Alexis Baide Selected as an NSF GRFP Awardee
The Graduate College is pleased to announce that Alexis Baide has been selected as an awardee in the 2020 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) competition! The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in STEM and NSF-supported social science disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $34,000 and full tuition and fees for up to three years.
Alexis is a second-year master’s student in the Department of Anthropology, majoring in biological anthropology. A frequent Dean’s List honoree during her undergraduate degree, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from Texas State in 2019. Alexis is currently a Graduate Instructional Assistant for ANTH 2414, Biological Anthropology, teaching the course’s accompanying laboratory component—a weekly hand-on session that introduces students to the primary tools and methods of the discipline. She enjoys teaching and watching students develop an understanding of new concepts. “My duty is to make sure that all students understand the course material. I feel good when my students do well.”
A first-generation college student who was raised by a single mom, Alexis grew up helping her mom raise her siblings and says that transitioning from the responsibilities of family life to the responsibilities of academia was difficult—but adds, “it’s important to have more diversity in academia.” Early in her life, a general interest in puzzles led Alexis to develop a specific interest in the science of criminology and a desire to become a homicide detective, but she recognized the psychological burden that would likely come with a career that requires bringing work home in the pursuit of time-sensitive answers to questions surrounding painful circumstances. She began her undergraduate studies at Baylor with an undecided major, where she took a required university seminar focused on career exploration that introduced her to the field of forensic anthropology. As part of the seminar, she interviewed a retired Texas Ranger who told her about the anthropology department at Texas State, which motivated her to transfer. A summer internship at the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) helped her receive an Undergraduate Research Fellowship to study burial-related disturbances by analyzing soil chemistry, an experience that taught her the importance of methodology. She gained additional research experience in TXST’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius, an 8-week NSF-funded summer internship, where she pursued anthropological and forensic archeology research projects.
In her current research, supervised by Dr. Nicholas Herrmann, Alexis analyzes isotopic oxygen ratios in human skeletal remains—molecular signatures resulting from solid and liquid dietary intake—to investigate the extent to which skeletal isotopes can indicate a body’s region of origin. One of her goals is to develop new isotopic analytical methods to detect a skeletal diabetic signature that could be used to identify the remains of someone with diabetes. This research significantly contributes to the richness and complexity of the biological profile associated with an individual’s remains and improves the process of identification, but it can also be used to illuminate the life history of historical remains, which informs researchers about the biological profile of contemporary populations.
In preparing her GRFP application, Alexis says she learned more about the depth and details of her research because the application requires applicants to understand their research and speak knowledgeably about it, as emerging experts. She also learned about the importance of speaking directly through her writing and how to write more effectively, adding, “Dr. Hilkovitz helped me learn about some of the tendencies in my own writing.” Alexis encourages all applicants to ask for help, saying “I could not have done this without Dr. Hilkovitz,” and to meet regularly with their advisor to discuss their research and develop a strong working relationship.
The Graduate College congratulates Alexis for this remarkable achievement!