NSF awards 40 fellowships to UW

The National Science Foundation has awarded 40 UW–Madison students with Graduate Research Fellowships.

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding, early-career graduate students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Awardees are selected based on their potential for significant research achievements that can benefit society.

This year’s awardees span a variety of STEM specializations, from anthropology to zoology. Of them, 33 are graduate students, and 7 are in their final years of undergraduate study, preparing for graduate school.

“The number of UW–Madison students who have received this fellowship is a testament to the strong research enterprise here, and the spirit of curiosity that motivates our students to succeed. With the mentorship they will receive from world-class faculty, and with this support from the National Science Foundation, these students are well-positioned for impactful scholarship at this early stage of their careers,” said Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus.

Of about 12,000 applicants nationally, 2,050 received awards. Another 29 UW–Madison students were given honorable mentions in this year’s competition. Eleven UW–Madison alumni who are now at another institution also received awards.

Fellows receive three years of financial support from NSF, consisting of a $34,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 education allowance. Through the fellowship, students also gain a network for international research collaboration through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) initiative, and are connected to professional career development through the federal Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP).

The UW–Madison 2019 NSF GRFP Awardees are:

Theodore Agbi, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Shaan Amin, PhD student, Political Science
Garrett Anstreicher, PhD student, Economics
Benjamin Bachman, PhD student, Chemistry
Desia Bacon, PhD student, Psychology
Connor Blankenship, PhD student, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Miriam Bohlmann Kunz, PhD student, Chemistry
Katie Bultman, PhD student, Microbiology
Joseph Burns, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Mariama Carter, PhD student, Plant Pathology
Aryel Clarke, PhD student, Biochemistry
John Crandall, PhD student, Genetics
Michael Davies, PhD student, Computer Sciences
Rebekah Dix, BA student, Economics
Kieran Farrell, PhD student, Chemistry
Maia Gumnit, PhD student, Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Mackenzie Hewes, PhD student, Anthropology
Zena Jensvold, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Conlain Kelly, BS student, Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics
Lauren Laufman, BS student, Astronomy – Physics
Justin Mabin, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Audrey Marsh, PhD student, Genetics
Bethany McCarty, PhD student, Chemistry
Patrick Monari, PhD student, Psychology
Zachary Morrow, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Kathleen Nickson, PhD student, Chemistry
Katherine Parrish, PhD student, Chemistry
Jennifer Peotter, PhD student, Biochemistry
Bella Reichardt, BS student, Biomedical Engineering
Daniel Salgueiro, PhD student, Chemistry
Dylan Schmitz, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
Katherine Senn, PhD student, Biochemistry
Emily Setton, PhD student, Zoology
Thomas Shannon, BS student, Environmental Studies and English
Trevor Simmons, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Seth Spawn, PhD student, Geography
Julia Thomas, PhD student, Sociology
Nathan Wang, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Brian Weaver, PhD student, Biophysics
Meng Xu, PhD student, Chemistry

NSF awards 40 fellowships to UW–Madison students