Grace Xia

Grace Xia is a junior at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton. She has been conducting research on the bioluminescence of micro-dinoflagellates at the Rutgers Biochemistry Lab this past summer. She participated in a study to demonstrate how dinoflagellate cells can be grown in labs, and to determine the force required upon the cells that will prompt them to glow. In the lab, Grace operated microscopy tools to take images to document the luminescence of the growing dinoflagellate cells. Although Grace is particularly interested in studying chemistry in the future, she is open and curious to learn about other areas as they all connect. Outside science, Grace is actively involved in serving her community through engaging in multiple projects. She volunteers at Loaves and Fishes, and Visitation Home that helps people with developmental disabilities, she advocates for fair and just housing policies for the underprivileged for Habitat for Humanity. Grace is also a big fan of music, anywhere from classical to modern pop. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and serving as an assistant instructor at the Westminster Conservatory Piano camp.