Dozens of University of Wisconsin–Madison students have been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in this year’s competition.
The annual NSF fellowship program selects high-potential scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers, providing awardees with support for graduate research training in STEM fields. Of this year’s approximately 13,000 applicants from institutions across the U.S., just over 2,000 received awards. About 1,800 received honorable mentions.
The 31 awardees from UW–Madison include undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent alums who have continued working on campus before starting graduate school. Another 35 UW–Madison students were recognized with honorable mentions.
“These students embody the Wisconsin Idea in their creativity and pursuit of research with the potential to broadly impact our society,” said Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus. “The variety of projects that our students have proposed for this year’s competition also demonstrate the breadth of expertise on our campus and the excellent mentorship that our faculty provide to student researchers.”
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides students with three years of financial support for graduate study, including a $34,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 education allowance. UW–Madison contributes toward fringe benefits for its graduate student awardees.
Graduate Research Fellows are also connected to opportunities for international research collaboration through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) initiative, and to professional career development through the federal Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP).
The 2020 UW–Madison awardees are:
- Ruby Bafu, PhD student, Sociology
- Jonathon Blank, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
- Tianen Chen, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
- Rachel Czerwinski, PhD student, Chemistry
- Megan Dixon, PhD student, Microbiology
- Matthew Genzink, PhD student, Chemistry
- Kate Griffin, BS ’19, Biomedical Engineering (Current: Research Intern, UW Department of Surgery)
- Peyton Higgins, PhD student, Chemistry
- Christine Hustmyer, PhD student, Biochemistry
- Eric Kohn, PhD student, Chemistry
- Alexius Lampkin, PhD student, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
- Anne-Sophie Mancha, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
- Arvin Raj Mathur, PhD student, Anthropology
- Sarah McCarthy, PhD student, Physics
- Kate McGinn, PhD student, Wildlife Ecology
- Rylie Morris, PhD student, Chemistry
- Megan Nieszala, PhD student, Chemistry
- Rahul Parhi, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
- Aicha Quamine, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
- Anika Rice, MS student, Geography
- Rebecca Roembke, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
- Trevor Seets, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
- Joseph Skarlupka, PhD student, Microbiology
- Paul Slaughter, Undergraduate student, Mechanical Engineering
- Madeline Smerchansky, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
- Mackinsey Smith, PhD student, Chemistry
- Laura Stegner, PhD student, Computer Science
- Isabelle Tigges-Green, BS ’19, Chemistry and Spanish (Current: Faculty Assistant and Chemistry Outreach Specialist, UW Department of Chemistry)
- Jessica Turner, MS student, Environment and Resources
- Soleil Young, PhD student, Microbiology
- Madison Youngblom, PhD student, Microbiology