University of Richmond Graduates Awarded National Science Foundation Fellowship and Honorable Mentions

June 3, 2020

A recent University of Richmond graduate was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship; two other alumni were named Honorable Mention.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is the nation’s flagship program directly supporting graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The GRFP provides three years of financial support for graduate study leading to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree. Individuals are selected based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering.

The NSF GRFP offers fellowships to graduate students through a competitive national selection process. Of the approximately 13,000 applications received for the 2020 application cycle, 2,076 were selected as Fellows and 1,827 received Honorable Mention.

“NSF Graduate Fellows show promise of making significant contributions to their fields through research, innovation, and public engagement,” said Kimberly Lewis, Associate Director, Office of Scholars and Fellowships. “The fact that UR students and alumni have been successful in this competition highlights the strong culture of student research on our campus.”

Awarded:

  • Lauren McRae, ’18, currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of Chemistry at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Honorable mentions:

  • Jason Andresen, ’15, currently pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • Nicholas Natale, ’20, will begin a PhD in Neuroscience at University of Virginia in fall 2020.

UR students and alumni interested in learning more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and other nationally competitive awards should contact the Office of Scholars and Fellowships.