UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Graduate School at Penn State welcomes 20 new National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipients for the 2023-24 academic year.
These 20 students join 81 prior recipients continuing in the University’s graduate degree programs in the Eberly College of Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Health and Human Development, and the College of the Liberal Arts, as well as the Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs.
The NSF program supports outstanding graduate students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines; those in STEM education and learning research; and those in social and behavioral sciences, who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees.
The 2023-24 class of new fellows at the University are:
- Kallie Zanders, doctoral student in chemistry
- John Boyette, doctoral student in ecology
- Sarabeth Brandt, doctoral student in electrical engineering
- Jeffrey Brozena, doctoral student in informatics
- Anna Calderon, doctoral student in biology
- Olivia Cook, doctoral student in engineering science and mechanics
- Quinn Deitrick, master’s student in mechanical engineering
- Juliana Drozd, doctoral student in geosciences
- Bryn Ellwein, master’s student in mechanical engineering
- Joy Flowers, doctoral student in biology
- Matthew Hallissey, master’s student in civil engineering
- Haley Jones, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
- Mariah Kidd, master’s student in plant pathology
- Mackenzie Mangette, master’s student in aerospace engineering
- Kelsey Mercurio, doctoral student in ecology
- Christopher Sowinski, master's student in aeronautical and aerospace engineering
- Jessica Sly, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
- Ava Spangler, master’s student in geosciences
- Katsumi Yamaguchi-Pedroza, doctoral student in psychology
- Katie Yan, doctoral student in biology
According to the NSF website, “as the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the GRFP has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers.” Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, as well as $12,000 for tuition and fees, to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education of their choosing. They also have opportunities for international research and professional development through the program.
The GRFP annual program solicitation was released in July and is available on the NSF website. Applications are accepted via Fastlane, the NSF's official online information and business transaction center. Application deadlines begin in mid-October and vary depending on the field of study.
NSF-supported fields of study include: chemistry, computer and information science and engineering, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, materials research, mathematical sciences, physics and astronomy, psychology, social sciences, and STEM education and learning research.
The NSF also awards honorable mentions, which is considered a significant academic achievement and provides recipients with cyberinfrastructure resources.
Honorable mentions include:
- Jonah Glunt, master’s student in mechanical engineering
- Chloe Klare, doctoral student in astronomy and astrophysics
- Frances Meyer, doctoral student in geosciences
- Andrew Miles, master’s student in plant biology
- Sophia Mucciolo, doctoral student in ecology
- Jeremie Pope, doctoral student in computer science and engineering
- Erik Schoonover, doctoral student in geosciences
- Ryan Spangler, doctoral student in materials science and engineering
- Lydia Spychalla, doctoral student in meteorology and atmospheric science
- Anthony Taylor, doctoral student in plant biology
- Michael Thomas, class of 2023 bachelor of science in materials science and engineering
- Joseph Veltri, doctoral student in mathematics
For additional information on the GRFP, contact the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration at gsfellowships@psu.edu.