Carleton selects seventh class of Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows

Carleton seniors Rilke Grimlund ’26, Olivia Nicol ’26, and Brady Rivkin ’26 are this year’s recipients of the Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellowship. The fellowship grants them the opportunity to work in a lab or research group at a U.S. Research One (R1) institution for two years after graduation from Carleton. Thanks to the Paglia Fellowship, Grimlund, Nicol, and Rivkin will have the opportunity to gain firsthand, advanced research experience with accomplished scientists in their respective fields. This experience will also help them craft stellar PhD program applications to further continue their careers in research.

Created in 2020, the Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellowship is made possible by Carleton alum Cathy James Paglia ’74 and her husband, Louis Paglia.

Meet the Class of 2026 Paglia Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellows:

Rilke Grimlund ’26

Grimlund — a chemistry major with a minor in German who has also served as a campus mentor, CCCE fellow, Nordic ski team captain, and CANOE board president at Carleton — will join the Armentrout Research Group at the University of Utah. Under Professor Peter Armentrout’s mentorship, Grimlund will study thermodynamically driven changes in protein structure using cutting-edge instrumentation and computational techniques. His previous research experience at the University of Washington and his chemistry coursework at Carleton have prepared him to join the Armentrout group, where he will gain deeper exposure to the entire research process, familiarity with essential tools, and a competitive edge as he applies for admission to a top graduate program in chemistry.

“I’m unbelievably excited to have the opportunity to integrate the coursework and research I’ve done while at Carleton with the new skills that I will gain at the Armentrout lab,” Grimlund said. “I’m looking forward to making new connections and learning more about the intricacies of mass spectrometry through the various venues this fellowship will enable me to take part in.”

Olivia Nicol ’26

Nicol, a biology major who has served as a TA and a student director of transfer engagement at Carleton, will join the Colón-Ramos Lab at Yale University. Under Professor Daniel Colón-Ramos’s mentorship, Nicol will study genetic, sex-specific differences in sensory navigation in the species C. elegans, with specific attention to molecular and neuronal mechanisms. Nicol’s previous research on C. elegans with Jennifer Ross-Wolff — director of Carleton’s Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching, Humphrey Doermann Professor of Liberal Learning, and professor of biology — has prepared her well to engage in the Colón-Ramos lab’s projects. Nicol will gain deeper exposure to her chosen field of behavioral neuroscience as well as essential preparation for admission to a top graduate program.

“As a Paglia Fellow in the Colón-Ramos Lab at Yale, I am excited to investigate how sex-specific molecular and synaptic features modify circuit dynamics in C. elegans thermotaxis,” Nicol said. “I look forward to developing hands-on skills in calcium imaging and CRISPR while learning broader principles of how genetic sex shapes learning and behavior. Most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to grow as a researcher in an environment that values both rigorous science and meaningful mentorship.”

Brady Rivkin ’26

Rivkin, a double major in cognitive science and music with a minor in music performance, will join the SoundBrain Laboratory at Northwestern University. Under the mentorship of the lab’s director, Professor Bharath Chandrasekaran, Rivkin will study the neurobiology of speech perception and auditory learning. Rivkin’s previous research on the use of shunts to regulate cerebrospinal fluid flow and his Carleton coursework have prepared him well to assist in the SoundBrain Lab’s efforts to develop training methods and interventions to mitigate auditory learning challenges. Two years as a Paglia Fellow in this innovative laboratory environment will offer deeper exposure to Rivkin’s specific areas of interest and essential preparation for admission to a competitive graduate program in the field. 

“I am looking forward to furthering my understanding of how people process speech and music in real-world environments,” Rivkin said. “As I am recognizing more and more that I sometimes have trouble perceiving speech in noisy environments, I want to find out more about why such perceptual errors happen, their implications for communication, and how individuals can more accurately perceive sound in challenging listening environments.”

The James-Paglia family has a long history of supporting Carleton initiatives, including construction of Carleton’s integrated science facility, Evelyn M. Anderson Hall. Cathy, Louis, and the Robert and Ardis James Foundation established a $20 million matching fund to make the project possible.