Three University of Illinois chemistry students have won the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.
Launched in 1952, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program is the nation’s oldest and largest fellowship program for graduate students. It is also one of the most prestigious. Previous recipients include Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google), Steven Chu (former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy), Ben Bernanke (former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve), and 42 Nobel Laureates.
Rianna Greer is a senior undergraduate finishing her research in Professor Allison Fout's group. She plans to attend Northwestern this fall to begin her PhD in chemistry. Her preferred research is on sustainable catalysis.
Anand Poozhikunnel is a second year graduate student in Professor Steve Zimmerman's group. His research is in drug delivery strategies for small molecule drugs targeting RNA to treat Myotonic Dystrophy I.
Alison Wallum is a second year graduate student in Professors Martin Gruebele and Joseph Lyding's group. Her research is in imaging excited states and energy transfer dynamics of nanomaterials.
The NSF-GRF supports students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and social science fields. Applications are evaluated according to NSF’s two review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts. Awardees generally are those who demonstrate exemplary promise as researchers as well as show a record of using their research and related skills to benefit society.
Fellowships provide three years of support and come with a $34,000 annual stipend along with coverage of tuition and fees. Awardees also have access to international research opportunities, supercomputing resources, and internships with federal agencies.