Four From U of A Chosen as NSF Graduate Research Fellows

top, l-r: Lauren Gentles, Chris Matthews; bottom, l-r: Karla Morriseey, Stephanie Sandoval.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Four University of Arkansas students – two currently enrolled and two recent graduates – have received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for the upcoming academic year.

Each fellowship is worth $34,000 per year and can be renewed for up to three years. The awards are given to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and recognize academic excellence and the potential contribution that each student will make to his or her field and to society at large.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellows from the U of A are:

• Lauren Gentles, from Pearcy, who graduated in 2014 as an honors biology major with a minor in music.
• Christopher Matthews, from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, who graduated in 2017 as an honors electrical engineering major with minors in mathematics and computer science.
• Karla Morrissey, from Beebe, a doctoral student in chemical engineering.
• Stephanie Sandoval, from Springdale, an honors electrical engineering major.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this prestigious fellowship to continue pursuing my doctorate in chemical engineering,” said Morrissey. “I am grateful for my mentor, Dr. [Greg] Thoma, who has provided me with invaluable guidance throughout both my undergraduate and graduate years. This award not only inspires me to continue my education in STEM, but will also help me in pursuing a career in science policy in the future.”

“I am thrilled to have received this fellowship,” said Sandoval. “It provides me the freedom to make my research my own and not worry about the grant I am tied to. I greatly appreciate all the support I have received from my mentors in my department and across campus. I know this award will jump start my career in many incalculable ways.”

Along with fellowships, each student’s institution will receive $12,000 per year to offset tuition costs, bringing the total amount of funding awarded to these four students close to half a million dollars.

“NSF Graduate Research Fellows are incredibly competitive,” said Jim Coleman, provost and executive vice chancellor. “The National Science Foundation selects students who have a strong record of research in a STEM field, and it provides remarkable support both financially and educationally. These four University of Arkansas recipients competed successfully with the best this country has to offer in math, science and engineering. They have benefited from dedicated support from outstanding U of A faculty, and they are ready to start the next phase of their preparation for a career in STEM research. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments on our campus and beyond it. They are clearly exceptional scholars, who will continue to do exceptional work.” 

In addition to the Fellows, six more U of A students received honorable mentions:  graduate student Emma Menio (geosciences); undergraduate Casey Gibson (biological engineering); and recent graduates Kinan Alhallak (biomedical engineering), Logan Jones (astrophysics), Indran Kamalanathan (environmental engineering), and Kaylee Smith (chemical engineering).

NSF FELLOWSHIP RECIPIENTS

Lauren Gentles conducted undergraduate research at the U of A with Young Min Kwon and Byungwhi Kong, both professors in poultry science. After she graduated, she participated in the National Institutes of Health post-baccalaureate program. Gentles is currently a doctoral student in microbiology at the University of Washington.

Christopher Matthews was a member of the Honors College as an undergraduate, working under Morgan Ware, assistant professor of electrical engineering. He is currently a doctoral student in electrical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Karla Morrissey conducts graduate research with Greg Thoma, professor of chemical engineering, and Lauren Greenlee, assistant professor of chemical engineering. She received her honors undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the U of A and was a 2016 Goldwater Scholar. Her research  focuses on a life cycle assessment and sustainability of phosphorus recovery in wastewater treatment plants.

Stephanie Sandoval currently works with Zhong Chen, assistant professor of electrical engineering. During her undergraduate career she has been named a 3M GEM Fellow and worked at the Sandia National Laboratories.

“Each year, I am delighted to see stellar engineering and science students excel at this top academic level,” said John English, dean of the College of Engineering.  “The NSF GRFP is a highly sought after, very prestigious award. That our students regularly win speaks highly of the faculty in engineering and across the campus.  The College of Engineering heartily congratulates all the students who were recognized both as Fellows and as honorable mentions. Both are remarkable achievements.”

“I want to join in congratulating these amazing students who have been selected for recognition,” said Todd Shields, dean of the J. William Fulbright of Arts and Sciences. “Their successes reflect well on our faculty and our university. I always feel encouraged for the future when I see such talented, ambitious students focusing their careers on research and the discovery of new knowledge in the sciences.”

Since 1952, the National Science Foundation has awarded the highly competitive Graduate Research Fellowship to around 50,000 students in the STEM fields. The graduate fellowship program is one of the NSF’s oldest and most highly competitive, with roots in the foundation’s original 1950 charter. Each year, approximately 2,000 applicants are selected through a rigorous NSF peer-review process. Each grant supports graduate study that leads to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree. NSF Graduate Research Fellows are promising young mathematicians, scientists and engineers who are expected to pursue lifelong careers marked by significant contributions to research, teaching and industrial applications in science, mathematics and engineering. This group of fellowship recipients raises the total number of awardees from the U of A to 132.

University of Arkansas students and recent alumni interested in applying for scholarship and fellowships such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu or 479-575-3771. More information is available at awards.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.

This story originally appeared in the University of Arkansas’ Newswire publication. Please visit news.uark.edu for more stories like this.