UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Graduate School at Penn State welcomes 22 new National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipients for the 2024-25 academic year.
These 22 students join 73 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 2024-25 class of new fellows at the University are:
- Iyunoluwa Jesudemilade Ademola-Popoola, doctoral student in anthropology, College of the Liberal Arts
- Matthew Patrick Berzonsky, doctoral student in environmental engineering, College of Engineering
- Elizabeth Bond, doctoral student in biomedical sciences, College of Medicine
- Isis P. Carmona-Sepúlveda, doctoral student in chemistry, Eberly College of Science
- Rachel Cruz-Perez, doctoral student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Vanessa Raquel Garcia, doctoral student in bioinformatics and genomics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Elizabeth Gonzalez, master’s student in astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science
- Lily Houtman, master’s student in geography, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Erin Johnson, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, College of Engineering
- Dana Kullgren, doctoral student in physics, Eberly College of Science
- Jo Laura, doctoral student in chemistry, Eberly College of Science
- Hollie Ann Cristine Mullin, master’s student in psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
- Marie Muniz, master’s student in entomology, College of the Agricultural Sciences
- Christian Robles, master’s student in astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science
- Devin James Schwaibold, doctoral student in chemistry, Eberly College of Science
- Gunnar Louis Sly, doctoral student in chemical engineering, College of Engineering
- Valerie Swisher, doctoral student is psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
- Pedro Rafael Trinidad-Pérez, doctoral student in chemistry, Eberly College of Science
- William Charles Vuyk, doctoral student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Rebecca L Wagner, master’s student in psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
- Mason S. Ward, doctoral student in wildlife and fisheries science, College of Agricultural Sciences
- Joshua David Wenger, doctoral student in psychology, College of the Liberal Arts
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.” The website states that, “fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 along with a $16,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution), opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education they choose.”
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 late 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.
Honorable Mentions:
- Katherine Blocklove, doctoral student in agricultural and environmental plant science, College of the Agricultural Sciences
- Lucas Floyd Brefka, doctoral student in astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science
- Caroline J. Brustoloni, master’s student in electrical engineering, College of Engineering
- Janniry Cabrera Belen, doctoral student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Tommy Chin, doctoral student in physics, Eberly College of Science
- Evan Fitzmaurice, doctoral student in astronomy and astrophysics, Eberly College of Science
- Nina Gropp, master’s student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Timothy C. Hudak, doctoral student in chemical engineering, College of Engineering
- Mei-Ling Liber, doctoral student in biology, Eberly College of Science
- Kyra R. LoPiccolo, doctoral student in plant biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Michaela Anna Luebbers, doctoral student in materials science and engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Lauren MacDonald, doctoral student in materials science and engineering, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Clancy Andrew McIntyre, doctoral student in biology, Eberly College of Science
- Alicia T. Romero, doctoral student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
- Kristin A. Schoenecker, doctoral student in geography, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
- Divya Tyagi, master’s student in aerospace engineering, College of Engineering
- Emma R. van der Heide, doctoral student in ecology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
For additional information on the GRFP, contact the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Administration at gsfellowships@psu.edu.