Academics

Four MatSE graduate students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Two earn honorable mention

Research laboratory in the Steidle Building on the University Park campus. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four graduate students in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences’ Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MastSE) were awarded 2020 Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation.

The four students, all pursuing doctoral degrees in materials science and engineering, awarded NSF graduate fellowships are Katelyn Kirchner, Nicholas Trainor, Patrick Rondomanski and Rebecca Welch.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) aims to support “outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or in STEM education,” according to the NSF GRFP website.

“We are very proud of our students,” said John Mauro, chair of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in materials science and engineering and associate head for graduate education in MatSE. “Each year we encourage our students to apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program because we understand what this can do for their research and their careers.”

Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 education allowance for tuition, fees and other professional development. The fellowship is highly competitive; 12,000 students apply annually and approximately 2,000 students receive awards.

Angela Cleri and Vivek Anil, also graduate students in materials science and engineering, received honorable mentions.

Last Updated April 13, 2020

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