VCU news

By William Lineberry
University College & Honors College

Four Virginia Commonwealth University students and two recent alums have been selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, a prestigious national initiative that helps graduate students advance their studies in STEM-based disciplines.

The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution. Fellows must be pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree at an accredited institution.

“Congratulations to our students and alumni on this incredible achievement,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., VCU’s vice president for research and innovation. “The VCU research enterprise has been experiencing exponential growth, and our students have a big role to play in that success. These six awards are further proof that the research conducted by our students is not only important but some of the best in the nation.”

The four current VCU students honored as NSF Graduate Research Fellows for 2024 are:

• Gabriella Daire, an undergraduate senior graduating this spring from the Honors College with a biology degree from the College of Humanities and Sciences.
• Trevor Franklin, a doctoral student in mechanical and nuclear engineering (working with Lane Carasik, Ph.D.) in the College of Engineering.

• Hannah Heintz, a doctoral student in psychology (working with Annie Haynos, Ph.D.) in the College of Humanities and Sciences.
• Kelly Ott, a doctoral student and Honors College alum in biomedical engineering (working with Jennifer Puetzer, Ph.D.) in the College of Engineering.

The two recent alums honored as NSF Graduate Research Fellows for 2024 are:

• Catherine Lamb, an Honors College alum who graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Humanities and Sciences.
• Caitlin Terry, an Honors College alum who graduated in May 2022 with biology and chemistry degrees from the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“It has been exciting and rewarding to work with more and more of our graduating seniors and graduate students on their applications for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship – their research is incredible, and they are truly moving mountains, both within and beyond their labs,” said Meredith Sisson, associate director of VCU’s National Scholarship Office, which is based in the Honors College. “That our students are increasingly competitive for awards like the GRF is a natural result of VCU’s growing focus on and success in research, innovation and transformative learning. The National Scholarship Office is delighted to be part of this growth.”

VCU’s National Scholarship Office assists students and alumni with applying for prestigious national and international scholarships. To learn more about opportunities, visit the NSO website and schedule an appointment.