Twelve MSU NatSci students, alumni named NSF Graduate Research Fellows
Twelve exceptional students and alumni from Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science (NatSci) were among 25 MSU recipients named 2023 fellows of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
The program is the country’s oldest graduate fellowship program that supports graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.
NSF Graduate Research Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution), opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education they choose. This year, a total of 2,552 applicants were awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
"Student success is central to the mission of MSU, and the accomplishments of our graduate students represent excellence in research, collaboration, and mentoring," said Pero G. Dagbovie, dean of the Graduate School and associate provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies. “It's a great honor to see so many of our talented graduate students receive Graduate Research Fellowships. The Graduate School team extends an enthusiastic congratulations to all the recipients and honorable mentions from MSU.”
The 12 NatSci NSF Graduate Research Fellows are:
- Katie Brandel-Ankrapp, 2020 alumna with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in the College of Natural Science.
- Cade Dembski, 2022 Honors College alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in physics in the College of Natural Science.
- Joe Faryean, 2020 alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in the College of Natural Science.
- Savannah Finley, 2021 Honors College alumna with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in the College of Natural Science.
- Aalayna Green, 2021 alumna with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in the College of Natural Science.
- Brandon Kristy, Ph.D. student majoring in integrative biology in the College of Natural Science.
- Riley Lawson, Honors College senior majoring in electrical engineering in the College of Engineering, and advanced mathematics in the College of Natural Science.
- Sylvie Ann Martin-Eberhardt, Ph.D. student majoring in plant biology; and ecology, evolution, and behavior in the College of Natural Science.
- Nasser Mohammed, Ph.D. student majoring in integrative biology in the College of Natural Science.
- Kieran Nehil-Puleo, 2021 Honors College alumnus with bachelor’s degrees in materials science and engineering in the College of Engineering, and statistics in the College of Natural Science.
- Allison Nieto, 2019 Honors College alumna with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience in the College of Natural Science.
- Preethi Saravanan, 2021 Honors College alumna with a bachelor’s degree in genomics and molecular genetics in the College of Natural Science.
“The College of Natural Science is incredibly proud of these graduate students and their mentors,” said Amy Ralston, NatSci associate dean for graduate studies. “Their persistence and commitment will yield the highest quality scientific training experience. This is the Spartan way!”
For a complete list of all MSU 2023 NSF GRF recipients, visit https://nifs.msu.edu/news/2023-NSF-GRFP-Awardees.html
The Graduate School is the principal advocate for graduate, graduate professional, and post-doctoral education at Michigan State University, and provides training opportunities for students and research trainees like the annual GRFP grant-writing workshop through the MSU AGEP Program. Additionally, the Graduate School collaborates with several minority-serving institutions and invites GRFP applicants from our partner institutions to participate in the annual workshop series.
The National/International Fellowship and Scholarship (NIFS) Office at Michigan State University, administered by the Honors College, helps interested undergraduate and graduate students pursue major national and international opportunities by providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application processes.
Banner image: The College of Natural Science (NatSci) at Michigan State University is home to 27 departments and programs in the biological, physical and mathematical sciences. The college averages $57M in research expenditures annually while providing world-class educational opportunities to more than 6,000 undergraduate majors and 1,200 graduate and postdoc students. There are 800+ faculty and academic staff associated with NatSci, and more than 63,000 living alumni worldwide. Credit: Harley J. Seeley
