Research

Boschitsch receives National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Birgitt Boschitsch, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, received a 2015 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF fellowship program is an extremely competitive program that recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees in science and engineering.

Boschitsch’s doctoral research with adviser Tak-Sing Wong, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, focuses on creating man-made materials that mimic unique characteristics found in living organisms. This fellowship will support her work to develop self-healing smart membranes with selective filtering capabilities that could be used in a range of medical, sensing and environmental applications.

Boschitsch’s goal is to use her scientific and technical ability to develop meaningful technologies to address some of the global challenges for humanity.

“By developing a low-cost manufacturing platform to create these smart membranes, I hope that our technology will be readily accessible to resource-limited regions and improve people’s quality of life,” Boschitsch said.

Since 1952, the NSF has provided fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides three years of support.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated April 13, 2015