nsf phd stipend

Graduate Research Fellowship Program

What is GRFP?

Fellowship benefits.

Five year fellowship period with three years of financial support
Annual stipend of $37,000
Cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution
No post-graduate study service requirement
Access to supplemental funding to sustain research while on medical deferral (e.g. family leave)

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Am I Eligible ?

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:

be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
intend to pursue a research-based Master’s or Ph.D. program in a GRFP-supported field
be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution, with a US campus, by fall following selection
be at an early stage in your graduate career
have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent)
Graduate students are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school

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What's My Level?

Application level selection.

The GRFP Application requires you to select the academic level that best describes the stage of your academic career. Use the GRFP Academic Level Questionnaire to help you select the appropriate academic level in your application. Levels are determined as follows:

Level 1. You have not previously enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program, but plan to start graduate study next fall. Includes undergraduates in the final year of a bachelor’s degree program and individuals who previously earned a bachelor’s degree.

Level 2. First year graduate student currently enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program, who has never applied to GRFP before as a graduate student or returning graduate student, or a student currently enrolled in a joint bachelor’s-master’s degree program (must have completed three academic years in program).

Level 3. Second year graduate student who has completed no more than one academic year of graduate study while enrolled in any graduate degree-granting program, does not have a graduate degree, and has never applied to GRFP before as a graduate student or returning graduate student.

Level 4. Returning graduate student who is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, and may have more than one academic year in a graduate-degree granting program and/or a master’s or professional degree, followed by an interruption of at least two years just prior to the GRFP application deadline. Note: address the reasons for the interruption and why you should be considered to be in the early stages of your graduate education in the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement.

GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who have demonstrated the potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers, early in their careers. Applicants must be pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education at accredited US institutions.

Oct. 17, 2022 - Life Sciences
Oct. 18, 2022 - Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Materials Research, Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning
Oct. 20, 2022 - Engineering
Oct. 21, 2022 - Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy
Oct. 28, 2022 - 5:00 PM ET
Aug. 31, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Applicants Webinar 1
Sept. 21, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Applicants Webinar 2
Sept. 28, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Reading the Fine Points of the GRFP Solicitation Webinar

NSF welcomes scientists and engineers to serve as reviewers of GRFP applications. Serving as a GRFP Reviewer is an excellent opportunity to apply your research and career expertise to help identify future science and engineering leaders.

Sep. 15, 2022 - 5:00 PM ET
Nov. 1, 2022 - 11AM to 1 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #1
Nov. 4, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #2
Nov. 10, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #3
Nov. 15, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #4

Reference Writers

Reference letters are a key component of a strong GRFP application package. The most effective reference letters provide detailed and specific information about how an applicant meets the NSF Merit Review Criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.

Oct. 5, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Reference Writers & Research Mentors
Oct. 6, 2022 - 11 AM to 1 PM ET Reference Writers Webinar

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM or STEM education. NSF especially encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, veterans, and undergraduate seniors to apply.

Deadlines vary by program- see official call for each specific one. They range from 10/21/2019-10/23/2020.

up to 3 years

Anticipated Funding Amount: $138,000 per award (Fellowship), pending the availability of funds.

Each Fellowship consists of three years of support during a five-year fellowship period. Currently, NSF provides a stipend of $34,000 to the Fellow and a cost-of-education allowance of $12,000 to the graduate degree-granting institution for each Fellow who uses the fellowship support in a fellowship year.

Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria by the application deadline:

Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study)
Have never previously accepted a GRFP award
If previously offered a GRFP award, have declined by the deadline
Have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
Have never earned a master’s, professional, or bachelor’s-master’s degree in any field, unless (i) returning to graduate study after an interruption of two (2) or more consecutive years immediately preceding the deadline, and; (ii) are not enrolled in a graduate degree program at the application deadline
Not be a current NSF employee

Number of Times Individuals May Apply

Undergraduate seniors and bachelor’s degree holders may apply before enrolling in a degree-granting graduate program.
Graduate students enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted in the first year or at the beginning of the second year of their degree program.
Individuals pursuing a master’s degree simultaneously with the bachelor’s degree (joint bachelor’s-master’s degree) must have completed three (3) years in the joint program and are limited to one application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as a doctoral degree student. Individuals in this category who applied in the FY2019 competition (Fall 2018 deadline) are eligible to apply as first-year doctoral students only in the FY2020 competition (Fall 2019 deadline).
Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this one-time limit.
Applications not reviewed by NSF (returned without review) do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit.
There is a limited opportunity for returning graduate students to apply for a graduate research fellowship. Individuals who have (i) completed more than one academic year in a degree-granting program, (ii) earned a previous master’s degree of any kind (including bachelor’s-master’s degree), or (iii) earned a non-doctoral professional degree are eligible only if: they have had a continuous interruption in graduate study of at least two consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline; and are not enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program at the application deadline.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

Christopher Hill, telephone: (866) 673-4737, email: [email protected]
Jong-on Hahm, telephone: (866) 673-4737, email: [email protected]
Applications contact: GRF Operations Center, telephone: (866) 673-4737, email: [email protected]

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Personal Finance for PhDs

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How to Financially Manage Your NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

April 5, 2019 by Emily

Congratulations on being awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) (or a similar remunerative, competitive, national fellowship)! Whether you’re a prospective grad student or a current first- or second-year PhD student, this fellowship is a great boon to your research, your CV, and almost certainly your finances. However, you may not yet realize that your finances will become a bit tricky once you start receiving your fellowship. With the help of this article, you can avoid the pitfalls associated with fellowship income and fully capitalize on the benefits.

Further listening: The Financial and Career Opportunities Available to National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows

The NSF GRFP’s Negotiation Power

I’m sure you didn’t miss this headline info about the NSF GRFP: The fellowship pays you a stipend of $34,000 plus $12,000 of educational expenses to your institution for three years. Awesome! At the majority of universities in the US, that stipend amount is well above what you would be paid if you didn’t receive the fellowship, so you’ve effectively achieved a raise for the next three years.

But the good news doesn’t stop there: Your university/department might confer even more benefits upon you for winning independent funding. If the administration isn’t forthcoming about these additional benefits, it is appropriate to inquire about them.

Independence

Your new outside funding may give you a degree of independence in your research that you wouldn’t otherwise enjoy. This is highly dependent on your field, department, and advisor, but the fellowship may enable you to take your doctoral research in a direction that you advisor couldn’t or wouldn’t have supported without it. Perhaps you could take a risk on a side project, establish a new collaboration, or take extra time to rotate through a lab to gain new skills.

Additional Funding

At many universities, there is a standard offer of additional funding for winning a multi-year, lucrative fellowship like the NSF. This offer could come in one or more forms, such as:

A guarantee of funding for additional years
A one-time bonus
A stipend supplement above $34,000 while you have the fellowship
A stipend supplement after the fellowship concludes (e.g., up to $34,000/year for your remaining time in graduate school)

Not all departments offer additional funding to NSF GRFP recipients, but it’s worth inquiring about with your advisor, the administration, and current NSF fellows at your university. Stipend supplements during the time that you receive the NSF GRF are more common in high cost-of-living cities where the departmental base stipend is near $34,000/year to begin with. For example, searching “NSF” in the PhD Stipends database reveals stipend supplements awarded during the NSF GRFP years to students at the University of California at Berkeley, Northwestern University, and Columbia University, while a student at the University of California at San Diego writes that he/she received no funding incentive for winning the NSF GRF.

For Prospective Graduate Students

You’ll never have more negotiation power than you do as a prospective graduate student with an outside fellowship in hand. Unfortunately, you don’t have a lot of time to negotiate as the NSF GRFP awards list comes out approximately two weeks before grad school decision day, April 15.

Further reading: Vote with Your Feet, Prospective Graduate Students

As quickly as possible, you need to clarify if the offers from the universities you are still considering are going to be sweetened at all now that you have your fellowship. If the financial package from your preferred university isn’t up to par with your other offers (after considering cost of living differences), you can tactfully ask if a bonus, stipend supplement, or guarantee of future funding is possible.

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Budgeting with Your Fellowship Income

There are two vital questions you need to ask of your department before you can begin creating a budget for your NSF GRF stipend.

After the fellowship ends, what will my stipend be?
How frequently is my fellowship disbursed?

Accelerate Progress on Financial Goals

In my ideal personal finance-oriented world, an NSF fellow would live on (less than) the base stipend from his department and put all the excess income received toward growing his wealth. There are a few advantages to that approach:

Your lifestyle roughly matches that of your peers in your department.
You can relatively quickly achieve financial goals such as saving or debt repayment.
If your income is set to drop once the fellowship ends, you avoid acclimation to the higher, temporary income and don’t have to make major lifestyle sacrifices once the three years are up.

Some financial goals you could work on during the time you receive the additional fellowship funds are:

Eliminating any troublesome debt (e.g., credit card balances, medical debt, car loan)
Saving up cash for short-term needs and expenses (e.g., emergency fund, targeted savings accounts)
Investing for long- and mid-term goals (e.g., retirement, house down payment)
Pay down student loans

Preparing for the Post-Fellowship Income Drop

If you choose to upgrade your lifestyle with your fellowship stipend, be careful to maintain any long-term financial contracts at a level that will be sustainable for you after your income drops (if it will). The two key areas to watch out for are housing and transportation expenses. While it is possible to reduce your spending in either of these areas during grad school, it is a painful process, so it is preferable to lock in your spending in those areas at a level that you can maintain long-term.

Budgeting with an Irregular Income

Sometimes, fellowships are disbursed to the recipient at a frequency other than monthly, e.g., once per term. This schedule can cause issues for budgeting, which is usually framed as turning over each month.

