cycling, Buckley says she hopes to compete in a triathlon or biathlon this summer.
Balance is important.
I'd be even more of a psychopath about my schoolwork if I didn't have athletics to bring me down a notch. I'm able to get everything done and still maintain my sanity because of my family. They give me a lot of support. A self-described homebody, Buckley says she wants to stay in the area for graduate school and is considering the University of Pennsylvania. For the summer, she will be working for the DuPont Co. in its engineering consulting division, possibly doing troubleshooting at nylon plants.