UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jeff Brozena, a second-year doctoral student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State, was selected as a 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awardee.

According to the NSF’s website, the GRFP “recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.” The fellowship includes three years of a living stipend and a cost of education allowance.

“Jeff is a true example of the caliber of students selected for this competitive award,” said Brozena’s adviser, Saeed Abdullah, an assistant professor of IST and leader of the Wellbeing & Health Innovation (WHI) Lab at Penn State. “The financial support and professional development opportunities afforded by this fellowship will enable him to conduct impactful graduate research and establish a strong foundation for his career.”

With a focus on human-computer interaction (HCI) for mental health, Brozena is working in the WHI Lab to understand how technologies can support individuals living with bipolar disorder. He plans to use his fellowship to broaden the scope and reach of his research.

“I am a longtime advocate for mental health issues,” Brozena said. “Although my interest in this work was initially motivated by personal experience, I hope to help create something that can offer meaningful support to others.”

Brozena entered Penn State’s IST undergraduate program in 2007. He joined the workforce in 2011 and spent several years in industry before returning to academia, a decision he made after attending the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) Symposium for Mental Health in 2017. While the journey to his doctoral program might be considered nontraditional, he said it was the right path for him.

“Attending CHI offered a clear indication of where this field could go,” Brozena said. “Having remained in contact with IST faculty through the years, I knew this was the time and place to begin this work.”

Brozena wants to design technology that supports financial stability for individuals with bipolar disorder throughout the chronic mental health events that impact their lives. He also aims to explore how collaborative tools involving care partners or mental health clinicians might also support long-term recovery.

“I am grateful for the support of the NSF and look forward to continuing this research with Dr. Abdullah’s WHI Lab,” Brozena said.