Fourteen current or former University of Notre Dame students have been awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships, with an additional 12 selected as alternates for the award.
Established in 1952, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides financial and other support to students in NSF-backed STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines to participate in research-based master’s and doctoral degree programs at accredited institutions in the U.S.
Applicants work closely with their advisers to create compelling personal statements and research plans. Notre Dame students can also consult with experts from the (CUSE) or its counterpart, the , in the Graduate 91ĘÓƵ.
Jeffrey Thibert is the Paul and Maureen Stefanick Director of CUSE.
“Being recognized by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program is in part a marker of past achievement and in part a predictor of the applicant’s capacity to contribute to STEM fields in a way that both demonstrates intellectual merit and produces positive broader impacts,” Thibert said. “It’s wonderful to see another strong showing from Notre Dame, and the CUSE team encourages any undergraduates and recent alumni considering graduate school in a STEM field to reach out to us to discuss the NSF GRFP and other fellowship programs.”
In addition to congratulating the winning students, Thibert thanked the faculty mentors and advisers who assisted them throughout the application process — particularly Emily Buika Hunt, the CUSE assistant director of scholarly development, who works with undergraduate and alumni applicants.
Michael Skalski is the associate program director in the Graduate 91ĘÓƵ’s Office of Grants and Fellowships.
“Navigating the NSF application process is a rigorous intellectual exercise that requires students to envision the long-term impact of their work,” Skalski said. “We are thrilled to see so many of our applicants recognized for their hard work, and we look forward to the contributions they will make to the global STEM landscape.”
The fellows are:
Undergraduate
• Jonathan Lewis (engineering)
• Dongwhi Kim (computer science)
Undergraduate alumni
• Thomas Barbera (physics and astronomy)
• Levi Cherek (chemistry)
• Caitlin Cunningham (psychology)
• Matthew Doty (physics and astronomy)
• Caroline Hoy (engineering)
• Carmelina Komyatte (life sciences)
• Matthew LaCapra (engineering)
• Isabella Weiner (engineering)
• Victor Williams (engineering)
Graduate
• Akash Narayanan (mathematical sciences)
• Sarah Shibuya (life sciences)
• Zachary Toth (engineering)
The alternates are:
Undergraduate
• Adriana Baniecki (physics and astronomy)
• Charles Desnoyers (chemistry)
• Thomas Reimer (chemistry)
Undergraduate Alumni
• James Galante (life sciences)
• Giorgi Kharchilava (chemistry)
• Molly Quan (life sciences)
Graduate
• Jacob DiBiase (geosciences)
• Emma Page (psychology)
• Allison Portaro (chemistry)
• Ilya Sniff (engineering)
• Maggie Stephens (engineering)
• Andrew Yeomans-Stephenson (physics and astronomy)