THOMASVILLE- Thomasville native and Thomas County Central class of 2018 graduate, Jacques Gay, also known as James Gay, Jr. has been selected for the NSF International SuperComputing collaborative NSF IRES ASSURE Program.

Gay, who attended Georgia State University with a double major in Chemistry and Physics is currently enrolled in Georgia Institute of Technology as a Ph.D. Candidate with a focus in Chemistry.

As a US graduate student, Gay will get to collaborate with supercomputing centers in China, Japan and Germany through the Program.

He has been selected to work with Dr. Paolo Carloni of Forschungszentrum Julich in Germany. There, Gay said he will help develop molecular mechanic based drug design computations with quantum accuracy.

According to the nsf.gov, only 20-25 students throughout the United States are chosen for this prestigious program.

The program’s long-term goals are to enhance U.S. leadership in science and engineering research and education and to strengthen economic competitiveness through training the next generation of science research leaders.

Gay realizes his acceptance into the program would never have been possible if not for the rigorous academics at Thomas County Central and Mrs. Laura Kornegay, who ignited his interest and curiosity in Chemistry and Physics during his time at TCC.

Additionally, Gay is thankful for his parents and their constant support in his endeavors to advance his education.