One of the advantages of an infrequent disbursement schedule is that you are paid at the beginning of the period rather than the end, so the money you need throughout the period is already available to you. However, you may not be able/inclined to use typical budgeting software functions and prefer to set up your own budgeting system.

One of the most useful budgeting concepts for people with irregular incomes is that of fixed vs. variable expenses. At the beginning of your budgeting period, project the fixed expenses that will be paid during the period, such as your rent/mortgage, debt payments, certain utilities, subscriptions, etc. Then allocate your remaining income to your variable expenses at a frequency that is convenient for you. For example, you can estimate the variable utility bills that you may pay monthly during the period, plan to spend no more than a certain amount of money each week on groceries, and give yourself a lump sum of money for entertainment for the entire period to be spent as opportunities arise. In this way, allocate your fellowship disbursement so that you are sure that your expenses won’t exceed your income (leaving some buffer for unexpected expenses).

Income Tax Implications of the NSF GRFP

Your NSF GRFP stipend is subject to federal income tax. (It is usually subject to state and local income tax as well, but there are some exceptions.)

Grad Student Tax Lie #1: You Don’t Have to Pay Income Tax
Grad Student Tax Lie #4: You Don’t Owe Any Taxes Because You Didn’t Receive Any Official Tax Forms
Grad Student Tax Lie #5: If Nothing Was Withheld, You Don’t Owe Any Tax

However, the taxation of fellowship stipends is handled completely differently by universities than assistantship pay.

Tax Reporting

While assistantship pay is reported on a W-2, fellowship stipends are not required to be reported in any particular way.

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A large fraction of universities, possibly the majority, do not report outside fellowship stipends on any official tax form. At most, the fellow might receive a courtesy letter, which is an informal letter stating the amount of the fellowship stipend received during the calendar year.

Some universities report fellowship stipends on Form 1098-T in Box 5 (along with other scholarship and grant income).

A small minority of universities report fellowship stipends on Form 1099-MISC in Box 3.

Whatever reporting mechanism used or not used, the important information to bring to your tax return preparation process is the amount of fellowship stipend paid to you during the calendar year. From that point, the fellowship stipend income is treated the same as any other fellowship/scholarship/grant income, and (possibly after some adjustments) it will ultimately be taxed as ordinary income.

Weird Tax Situations for Fellowship Recipients
How to Prepare Your Grad Student Tax Return

Quarterly Estimated Tax

While you are required to pay federal and usually state income tax on your fellowship stipend, the vast majority of universities do not offer automatic income tax withholding on your fellowship stipend as they normally do for employee pay. (You should inquire whether automatic withholding is an option and use it if so, but the remainder of this section assumes it is not offered.)

This means that you will receive 100% of your gross fellowship stipend instead of your stipend net of income tax as you would assistantship pay. However, the IRS still expects to receive income tax payments throughout the year, so you will have to look into filing quarterly estimated tax.

Further reading: The Complete Guide to Quarterly Estimated Tax for Fellowship Recipients

As a default position, you should assume you are responsible for paying quarterly estimated tax. It’s possible that you won’t be required to in the year you switch on or off of the fellowship or if you’re married to someone with a high income and high withholding, but even in those cases it’s prudent to check.

The way you calculate your quarterly estimated tax due (and figure out if it’s required of you) is by filling out Form 1040-ES. That form will give you the amount of the payment you are supposed to make four times per year and an estimate of your total tax due for the year. You can make the payment online at IRS.gov/payments or through a host of other mechanisms.

Whether or not you are required to file quarterly estimated tax, it’s a great idea to set up a personal system that simulates automatic tax withholding. Open a separate savings account labeled “Income Tax” and transfer in the fraction of each paycheck you receive that you ultimately expect to pay in tax each time you are paid. Then, draw from that savings account when you make your quarterly or yearly tax payments.

Investing Implications of the NSF GRFP

The upside of receiving the NSF GRF is that your income is most likely higher than it would have been, which means you have an increased ability to achieve financial goals during graduate school such as debt repayment, saving, and/or investing.

Free Email Course: Investing for Early-Career PhDs

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Through 2019, fellowship income, like that of the GRFP, was not eligible to be contributed to an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA). However, starting with tax year 2020, fellowship income is eligible to be contributed to an IRA, eliminating the only major downside of receiving fellowship income.

Further listening: Fellowship Income Is Now Eligible to Be Contributed to an IRA!

An IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement savings vehicle. It’s a great idea to use an IRA (or other tax-advantaged retirement vehicle such as a 401(k) or 403(b)) for your retirement savings as it helps you maximize your long-term rate of return by protecting your investments from taxes. As a graduate student, you almost certainly don’t have access to the university 403(b), so the IRA is basically the only game in town for tax-advantaged retirement savings.

Everything You Need to Know About Roth IRAs in Graduate School
Should a Graduate Student Save for Retirement in a Roth IRA?

Reader Interactions

March 30, 2020 at 9:58 am

Is the information about IRA contributions still up to date given the passage of HR1865 and new definition of compensation for IRA purposes?

March 31, 2020 at 2:07 pm

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Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides three years of financial support for graduate study. It aims to keep the nation a global leader in advancing science and engineering research and innovation. Recipients receive a $37,000 annual stipend and $16,000 education allowance from NSF, plus the UW–Madison Graduate School contributes toward fringe benefits.

“The NSF-Graduate Research Fellows Program is a highly competitive award that draws from student talent across the nation,” states Graduate School Dean William J. Karpus. “The program leads to great outcomes. Awardees not only benefit from the financial support of the fellowship, but also have the long-term benefit of becoming more competitive for future funding and gaining access to opportunities for research collaboration and professional development through NSF programs.”

The fellowship is awarded to individuals in the early stages of their graduate study, who intend to pursue research-based graduate studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Fellows are free to use their fellowship at any university, college, or non-profit academic institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located in, the United States, its territories, or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that grants a graduate degree in STEM fields.

Fellowship benefits

Five year fellowship period with three years of full funding, including tuition, fees, and health insurance benefits
Annual stipend of $37,000
Cost of Education allowance of $16,000 to the institution
Professional development opportunities (GRIP and GROW)
XSEDE supercomputer access for Fellows and honorable mentions
No service requirement
Access to supplemental funding to sustain research while on medical deferral (e.g. maternity/paternity leave)

Eligibility requirements

U.S. citizen or permanent resident
No more than one completed year of graduate studies
Enrollment in research-focused STEM or STEM-education program

Read more about this competitive fellowship at the NSF website .

For Applicants

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is one of the oldest and most prestigious fellowships in the country. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is proud to be a leading university in GRFP recipients and strongly encourages senior undergraduates, and early-career graduate students to apply to this fellowship. The GRFP is fundamentally an investment in graduate students as future researchers, not in a specific research project.

Application materials

Personal information
Transcripts
Proposed field of study
Graduate school information
2-3 letters of reference
Personal, relevant background and future goals (3 pages maximum)
Graduate research plan statement (2 pages maximum including figures and citations)

Key criteria to address in both written sections and letters of reference

The broader impacts of your work as a researcher, or the potential of your research to improve social outcomes
Your intellectual merit as a researcher, or potential to advance knowledge in your field

If you have questions about the GRFP or would like support with your application, please contact the Graduate School at [email protected] .

The Writing Center is also available as a resource for applicants.

Past Awardees

2024 Awardees
2023 Awardees
2022 Awardees
2021 Awardees
2020 Awardees
2019 Awardees
2018 Awardees
2017 Awardees

Nineteen graduate students were offered the Graduate Research Fellowship in 2024. Seven undergraduates were also offered the award for their graduate study. Another 33 UW–Madison students were recognized with honorable mentions from NSF.

The 2024 UW–Madison graduate student awardees and their proposed field of study are:

Abigail Cordiner, Biomedical Engineering
Brian Foster, Sustainable Chemistry
Rory Greenhalgh, Genetics
David Hardy, Chemical Catalysis
Angel Hernandez Viera, Microbial Biology
Samuel Johnstone, Chemical Engineering
James Kosmopoulos, Microbial Biology
Zach Lewis, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Joyce Lin, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Marcus Lindsey, Biophysics
Shaan Nagy, Formal Methods, Verification, and Programming Languages
Selymar Pena-Rivera, Microbial Biology
Charles Smith, Economics
James Summers, Hydrology
Ebony Taylor, Ecology
Joseph Walston, Systematics and Biodiversity
Mallory Wilson, Chemistry of Life Processes
Jackson Wysocki, Chemistry of Life Processes
Skye Xollo, Sociology

The UW-Madison undergraduate awardees and their proposed field of study are:

Joshua Baston, Metallic Materials
Eric Dubberstein, Computer Architecture
Andrew Engedal, Mathematical Biology
Amory Griffin, Chemical Synthesis
William Jarvis, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Brooke Kotten, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Lucille Steffes, Astronomy and Astrophysics

Forty-seven continuing UW–Madison graduate students were awarded the Graduate Research Fellowship in 2023. Five undergraduates were also offered the award for their graduate study. Another 19 UW–Madison students were recognized with honorable mentions from NSF.

The 2023 UW–Madison graduate student awardees and their areas of study are:

Fernando Acosta-Pérez, Industrial Engineering
Erin Alberts, Genetics
Sam Anderson, Botany
Angel Banuelos, Genetics
Michaela Barber, Chemistry
Vanessa Barton, Mechanical Engineering
Maia Bates, Chemistry
Katie Braun, Geography
Jennifer Bui, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Myron Child, Genetics
Brandon Cortez, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Kevin Dao, Mathematics
Jess Davidson, Biochemistry
Molly DeLuca, Medical Physics
Alex Dobrila, Microbiology
Julie DuClos, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Allison Erena, Astronomy
Zac Faitz, Chemistry
Savannah Finley, Environmental Chemistry & Technology
Garrett Fullerton, Medical Physics
Uriel Garcia, Chemistry
Sara Hartke, Civil & Environmental Engineering
MegAnn Haubold, Cancer Biology
Samuel Hori, Physics
Andrea Houck, Medical Physics
Ivan Hu, Computer Sciences
Carlos Huang-Zhu, Chemical Engineering
Angel Ibarra, Chemistry
Hailey Johnson, Computer Sciences
Megan Kelly, Chemical Engineering
Angelica Lang, Genetics
Clairine Larsen, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Arielle Link, Integrative Biology
Ryan Martinez, Genetics
Ryan McDonnell, Chemistry
Grace Melone, Entomology
Nayanna Mercado-Soto, Microbiology
Alana Meyer, Chemistry
Alyssa Olszewski, Chemistry
Gerardo Quintana Cintron, Chemistry
Chris Roberts, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Alysa Rogers, Physics
Estephani Torres Villanueva, Astronomy
Elvis Umana, Chemical Engineering
James Unzaga, Materials Science and Engineering
Isabela Velasquez Gutierrez, Wildlife Ecology
Rayne Wolf, Industrial Engineering

Twenty-six continuing and incoming UW–Madison graduate students were awarded graduate research fellowships in 2022. Another 17 UW–Madison undergraduates were awarded fellowships to graduate programs at other institutions. Thirty-four UW–Madison undergraduates and prospective graduate students received honorable mentions from reviewers.

The 2022 UW–Madison graduate student awardees and their areas of study are:

Lauren Ehehalt, Chemistry
Kristel Forlano, Chemistry
Samuel Garcia, Nuclear Engineering
Joshua Gasick, Mechanical Engineering
Anna Gregory, Microbiology
Dane Gollero, Mathematics
Evan Heeg, Geological Engineering
Miette Hennessy, Plant Pathology
Damielle Hieber, Food Science
Tessa Hoffman, Biochemistry
Natalie Jones-Kerwin, Political Science
Garrett Knowlton, Integrative Biology
Jessamine Kuehn, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Unni Kurumbail, Chemical Engineering
Isaac Laseter, Astronomy
Joie Ling, Microbiology
Kayley Manuel, Microbiology
Adrian Matthews, Chemistry
Holly Nichols, Microbiology
Grant Nickles, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Stephanie Oliveras Santos, Chemistry
Kyra Ricci, Ecology
Damayanti Rodriguez-Ramos, Microbiology
Irene Stoutland, Chemistry
Christopher Triggs, Chemistry
Sophia Vogelsang, Chemistry

Thirty-one continuing and incoming UW–Madison students were awarded graduate research fellowship in 2021. Another 35 continuing students received honorable mentions from reviewers.

The 2021 UW–Madison awardees and their program of study are:

Aldo Arellano, Microbiology
Nina Bonde, Biochemistry
Emma Brann, Physics
Kyle Chin, Chemical Engineering
Emily Eix, Microbiology
Amy Enright, Microbiology
Tabitha Faber, Botany
Abigail Ferris, Engineering Physics
Kaitlyn Gruber, Chemistry
Riley Hale, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ashley Hiebing, Biomedical Engineering
Dionel Jaime, Mathematics
Dean Jarois, Chemistry
Lisa Je, Chemical Engineering
Edgard Lebron Rodriguez, Chemical Engineering
Cassandra Leech, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Christine Lucky, Chemical Engineering
Rosanne Luu, Educational Psychology
Cody Martin, Microbiology
Rachel McClure, Astronomy
Tara Mittelberg, Agricultural and Applied Economics
Uyen Nguyen, Microbiology
Brooke Propson, Soil Sciences
Zoe Rechav, Physics
Kalina Reese, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Ross Soens, Biochemistry
Jennifer Stafford, Astronomy
Jenna Swenson, Environmental Chemistry and Technology
Sofia Taylor, Electrical Engineering
AnnaBeth Thomas, Chemistry
Helaina Von Bank, Cellular and Molecular Biology

In 2020, 31 students from UW–Madison were awarded the fellowship, with another 35 UW–Madison students recognized with honorable mentions.

The 2020 UW–Madison awardees are:

Ruby Bafu, PhD student, Sociology
Jonathon Blank, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
Tianen Chen, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
Rachel Czerwinski, PhD student, Chemistry
Megan Dixon, PhD student, Microbiology
Matthew Genzink, PhD student, Chemistry
Kate Griffin, BS ’19, Biomedical Engineering (Current: Research Intern, UW Department of Surgery)
Peyton Higgins, PhD student, Chemistry
Christine Hustmyer, PhD student, Biochemistry
Eric Kohn, PhD student, Chemistry
Alexius Lampkin, PhD student, Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Anne-Sophie Mancha, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Arvin Raj Mathur, PhD student, Anthropology
Sarah McCarthy, PhD student, Physics
Kate McGinn, PhD student, Wildlife Ecology
Rylie Morris, PhD student, Chemistry
Megan Nieszala, PhD student, Chemistry
Rahul Parhi, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
Aicha Quamine, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Anika Rice, MS student, Geography
Rebecca Roembke, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
Trevor Seets, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
Joseph Skarlupka, PhD student, Microbiology
Paul Slaughter, Undergraduate student, Mechanical Engineering
Madeline Smerchansky, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Mackinsey Smith, PhD student, Chemistry
Laura Stegner, PhD student, Computer Science
Isabelle Tigges-Green, BS ’19, Chemistry and Spanish (Current: Faculty Assistant and Chemistry Outreach Specialist, UW Department of Chemistry)
Jessica Turner, MS student, Environment and Resources
Soleil Young, PhD student, Microbiology
Madison Youngblom, PhD student, Microbiology

Of about 12,000 applicants nationally, 2,050 received awards in the 2019 competition, including 40 UW–Madison students. Another 29 UW–Madison students were given honorable mentions.

The 2019 UW–Madison awardees are:

Theodore Agbi, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Shaan Amin, PhD student, Political Science
Garrett Anstreicher, PhD student, Economics
Benjamin Bachman, PhD student, Chemistry
Desia Bacon, PhD student, Psychology
Connor Blankenship, PhD student, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Miriam Bohlmann Kunz, PhD student, Chemistry
Katie Bultman, PhD student, Microbiology
Joseph Burns, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Mariama Carter, PhD student, Plant Pathology
Aryel Clarke, PhD student, Biochemistry
John Crandall, PhD student, Genetics
Michael Davies, PhD student, Computer Sciences
Rebekah Dix, BA student, Economics
Kieran Farrell, PhD student, Chemistry
Maia Gumnit, PhD student, Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Mackenzie Hewes, PhD student, Anthropology
Zena Jensvold, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Conlain Kelly, BS student, Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics
Lauren Laufman, BS student, Astronomy – Physics
Justin Mabin, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Audrey Marsh, PhD student, Genetics
Bethany McCarty, PhD student, Chemistry
Patrick Monari, PhD student, Psychology
Zachary Morrow, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Kathleen Nickson, PhD student, Chemistry
Katherine Parrish, PhD student, Chemistry
Jennifer Peotter, PhD student, Biochemistry
Bella Reichardt, BS student, Biomedical Engineering
Daniel Salgueiro, PhD student, Chemistry
Dylan Schmitz, PhD student, Mechanical Engineering
Katherine Senn, PhD student, Biochemistry
Emily Setton, PhD student, Zoology
Thomas Shannon, BS student, Environmental Studies and English
Trevor Simmons, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Seth Spawn, PhD student, Geography
Julia Thomas, PhD student, Sociology
Nathan Wang, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Brian Weaver, PhD student, Biophysics
Meng Xu, PhD student, Chemistry

In total, the NSF named 2,000 students as recipients of 2018’s GRFP awards, selected through peer review process from over 12,000 applicants.

The twenty-seven UW-Madison awardees are:

Tesia Janicki, PhD student, Chemistry
Edna Chiang, PhD student, Microbiology
Juan Camilo Bohorquez, PhD student, Physics
Benjamin Gastfriend, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Audrey Evans, PhD student, Electrical Engineering
Michael Aristov, PhD student, Chemistry
Mitchell Ledwith, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Stephanie Blaszczyk-Beasley, PhD student, Chemistry
Curran Gahan, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Delia Scoville, PhD student, Biochemistry
Kristin Brunk, MS student, Wildlife Ecology
Bryan Lakey, PhD student, Genetics
Nathan Murray, PhD student, Biochemistry
Katherine Mueller, PhD student, Cellular & Molecular Biology
Aidan McKenzie, PhD student, Biochemistry
Natalie Duncombe, PhD student, Economics
Camilo Machuca, PhD student, Astronomy
Christopher McAllester, PhD student, Genetics
Jhewelle Fitz-Henley, PhD student, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Gabriela Negrete-Garcia, BS Degree, Chemistry
Kiersten Haffey, undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering
Emily Jewell, undergraduate, Engineering Mechanics
Hunter Johnson, undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering
Celeste Keith, General Course – BS Degree
Taylor McKenna Marohl, undergraduate, Biomedical Engineering
Lucas Oxtoby, BS Degree, Chemistry
Elizabeth Rose Penn, undergraduate, Geological Engineering

In total, the NSF named 2,000 students as recipients of 2017’s GRFP awards, selected through peer review process from over 13,000 applicants.

The twenty-one UW-Madison awardees are:

Bayleigh Benner, PhD student, Microbiology
Brian Carrick, PhD student, Biochemistry
Patrick Cervantes, PhD student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Julie Davis, PhD/Master’s student, Astronomy
Alexandra DiNicola, PhD student, Botany
Leah Escalante, PhD student, Genetics
Christine Isabella, PhD student, Biochemistry
Taylor Keding, PhD student, Neuroscience
Jesse Kidd, PhD student, Chemistry
Samantha Knott, PhD student, Chemistry
Elizabeth Laudadio, PhD student, Chemistry
Nicole Piscopo, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
Paige Piszel, PhD student, Chemistry
Kyle Robinson, PhD student, Biochemistry
Taylor Scott, PhD student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Matthew Styles, PhD student, Chemistry
Edwin Suarez-Zayas, PhD student, Neuroscience
Sydney Thomas, PhD student, Cellular and Molecular Biology
Daniel Vigil, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Thejas Wesley, BS student, Chemical Engineering
Randee Young, PhD student, Genetics

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Six Biological Sciences Graduate Students Selected for 2023 NSF Research Fellowships

Five-year awards support outstanding students pursuing advanced STEM degrees

July 6, 2023

By Mario Aguilera

Six UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences graduate students have been awarded 2023 Graduate Research Program (GRFP) fellowships by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The highly competitive five-year NSF GRFP fellowships provide three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000. The GRFP program selects outstanding master’s and Ph.D. graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology engineering and mathematics disciplines. The program is designed to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforce its diversity, according to the NSF.

This year’s recipients for the School of Biological Sciences are: Jose Chacon (David Traver Lab), Claire Chapman (Fabian Rivera-Chávez Lab), Andrew Kapinos (Fabian Rivera-Chávez Lab), Gabrielle Meza (Alexandra Dickinson Lab), Jocelyn Olvera (Dmitry Lyumkis Lab) and John Reddan (Terry Hwa Lab). Taryn Broe (Sara Jackrel Lab) received an honorable mention.

“It is great to see the accomplishments of our outstanding PhD students recognized by these prestigious NSF GRFP fellowships,” said Professor Eric Bennett, chair of the school’s Graduate Committee. “These extramural research awards highlight the success of our PhD training program. These successful applications are the result of continued and coordinated efforts by faculty, staff and students to provide a rigorous training environment to push the boundaries of biological research.”

NSF has designed the program so that GRFP fellows become knowledge experts who can significantly contribute to research, teaching and innovation in science and engineering.

“These individuals are crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large,” according to the NSF.

Each year since 1952, undergraduate and graduate students early in their careers have received fellowship offers from NSF to pursue research in STEM. By recruiting and supporting outstanding students with high potential in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, GRFP has nurtured economic innovation and leadership in the U.S. More than 40 former fellows have been awarded Nobel Prizes and more than 400 have been selected as members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

— With information from the National Science Foundation

Jose Chacon

Claire Chapman

Andrew Kapinos

Gabrielle Meza

Jocelyn Olvera

John Reddan

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Logan Burnett and Nataly R. Panczyk portrait

NERS graduate students receive NSF fellowships

Logan Burnett and Nataly R. Panczyk have been awarded prestigious fellowships from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Sara Norman

Logan Burnett and Nataly R. Panczyk have received fellowships from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. In receiving these prestigious fellowships, both Logan and Nataly have demonstrated their exceptional dedication to advancing scientific research and innovation in their respective fields. Their work, which will be done under the mentorship of Prof. Majdi Radaideh in the Artificial Intelligence and Multiphysics Simulations (AIMS) Laboratory when they begin their graduate studies at NERS this fall, reflects the program’s mission to ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the U.S. scientific and engineering workforce. With their diverse backgrounds and ambitious goals, Logan and Nataly exemplify the promise of the next generation of leaders in STEM, poised to make significant contributions to nuclear engineering and artificial intelligence.

Logan Burnett

Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Logan’s academic journey began at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he pursued his undergraduate degree in physics. His diverse academic background and the reputation of NERS led him to pursue a graduate degree here at U-M.

“I chose to attend NERS because I want to be an industry leader for the next generation of nuclear power,” said Logan. “Prof. Radaideh’s research on integrating artificial intelligence with nuclear applications is the perfect opportunity to utilize my background in physics, mechanical engineering, and high-fidelity simulation.”

At the heart of Logan’s research lies a mosaic of experiences and insights gleaned from his multifaceted journey through various academic and research environments. As an undergraduate, Logan simultaneously worked in three different labs within three separate fields.

While at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, he first joined Prof. Cheng-Chien Chen’s computational condensed matter group where he simulated rare-earth materials on various national supercomputers. Knowing that he’d eventually like to study nuclear energy in graduate school, he also joined Prof. Suzanne Lapi’s lab at the Cyclotron Facility where he helped prepare, irradiate, and analyze radioisotopes for medical imaging applications. It was there that he developed a code for speeding up analysis which is currently in the pipeline of being published.

The third lab Logan joined was Prof. Emilio Baglietto’s Computational Fluid Dynamics Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of the MIT Summer Research Program. He wasn’t happy with leaving his project after the summer, so he continued working remotely and recently brought the project to completion as it was published in Nuclear Technology.

Looking towards the future, Logan harbors ambitious plans for leveraging his expertise to shape the landscape of the nuclear energy sector. Post-PhD, he envisions himself playing a pivotal role in microreactor startups, capitalizing on his experiences at NERS to drive innovation in artificial intelligence-assisted operation and management. However, beyond corporate endeavors, Logan’s ultimate goal is to establish his own startup focused on the deployment of microreactors—a venture driven not only by commercial aspirations but also by a profound sense of purpose in bringing reliable energy to underserved communities around the globe.

“I’d like to recognize my main PI from undergraduate, Prof. Cheng-Chien Chen, as I would’ve never made it to NERS without him,” said Logan. “He has been and no doubt will continue to be one of my mentors, and much of my success is a product of his incredible dedication and mentorship. Throughout my development as a researcher, he was persistent in getting me involved in collaborations, presenting at conferences, and pushing me to produce the best research possible. I think our relationship also testifies to the success that can take place when a PI treats their students as friends and collaborators rather than just a worker. I hope to implement the same ideology as I pursue leadership within the nuclear industry.”

“Logan’s commitment and passion to develop the next generation of nuclear power was truly inspiring from the first meeting we had,” said Radaideh. “I am excited to be part of his professional growth and I look forward to seeing him establish a great career at NERS and become a leader in the industry.”

Nataly R. Panczyk

Hailing from Palatine, Illinois, Nataly’s journey to U-M began with a foundation laid at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering in 2024. It was during her undergraduate studies that Nataly became aware of the NERS Prof. Majdi Radaideh’s research into explainable artificial intelligence methodology for nuclear applications.

“I’ve been interested in doing my PhD in Nuclear Engineering essentially since my second semester of undergrad,” said Nataly. “Prof. Radaideh’s work in artificial intelligence sounded fascinating to me, so I applied. It helped that U-M is one of the best-ranked programs in the country.”

Nataly’s research centers around enhancing the capabilities of artificial intelligence within the realm of nuclear engineering. Collaborating with Prof. Radaideh, she aims to develop an explainable artificial intelligence methodology that not only enhances the understanding of artificial intelligence-generated conclusions but also fosters trust in its outcomes.

“Having a model-agnostic explainable artificial intelligence tool would not only be huge for nuclear from a regulatory perspective, but could offer benefits to other highly regulated, and/or high-risk industries as well,” said Nataly.

Nataly’s ultimate goal is clear and resolute: to contribute to the proliferation of carbon-free energy sources, with a steadfast belief in the pivotal role of nuclear power.

“My goal is to help put as many carbon-free electrons on the grid as possible,” said Nataly. “Nuclear power is the most efficient way to get there.”

Post-PhD, she envisions herself actively engaged in the operation and deployment of existing and emerging nuclear reactors worldwide. Recognizing climate change as a collective challenge, Nataly is committed to leveraging her expertise to combat this global crisis, one electron at a time. Her vision extends beyond national borders, encompassing communities and countries alike, united in the pursuit of a sustainable future.

“I am especially grateful for my professors at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who not only helped me earn this fellowship, but who also taught, supported, and advised me throughout my undergraduate career,” said Nataly. “Specifically, Prof. Caleb Brooks, Prof. Madicken Munk, and Prof. Tomasz Kozlowski were all willing to give me their time and attention whenever I needed it. Without them, I simply could not have gotten where I am today.”

“Nataly stands out among the few students I observed who diligently prepared for graduate school well in advance,” said Radaideh. “I can see her emerging as an outstanding leader in our field, focusing on a unique intersection of reactor design, explainable AI, and their societal implications.”

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NSF 101: The Mentoring plan

The postdoctoral mentoring plan has been an NSF requirement since 2009, recognizing the important role that mentorship plays in the postdoctoral experience and their future career paths. As of 2024, the mentoring plan has been expanded to include postdoctoral researchers and graduate students. While you will find many templates online, NSF does not endorse a prescriptive format and encourages researchers to lead the way in creating unique strategies for supporting their mentees.

According to the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide: "Examples of mentoring activities include, but are not limited to, career counseling; training in preparation of grant proposals, publications and presentations; guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills; guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas; and training in responsible professional practices."

At the heart of mentoring are personal relationships that are unique to every mentor and mentee. In that spirit, consider the questions below as you create a mentoring plan to build the foundation for a fruitful working relationship between you and your mentee.

Set and communicate your expectations

What are your expectations for your mentee, and how will you communicate these expectations for the mentoring relationship?
How will you clearly communicate your mentoring philosophy, working environment and culture, policies and other important considerations to a mentee working with you and your team?

Convey your responsibilities as a mentor

What can a mentee expect from you throughout the mentoring relationship?
Can they expect timely feedback on their work, regularly scheduled meetings, assistance in making connections/networking or notifications about relevant opportunities?

Tailor your plan

Can you personalize your mentoring plan if/when a mentee has been chosen?
How will your plan be responsive to your mentee's needs, interests and goals?
How does the plan recognize that there are multiple pathways to success and ensure the plan is tailored to what success would look like for the mentee?

Promote a supportive work environment

What steps can you take to promote a work culture where mentees feel valued and supported and to foster a sense of belonging as an authentic member of the team?
How will you create an environment where mentees feel comfortable taking calculated risks?
How will mentees be empowered to learn from mistakes?
How will conflict be managed and communicated, particularly among trainees with different personal and cultural identities?
How will the contributions of all team members be recognized?
How are the research teams' values and priorities decided upon and conveyed?

Strengthen a broader ecosystem of support

How will you identify opportunities for your mentee that lie outside of your strengths as an individual mentor?
Can you form mentoring teams that can advise on different disciplines, career or life paths, connect postdocs/graduate students excluded due to their ethnicity or race with mentors that have similar identities, further develop your knowledge and skills as a mentor?

Assess progress

How will progress towards goals and mentorship quality be evaluated? Individual development plans can provide one route to goal setting that work well in some environments, or you and your mentee may find another method that is better suited to your goals, values and working styles.
How will you plan to co-create, revisit and revise your mentoring plan over time with your mentee?

Intentionality in designing a mentoring plan can provide a foundation for the success of postdoctoral and graduate student researchers who are vital to the scientific enterprise. Mentoring is key in enabling postdocs and graduate students to bring forth their innovative ideas and reach their full potential while overcoming numerous barriers, particularly for those who have been excluded due to their ethnicity or race. Mentees may also be facing additional common challenges, such as separation from support systems, immigration challenges, caregiver responsibilities or financial difficulties.

Mentoring is a powerful opportunity to broaden your impact on the scientific community. If you are interested in learning more about strategies to improve mentoring, you can find the latest NSF-funded research on the topic through the NSF award search !

About the Authors

Stephanie Gage AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Stephanie Gage is an interdisciplinary neurobiologist working in science and technology policy. She earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Arizona studying olfactory-guided behavior and applied this expertise at the USDA – ARS and at the Georgia Institute of Technology. As a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Stephanie now works at the National Science Foundation in the Information and Intelligent Systems Division in the CISE directorate, and the Integrative Organismal Systems Division in the BIO directorate.

Julia Gerson AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

After completing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Julia completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan. Afterward, she joined the National Science Foundation as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program within the Division for Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings in the Directorate for STEM Education.

Xoco Shinbrot AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow

Xoco Shinbrot is a conservation social scientist by training, now working in national and international policy spaces. She earned a PhD in Ecology investigating how individuals and communities adapt to climate change, how to improve participation in public science, and the socio-economic impact of forest carbon offset programs. Following her post-doc at Cornell University, she now works in the Arctic Sciences Section in the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow.

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Betelhiem Mengesha Receives NSF Graduate...

Betelhiem Mengesha Receives NSF Graduate Fellowship

heat exchangers
additive manufacturing
NSF fellowship

Betelhiem Mengesha

Mechanical engineering doctoral student Betelhiem Mengesha was recently awarded a 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The prestigious five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support inclusive of an annual stipend to help fund her research on heat exchanger (HX) design optimization for metal additive manufacturing (AM) and qualification.

“This fellowship is very important to me as it acknowledges my hard work and inspires me to aim higher,” says Mengesha, a first-year doctoral student, who is co-advised by two University of Maryland mechanical engineering professors, Vikrant Aute, who leads the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) Modeling and Optimization Consortium , and Shapour Azarm, director of the Design Decision Support Lab.

Mengesha’s research addresses the need for an optimized HX design that leverages AM processes, while ensuring required quality control measures. Colloquially known as 3D printing, AM offers “the ability to produce complex customized designs,” says Mengesha, “while its drawback is that the quality of manufactured products cannot be foreseen.” She plans to create a holistic digital twin that integrates HX design optimization with the AM process and a qualification with a feedback system that works iteratively until the part is qualified.

“Even though this project focuses on HX, the framework is expected to be general and can be used for any other designs and AM processes,” the doctoral student notes. “It has the potential to shift paradigms in AM part qualification and reliability for aerospace, defense, automotive, medical devices and the energy sector, to name a few, with potential availability of produced parts anywhere and anytime.”

NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program aims to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM. “As a first-generation Black woman in engineering, I am determined to inspire and mentor younger generations to embrace science and engineering,” says Mengesha, who aspires to pursue a career in academia as a researcher and teacher. “Receiving this award marks a significant milestone in my academic journey,” she says, “and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity it presents.”

Published May 23, 2024

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Nevada Today

From lizards to humans, a journey in pursuit of science, madison glenwinkel, a student in the college of liberal arts, received the prestigious national science foundation graduate research fellowship program (nsf-grfp) award.

Madison smiling in front of her research poster.

"I was speechless when I opened the email, and the first word was congratulations. Not only am I a first-generation college student, but I also come from a low-income family, so I knew that graduate school was going to be expensive and that I was going to need to figure it out myself. I cried when I found out I had been awarded and I really feel like this a sign that I am pursuing what I was meant to pursue," Madison Glenwinkel said.

These words encapsulate the profound journey of Madison Glenwinkel, a student and young scientist in the College of Liberal Arts, about the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) award.

Impact & Student Success

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The annual John W. Mackay Banquet took place on April 26

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Publication 'The Atlantic' gifts complimentary access to University community

Following the ‘Democracy at a Crossroads’ event, students, faculty and staff can access the publication through the University Libraries

John Ralston sits next to Francisco Aguliar on stage at the Democracy at a Crossroads event with couches on stage and signage about the Atlantic and the event behind them.

University confers more than 3,000 degrees during spring commencement ceremonies

The class of 2024 was recognized over three days on the historic University’s Quad

Distinguished Nevadans honored by the University

Four individuals recognized with the most prestigious award by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents

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University of Nevada, Reno team develops new vegetation mapping tools

Improved management of rangeland, better recovery from wildfires, among likely benefits

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Congressman Khanna joined the President in a conversation at the University of Nevada, Reno about voter education, exercising the vote and working across the aisle

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Dear Colleague Letter: NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) Scholarship Supplements for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Recipients

May 28, 2024

Dear Colleagues:

With this Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for STEM Education (EDU) invites active Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program recipients to submit supplemental funding requests to provide scholarship support for students who meet the qualifications for the NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM).

A well-educated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce is critical to maintaining the competitiveness of the U.S. in the global economy, yet there continues to be high attrition among STEM undergraduate students across U.S. colleges and universities 1 . The NSF S-STEM program addresses the need for a high-quality STEM workforce in STEM disciplines supported by the program by providing scholarships to academically-talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in these disciplines. This DCL encourages active ATE recipients to submit supplemental funding requests to provide S-STEM scholarships to eligible students participating in active ATE projects.

Supplemental Funding Request Preparation Instructions

Supplemental funding requests from current ATE recipients should be limited exclusively to funds for student scholarships and should align with the eligibility requirements outlined in the S-STEM program solicitation . Namely, prospective scholarship recipients must:

Be citizens of the United States, nationals of the United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), aliens admitted as refugees under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Please note that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals are ineligible for support from this solicitation unless they meet the requirements listed in the first sentence of this bullet by the time of application;
Be enrolled at least half-time as defined by the institution in a program leading to an associate degree in an S-STEM eligible discipline;
Demonstrate academic ability or potential as defined by the institution;
Be low-income. The definition of low-income must follow the institutional guidelines for income thresholds that qualify the student as low-income (for example, see eligibility requirements for the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Pell and TRIO grant programs or for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) public housing program . The institution's definition of low-income must be included in supplementary documents within a letter from the Financial Aid Office.
Have demonstrated unmet financial need. Demonstrated financial need for undergraduate students is defined by the US Department of Education rules for need-based Federal financial aid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In the case of S-STEM, institutions are required to follow the calculations in section II.B of NSF 24-511 that include other grants, fellowships, and scholarships but not loans (see https://studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/how-calculated#need-based ). Income from potential work study should not be included in the calculation for undergraduate students. Loans should not be included in calculations of unmet need for students.

The supplemental funding request must include the following:

A detailed summary of proposed work that describes the planned scholarship program including institutional context and numbers 2-7 below.
Pool of Potential Scholars: A description of the pool of potential scholars, including the table below.
Retention and Graduation Rates: A description of current 1-year retention rates and graduation rates for the above pool of students in each S-STEM eligible discipline that is included in the request.
Cost of Attendance: Cost of Attendance (COA), determined by each educational institution, is the total amount it will cost a student to go to school, including tuition and fees; on-campus room and board (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); allowances for books, supplies, computer equipment, transportation, loan fees, dependent care, mandatory health insurance, graduation fees, and costs related to a disability; and miscellaneous expenses.
COA - Student Aid Index (SAI) - other grants and scholarships (which for the purpose of this program should exclude loans and work) = Unmet Need.
The SAI is determined by the FAFSA form and represents the expected family contribution toward the COA ( https://studentaid.gov/ ).
Determination of Financial Eligibility: A description of the determination of financial eligibility including the institution's definition of low-income must be included in the request.
Description of Academic Eligibility: The request should describe clear and equitable selection criteria for scholarships and describe how scholars will be selected out of the pool of all qualified individuals.
Student Support Services: The request should discuss already existing academic and student support structures that are relevant to the S-STEM supplement and describe ways in which the S-STEM supplement will use or enhance those structures. These activities need to respond to the documented low-income student and institutional needs or goals.
Letter from the Financial Aid Office or equivalent: The letter should certify the Office's understanding of the guidelines and requirements of the S-STEM program, confirming the institutional definition of low income, that the eligible students will meet its definition of low income, and stating their commitment to support the project as described in the proposal if awarded. This letter should be included in the other supplementary documents section.

Additional guidance on the contents of each of the above listed items can be found in Section V.A.5 of the S-STEM solicitation. Additional guidance on preparing and submitting a supplemental funding request may be found in Chapter VI.E.5 of the NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide .

Supplemental Funding Details

Support will be provided through S-STEM supplements to existing ATE recipients. Funding shall not exceed 20% of the total original ATE award. Scholarship costs should be entered as Participant Support Costs (line F.1. of the budget request sheets) in the proposed budget. Indirect costs (F&A) are not allowed on participant support costs. Therefore, indirect costs are not permitted for this supplemental funding request.

Target Date

Supplemental funding requests may be submitted at any time in FY2024 or FY2025.

Submission and Review

All supplemental funding requests will be reviewed in accordance with the NSF’s merit review process.

Supplemental funding requests cannot be submitted without prior NSF approval. To explore submission, please contact the cognizant Program Officer (see list below) of the award to which the supplement will be attached by sending via email, a 2-page (maximum) summary of the planned funding request including a draft budget. You will then be contacted on how to proceed.

Principal investigators with questions pertaining to this DCL may contact:

Celeste Carter, Program Director, EDU/DUE, [email protected]
Thomas Kim, Program Director, EDU/DUE, [email protected]

James L Moore, III Assistant Director, EDU

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="nsf phd stipend"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Pathways to success symposium to be held june 4.

June 3, 2024

Students listen to a presenter at Pathways to Success Symposium

Attendees are invited to attend one or all of this year’s sessions, including:

an opening plenary on leadership visioning with Theoria Cason, CEO at Theoria in Praxis and director of diversity and inclusion at Ubisoft for Global Publishing;
a panel with Cornell faculty and leadership about experiencing and overcoming obstacles in graduate school and beyond;
a keynote by alumnus Abram Coetsee, Ph.D. ’22, about transitioning from being a doctoral student in English language and literature to a project manager at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
and a roundtable discussion on the multitude of career pathways at a university outside of traditional faculty roles.

This year’s symposium will also include time for a networking lunch and an ice cream social to close out the event, offering the chance to mingle with fellow graduate students and postdocs as well as the day’s speakers and panelists.

Learn more about the Pathways to Success Symposium and register to attend .

Pathways to Success is the Graduate School’s framework for helping graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars be successful in their research and scholarship and establish the necessary skills for their future careers. For additional opportunities, connect with the Graduate School’s Office of Career and Professional Development .

by Steve Walentik | Jun 3, 2024

Luis Scheegans will be the first member of his immediate family to graduate from college when he completes his BS in mathematics later this summer. He will begin a doctoral program in geophysics at Stanford University this fall. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)

Luis Schneegans remembers his mother’s excitement and pride when he called home from the Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM in March in Washington, D.C.

The soon-to-be graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis had just gotten the email letting him know he’d been accepted into a doctoral program in geophysics at Stanford University, and he was eager to share the news with his family.

“I could just hear her screaming on the phone,” Schneegans said of his mother. “It was even funnier because she was with my youngest sister, who’s 9 years old. She doesn’t even understand the magnitude of any of this that I’m doing. But she just knew it was a big deal for me. She ran around the house.”

Schneegans felt a strong desire to be around and to set an example for all three of his younger siblings when he became the first member of his immediate family to pursue higher education. That was a big reason he decided to enroll at UMSL in the fall of 2019, though he had many options after graduating from Parkway North High School as part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program .

“They were they were like 4, 7 and 13 at the time when I was making a decision for college,” Schneegans said of his younger sisters and younger brother. “I don’t think a 4-year-old can remember their older brother very often if he’s only coming to visit during holidays.”

Luis Schneegans presents some of his research on "He had multiple chances to present last summer’s work on “Mathematical Modeling of EGaIn Droplets Sliding Down an Inclined Plane,” during UMSL’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in late April.

Luis Schneegans presents some of his research on “Mathematical Modeling of EGaIn Droplets Sliding Down an Inclined Plane,” during UMSL’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in late April.

By living at home, they got to observe the work it took to finish his degree. With the completion of one elective course later this summer, Schneegans will have earned his Bachelor of Science in mathematics with a minor in philosophy .

“They don’t have to follow in my footsteps at all,” said Schneegans, who participated in a May 11 commencement ceremony for graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences . “They’re not me, and I’m not them. I can’t make them do anything. In the end, if I can just have them acknowledge that it’s possible, that’s fine by me because I didn’t even know this was a possible route in the first place.”

He relied on his own mentors to help him navigate his path to college, through his course work, into opportunities taking part in undergraduate research and through the process of applying to graduate school, all with the encouragement of his parents. But it wasn’t always easy.

Schneegans was helped financially by receiving the Curators Scholarship as well as the Margaret Bush Wilson , Eugene Meehan , Purdy Emerging Leaders and Mathematical Sciences Alumni scholarships and a Bright Flight Scholarship during his time at UMSL. But he had to overcome other challenges along the way to earn his degree.

“It started off pretty rough,” Schneegans said. “My freshman year, I had a go on a break my first semester for two months. It was a mental health break. I feel like every college student goes through. Sometimes personal life and school life jumbles up into one and becomes too difficult. For me, it just so happened to be in my first year when it happened.”

It set back his academic progress and led him to complete 27 hours of course work in the spring semester – the previous fall’s slate of classes plus new ones – as he tried to catch up.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit during that semester, adding another challenge as all his classes shifted online.

“If I didn’t learn how to time manage through that, I don’t know where I would learn time management in the future,” Schneegans said.

He intended to major in physics, but he wound up changing plans to pursue philosophy and later switched his major to mathematics. It better fit his interest in finding solutions to real-world problems, though he credits his study of philosophy in helping him learn to think logically and more critically.

“Luis was a very motivated and hard-working student,” said Associate Teaching Professor David Covert , the undergraduate mathematics director in the Department of Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy and Statistics . “He was not deterred by any setbacks, and he tended to learn from his mistakes. He was very responsive to feedback.”

Schneegans also was intentional about finding learning opportunities outside the classroom, first getting involved in the Missouri Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation , or MOLSAMP, an alliance of nine institutions of higher education in Missouri that have collaborated to try to increase the number of underrepresented minority students statewide completing undergraduate and advanced degrees in STEM fields.

He learned of the program through a friend who received an invitation as a biology major. Though he was then undeclared, he reached out to Professor E. Paulette Isaac-Savage , a co-PI on the project, to see if he could participate and was approved.

The program is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation . Participating students attend monthly meetings and receive a stipend each semester provided they maintain a minimum GPA and meet other requirements for involvement.

By taking part in MOLSAMP, Schneegans discovered how to pursue NSF-supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates or REUs. That proved invaluable to his own educational experience, and he was quick to share that with others.

“Luis is passionate about learning, which shines through in his coursework and research projects,” said Jamillah Boyd , an associate teaching professor of information systems and technology and the faculty advisor for the MOLSAMP program at UMSL. “He is always open to sharing what he learns in the classroom, at conferences, and at his summer research experiences. He uses his experiences to mentor others, which makes him an invaluable asset to our community.”

Schneegans participated in three REUs during his time at UMSL, spending summers gaining research experience at the University of Missouri–Columbia, Kansas State University and North Carolina State University.

“I was very impressed by his pursual of REUs,” Covert said. “They are one of the best tools students can use to determine what graduate research will be like.”

In the first, he learned about nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory. In the second, he researched a partial differential equation and helped model it for multiple dimensions. In his most recent internship, he worked on a mathematical physics project focused on model liquid metal dynamics for Eutectic gallium-indium , or EGaIn, a liquid metal alloy that’s a combination of gallium and indium.

By the end of his second REU, at Kansas State, he decided he wanted to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD, eventually deciding to focus on geophysics.

“It just so happened that I fell in love with research,” he said. “I fell in love with it due to the struggles of research, rather than the easiness of research.”

He relayed the experience of writing a paper highlighting his findings from a summer spent gathering and analyzing data. He estimated it was about 20 pages long, but because of a critical error made defining terms, about half those pages had to be deleted. He worked with his mentor for several hours trying his best to salvage what he could from the work.

“I didn’t realize I was going to become so passionate about the research,” Schneegans said.

He had multiple chances to present last summer’s work on “ Mathematical Modeling of EGaIn Droplets Sliding Down an Inclined Plane ,” taking part in the Emerging Researchers National Conference and UMSL’s Undergraduate Research Symposium .

Schneegans, who was also active in Math Club throughout his time at UMSL and served as an iMentor in the to freshmen, sophomores and transfer students adjusting to the university, would like to continue doing similar research work as he pursues his doctorate. He’s still deciding where that might lead him in the future.

“I’m leaning more towards the industry-research track,” he said, rather than a position in academia. “Specifically, I would like to work at a national lab. There’s a few national labs and private labs that are specifically lined up with what I want to do – Livermore National Lab , Santa Fe Institute . But I don’t want to limit my options.”

He has time to figure it out, of course, but he’s continuing to show those around him – and himself – just what is possible.

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May 31, 2024

TEA report exposes widespread failings at Socorro ISD

Socorro High School students gathered at the Don Haskins Center for the 2019 commencement. A Texas Education Agency investigation confirmed an internal audit report that at least 276 Socorro ISD graduates that year had not earned enough credits to graduate.

The Socorro Independent School District violated the Texas Education Code by graduating students who did not meet requirements, failing to disclose Trustee Paul Guerra’s connections to a vendor used by the district, and paying $283,000 in unauthorized stipends, according to a report released Friday by the Texas Education Agency.

The report was released after the board voted unanimously earlier this month to accept the appointment of one or more conservators to oversee the district and develop a corrective action plan in response to the TEA’s findings. Conservators appointed by the state have the authority to direct trustees and administrators, and overrule any of their decisions.

TEA has not yet appointed conservators for the district, which has 47,000 students.

As part of the plan, the TEA could change the district’s and its schools’ previous accountability ratings, which are used to grade academic performance and financial management.

The report said Socorro officials had cooperated with the investigation.

“It should be noted that Socorro ISD’s Board of Trustees requested this report without any attempt to negotiate its content. The Board specifically, and commendably, cited its desire to be transparent with its stakeholders and further believed that the issuance of the report was necessary to be fully informed when making decisions to reform its district,” the report said.

Socorro ISD INV2020-02-122 Final Report Draft 03.22.2024

TEA officials also said that Superintendent Nate Carman joined the district “after the substantiated violations occurred” and was “steadfast in his cooperation with this special investigation.” Carman, who was appointed superintendent in 2022, recently accepted a job with an Arizona school district and will leave Socorro in June.

In addition to finding violations that led to the appointment of one or more conservators, the report also mentioned a number of complaints made to TEA regarding board members and administrators. Those complaints – several of which involved Trustee Ricardo Castellano and his wife, Gabriela, then a teacher in the district – were considered closed by the district’s settlement agreement with TEA and were not resolved by investigators.

Guerra contested the investigation’s findings and told El Paso Matters he did nothing wrong.

SISD staff and board president Micheal Najera have not responded to requests for comments.

State Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso, said the report is a step toward repairing the district.

“Transparency and accountability are fundamental in public education and our students deserve nothing less. Socorro Independent School District’s decision to ask the Texas Education Agency to oversee district operations is a commendable step toward getting back on track, restoring trust, and advancing the well-being of students, teachers, and parents,” Blanco said. “While local governance will remain under SISD’s Board of Trustees and superintendent, our office is committed to working closely with SISD and TEA to promptly and effectively address any challenges and ensure our students receive the quality education they deserve to reach their full potential.”

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Improper graduations

The TEA report, based on investigations dating back to 2020, outlined a series of failures in El Paso’s second-largest school district. The most serious is a finding that confirmed a report from the district’s internal auditor that at least 276 seniors – about 8% of the total graduates – were allowed to graduate in 2019 even though they lacked the credits required by state law.

The internal audit found improper graduations at all district high schools, though the greatest number were at Socorro High School. Jose Espinoza, who resigned in 2021 , was Socorro ISD’s superintendent at the time.

Socorro had been aware since 2013 of potential problems in the way it tracked high school students, and implemented policies to address the problems, the report said.

“However, as will be referenced throughout this report, TEA investigators found that SISD administrators and staff failed to demonstrate sound adherence and lacked consistency in the implementation and monitoring of the revised policies and procedures,” the report said.

The investigation found that SISD incorrectly documented students’ academic records, resulting in at least 276 seniors graduating in Spring 2019 without meeting the local and state requirements. The TEA report only mentions 2019 and doesn’t allege improper graduations in other years.

In many of those cases, students did not earn credit because they got a failing grade below 70%, or missed too many classes. Texas law requires students to attend 90% of their classes to graduate. If they attend less than 90% but more than 75% of their classes, they can still graduate by completing a make-up plan approved by their principal.

In some cases, students completed their make-up plans, but were still not eligible for graduation because the district’s attendance committees did not verify their plans were completed until months after the ceremony.

Some students also did not meet graduation requirements because staff did not submit proper paperwork. SISD has a policy that allows two parts of a course to be averaged together to get a student a passing grade.

“For example, a student earning a 72 in the first semester of a course and a 68 the second semester would average out to a 70 and would be awarded credit for the entire course,” the report stated.

TEA investigators found that several students were not awarded credit under this policy because the forms were not submitted to initiate the process.

SISD did not contest any of the allegations about improper graduations in its response to TEA, according to the report.

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A trustee’s failure to report potential conflict of interest

The investigation also found that Guerra, who has served on the board since 2010, failed to submit forms disclosing that he was a sales manager for Insco Distributing Inc. — a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning supplies company — between 2017 and 2020. Insco has been an approved vendor for SISD since 2015, according to the report. Guerra only submitted the required forms in 2016 and 2021.

Under the Texas Education Code, school board members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest and refrain from discussing or voting on those issues if they make at least $2,500 in a year with a company doing business with the district.

Guerra told El Paso Matters that he filled out the forms every year since he took office in 2010, but the district did not keep a record of it.

“I submit those every year. Now we’re trying to find the records,” Guerra said. “Unfortunately, my mistake, I did not make a copy of the records but I did submit those.”

In October 2021, the board voted to approve a list of vendors — which included Insco — to provide heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment for the district.

Initially, SISD Trustee Pablo Barrera moved to approve the list without Insco, but Guerra argued the company should remain, the TEA report said. Guerra initially voted against the motion, but later abstained in a revote after he was reminded Insco was a part of the list.

Though Guerra officially abstained from voting, the TEA found that his comments during the deliberation were improper.

Guerra said he didn’t know he shouldn’t have taken part in those discussions.

“I shouldn’t have done that, which I had no idea,” Guerra said. “I should have just stayed quiet. But it was like ‘hey guys I filled out the paperwork, I’m OK.’”

Guerra said the only thing he discussed with the board was the fact that he did fill out the required conflict of interest forms.

In response to an open records request from El Paso Matters, SISD staff said the district had no records of any conflict of interest disclosure forms from 2022 to 2024.

In its response to TEA, Socorro ISD claimed the state’s conflict of interest laws only apply to elected officials themselves, so it had no obligation to file a disclosure on behalf of Guerra. The district also asserted that conflict of interest forms are only required to be submitted if a vendor gives a gift to a board member or staff. TEA officials rejected those arguments, and said both Guerra and the district had an obligation to note his potential conflict of interest.

Prior to the release of the investigation, Najera told El Paso Matters that he would take accountability and potentially resign if he was named in the report.

Guerra said he has no intentions of resigning.

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Improper stipends

TEA investigators also found that Socorro ISD made 246 improper stipend payments to staff, totalling $283,000, between 2016 and 2022. The stipends were not authorized in the compensation plan approved by the school board in those years, the report said.

The improper payments included nearly $78,000 in stipends for soccer coaches and over $33,000 for special education teachers. SISD did not contest any of the allegations about unauthorized stipends, according to the report. The report does not appear to seek repayment of the unauthorized stipends from employees who received them.

The TEA also investigated allegations that trustees and staff met outside of scheduled board meetings to discuss the results of the graduation audit and misused special education funds.

The report states investigators did not find enough evidence to determine there was a violation.

The Castellanos told El Paso Matters they believe they are being targeted by the school district and the TEA for previously blowing the whistle on the unapproved stipends.

They provided no evidence that they were being targeted

Other complaints to TEA

In addition to the 36-page report on the findings that led to the decision to appoint one or more conservators, TEA also released a three-page appendix of 11 other complaints involving Socorro ISD the agency had investigated since 2021. TEA said Socorro school board members had requested that the appendix be made public.

“These complaints … have not been fully investigated at the time of this Final Report. These complaints have been resolved through settlement and therefore investigations will not be completed in their regular course,” the report appendix said, adding that they are “forwarded to the Board and the appointed Conservator(s) as an aid to further necessary reforms.”

One of the complaints involved an audio recording of school board members Castellano and Barrera “discussing engaging in board overreach and retaliation against the principal of the campus on which one of their wives worked as a teacher. The audio recording appeared to refer to their desire to involve themselves in several personnel issues in the district,” according to the report appendix.

TEA opened this investigation on Jan. 10, 2023, about three weeks after El Paso Matters published a story about the recording , which Gabriela Castellano had submitted in 2021 as part of a grievance against her principal at Bill Sybert School. Ricardo Castellano is a retired El Paso police lieutenant.

More: APPENDIX Q Summary of Additional Complaints

Three of the complaints investigated by TEA came from Gabriela Castellano, alleging that her principal and other district officials were acting improperly. In one complaint, she alleged that a school board member who wasn’t identified “stared at her ‘with anger’ at a game.”

Three of the complaints – including the audio recording – involved allegations of wrongdoing by the Castellanos, including one by Gabriela Castellano’s principal. Gabriela Castellano is no longer employed by Socorro ISD.

Another complaint accuses school board member Barrera, a retired Border Patrol agent, of harassing a teacher after Barrera’s child wasn’t admitted to a magnet program.

The most recent complaint was filed on Nov. 17, 2023, by Ricardo Castellano, alleging the board was violating its own policies on placing and removing items from the agenda.

Stipend for graduate students to be increased starting fall 2024

June 3, 2024
2 min. read

The minimum academic year stipend level for all graduate, teaching and research assistants funded through the Graduate School has been raised to $20,000 (plus any graduate student fees) starting in fall 2024, as approved by Provost Kimo Ah Yun.

Marquette will additionally provide regular annual increases to the stipend pool.

Assistantships funded through sources outside the Graduate School (i.e., operational dollars, endowment dollars, research grants, etc.) and all centrally funded university fellowships will also have a minimum stipend of $20,000 per year, which will be in place no later than fall 2026.

For all research assistantships funded through grants, stipend levels as budgeted in the grant are allowable until the currently funded grant is completed. If possible, it is recommended that principal investigators work with their campus administrators and grant sponsors to raise the minimum stipend as soon as possible.

Principal investigators should start budgeting the new minimum rate into new grant applications and funding proposals, including the cost of the student fees and supplemental stipend, effective immediately.

