By Kristin Janka, Jennifer Desloover, and Melanie Brender
A total of 21 exceptional undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni from Michigan State University have been selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), while 18 more received honorable mentions.
The GRFP is the country’s oldest graduate fellowship program that supports students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.
Graduate Research Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with: a $12,000 education allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education.
This year, 2,599 applicants were awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship through the National Science Foundation. Out of the awardees, 21 are MSU students or graduates. They are:
- Jenna Baljunas, a Ph.D. student studying integrative biology, along with ecology, evolution, and behavior through the College of Natural Science.
- Christopher Bridges, a 2008 alumnus of the College of Social Science. Bridges graduated with a master’s degree in criminal justice.
- Shannon Carraway, a 2024 alumna of the Honors College and the College of Natural Science. Carraway graduated with a bachelor’s degree in genomics and molecular genetics.
- Eva Conley, a 2025 alumna of the Honors College and Lyman Briggs College. Conley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physiology.
- Timothy Goldsmith, a Ph.D. student studying biomedical engineering through the College of Engineering.
- Aubert Kamdem, a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in mechanical engineering through the College of Engineering.
- