Carly Crump is packing a blue ball gown for her trip to the Nobel Prize award ceremonies in Sweden.
The UF microbiology freshman will go on the nine-day, all-expenses-paid trip to Sweden on Dec. 3. Because of the 19-year-old’s science fair project, Crump will dance alongside the Swedish royal family and give a talk to almost 4,000 high school students.
“Blue is one of my lucky colors,” she said of her blue dress. “I’ve always worn blue whenever I’ve gotten my prizes.”
The prize -- her trip to Sweden -- comes from her being the only American student to win the Dudley R. Herschbach Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar Award. In addition to that, she also placed first in the microbiology category at the international science fair this summer, where she shared her research on the possibility of the creation of a Dengue virus vaccine. This secured her attendance at the Nobel Prize award ceremonies on Dec. 10.
Charlotte Emerson, director of student development and recruitment at the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, said Crump is a science-minded person.
“We’re all proud of her,” Emerson said. “She worked her way through regional, state and international science fair, and this is related to her work at the international science fair.”
Crump said she’s looking forward to attending the conference, where she will listen to seminars held by Nobel Laureates, people and organizations awarded Nobel Prizes.
“Nobel Laureates are like celebrities for nerds,” she said.
Crump said she thinks being able to meet the Nobel Laureates will show her that these are real people, those who also crack jokes and don’t always speak perfectly.
“We always think of them as something that’s unattainable,” she said. “They’re these really cool people we read about, but we don’t think of them as people who have our daily struggles.”