The provost also approved the following:

Departments that wish to pay more than the minimum stipend for reasons of competitiveness can reorganize their allotment from the Graduate School to make this possible, or they can use departmental funds to supplement the award.
Provide accessible, structured education and guidance for students seeking health insurance on the exchange
Maintain the current supplemental stipend at $750 per year
Make clear in TA/GA/RA appointment letters that support in finding health insurance through the exchange will be provided
Students interested in financial aid from the Marquette University Graduate School are strongly encouraged to submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) .

These actions are based on recommendations from the Workgroup to Address Student Stipends; they were approved by the University Board of Graduate Students and subsequently endorsed by University Academic Senate.

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Inspiring Industry Leaders to Address the Class of 2024

Written by Tina Potterf

June 4, 2024

A graphic featuring all three commencement guests

National Science Foundation Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan will speak to undergraduates and Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke to graduate students at Climate Pledge Arena.

As Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan brings a distinguished career in science, technology, engineering and education to an agency tasked with advancing STEM education and all fields of scientific discovery.

Dr. Panchanathan will share his wisdom and advice running this $9 billion federal agency with the Class of 2024 as this year’s undergraduate speaker at Commencement, Sunday, June 9 at Climate Pledge Arena .

Prior to becoming director of NSF, Panchanathan served on the National Science Board for six years and on several high-level research and innovation organizations. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Computing Machinery and other prestigious science and engineering organizations, Dr. Panchanathan’s scientific contributions have advanced the areas of human-centered multimedia computing and computing technologies.

During his three-plus decades in higher education, Dr. Panchanathan served on the faculty at the University of Ottawa and Arizona State University (ASU), where he held a number of leadership posts, including executive vice president of the ASU Knowledge Enterprise, as well as chief research and innovation officer.

At this year’s graduate ceremony, the man who helped make the Seattle Sounders FC and Seattle Kraken sports teams a reality in Seattle will deliver remarks.

Speaker Tod Leiweke is currently the CEO for the Kraken and is largely credited as the architect for building a top-notch NHL expansion team. And the place where he will be speaking—Climate Pledge Arena—also has his imprint as he was instrumental in its redevelopment.

Prior to being appointed CEO in April 2018, Leiweke served as the NFL’s Chief Operating Officer for three years where he oversaw day-to-day operations of the league. As CEO of the Seattle Seahawks from 2002 to 2010, he led the team to its first Super Bowl appearance in 2006 and helped lay the groundwork for a period of extraordinary success, including the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory in 2014.

In addition to their roles as keynote speakers, Dr. Panchanathan and Leiweke will be joined by Virginia Cross in receiving Honorary Doctorates at the ceremonies.

Born into poverty on the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation in 1939, Cross is a true trailblazer. At an early age she learned the importance of education in moving herself and her people forward. When she earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Washington she would become one of her tribe’s first college graduates. In the 1960s, Cross would become Muckleshoot’s first Head Start Director before serving as the first Indian Education Coordinator for the Auburn School District.

Without question her career in tribal government is unparallelled. Cross is in her 40th year as an elected member of the nine-member Muckleshoot Tribal Council, serving as Tribal Chairman for a record 19 of those years.

As Coast Salish people throughout the greater Pacific Northwest say, “We raise our hands to you, Virginia Cross.”

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The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial ...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. ... NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and $16,000 cost of education allowance to the graduate degree-granting institution of higher education for each Fellow who ...
NSF 23-605: Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
NSF awards $53,000 each year to the GRFP institution to cover the Fellow stipend and Cost of Education allowance for each NSF Graduate Research Fellow "on tenure" at the institution. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellowship stipend is $37,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated in monthly increments of $3,083.
NSF 101: Graduate and postdoctoral researcher funding opportunities
The U.S. National Science Foundation supports research opportunities and provides stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and scholars. ... This supplemental funding opportunity is for graduate students funded by active NSF grants. PIs may submit for up to an additional six months of funding to allow students to participate in ...
Funding for Graduate Students
The NSF Research Traineeship Program gives graduate students opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge needed to pursue a range of STEM careers. Graduate students funded by the program receive, at minimum, 12-month-long stipends that support their participation in the program's training activities, which can include courses, workshops ...
PDF Applying to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program [email protected] www.nsfgrfp.org. ... -$34,000 Annual Stipend -$12,000 Educational allowance directly to graduate institution in lieu of tuition and fees
NSF 18-573: Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
NSF awards $46,000 each year to the GRFP institution to cover the Fellow stipend and cost-of-education allowance for each NSF Graduate Research Fellow "on tenure" at the institution. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellowship stipend is $34,000 for a 12-month tenure period, prorated in monthly increments of $2,833.
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For Fellows on Tenure with an NSF-approved Medical Deferral, there is a limited paid leave option: (1) If the GRFP Institution's graduate student leave policies allow for paid leave, those leave policies apply; or (2) In the absence of paid graduate student leave policies at the GRFP Institution, Fellows may continue to receive stipend payments ...
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National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program . Administrative Guide . Effective March 28, 2022. Directorate for Education & Human Resources . Division of Graduate Education . NSF 22-067 (Replaces NSF 16-104 and all other previous GRFP guidance*) * includes Important Notice No. 113 dated July 30, 1991, which is hereby rescinded
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. ... Currently, NSF provides a stipend of $34,000 to the Fellow and a cost-of-education allowance of $12,000 to the graduate degree-granting institution for each Fellow ...
Funding at NSF
Funded by NSF, the Innovative Postdoctoral Entrepreneurial Research Fellowship (I-PERF) recruits, trains, mentors, matches and funds early-career, Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers so they can participate in innovative entrepreneurial activities at some of the nation's most promising startup companies. Fellows receive an annual stipend of $78,000, optional individual health and life ...
How to Financially Manage Your NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
A guarantee of funding for additional years. A one-time bonus. A stipend supplement above $34,000 while you have the fellowship. A stipend supplement after the fellowship concludes (e.g., up to $34,000/year for your remaining time in graduate school) Not all departments offer additional funding to NSF GRFP recipients, but it's worth inquiring ...
NSF-GRFP
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) is a grant awarded annually by the National Science Foundation to approximately 2,000 students pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees in the natural, social, and engineering sciences at US institutions. As of 2024, the fellowship provides an honorarium of $16,000 to be placed towards the cost of ...
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF
Amount awarded: Each 12-month fellowship year provides a $37,000 stipend for the student and a $12,000 Cost of Education (COE) allowance awarded to the institution. These funds are remitted to and administered by Princeton. The Graduate School provides full tuition for GRFP awardees while on funding from the NSF Fellowship.
Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides three years of financial support for graduate study. It aims to keep the nation a global leader in advancing science and engineering research and innovation. Recipients receive a $37,000 annual stipend and $16,000 education allowance from NSF, plus the UW-Madison Graduate School contributes toward…
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
This document has been archived and replaced by NSF 12-062.. May 2011 "Frequently Asked Questions" are not comprehensive. Individuals should refer to the original, policy documents - Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Program Solicitation and Administrative Guide for Fellows and Coordinating Officials - for official guidance and/or contact the GRFP Institution Coordinating Official ...
PDF U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 USC 1861-75). The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM.
Six Biological Sciences Graduate Students Selected for 2023 NSF
The highly competitive five-year NSF GRFP fellowships provide three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000. The GRFP program selects outstanding master's and Ph.D. graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology engineering and mathematics disciplines.
NERS graduate students receive NSF fellowships
Logan Burnett and Nataly R. Panczyk have received fellowships from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. In receiving these prestigious fellowships, both Logan and Nataly have demonstrated their exceptional dedication to advancing scientific research and innovation in their respective fields.
NSF 101: The Mentoring plan
The postdoctoral mentoring plan has been an NSF requirement since 2009, recognizing the important role that mentorship plays in the postdoctoral experience and their future career paths. As of 2024, the mentoring plan has been expanded to include postdoctoral researchers and graduate students.
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Mechanical engineering doctoral student Betelhiem Mengesha was recently awarded a 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The prestigious five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support inclusive of an annual stipend to help fund her research on heat exchanger (HX) design optimization for metal ...
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Madison Glenwinkel, a student in the College of Liberal Arts, received the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP) award
Dear Colleague Letter: NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology
The NSF S-STEM program addresses the need for a high-quality STEM workforce in STEM disciplines supported by the program by providing scholarships to academically-talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees in these disciplines. This DCL encourages active ATE ...
Pathways to Success Symposium to be Held June 4 : Graduate School
Graduate students and postdocs looking for an engaging professional development opportunity are in luck: The Graduate School's 2024 Summer Pathways to Success Symposium will be held tomorrow, June 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in 146 and 148 Stocking Hall. Attendees are invited to attend one or all of this year's sessions, including:
August graduate Luis Schneegans bound for doctoral program at Stanford
The soon-to-be graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis had just gotten the email letting him know he'd been accepted into ... The program is funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation. Participating students attend monthly meetings and receive a stipend each semester provided they maintain a minimum GPA and meet ...
TEA report exposes widespread failings at Socorro ISD
The improper payments included nearly $78,000 in stipends for soccer coaches and over $33,000 for special education teachers. SISD did not contest any of the allegations about unauthorized ...
Stipend for graduate students to be increased starting fall 2024
The minimum academic year stipend level for all graduate, teaching and research assistants funded through the Graduate School has been raised to $20,000 (plus any graduate student fees) starting in fall 2024, as approved by Provost Kimo Ah Yun. Marquette will additionally provide regular annual increases to the stipend pool.
Inspiring Industry Leaders to Address the Class of 2024
National Science Foundation Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan will speak to undergraduates and Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke to graduate students at Climate Pledge Arena. As Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan brings a distinguished career in ...

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Dear Colleague Letter: NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Program (S-STEM) Scholarship Supplements for Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Recipients

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Inspiring Industry Leaders to Address the Class of 2024

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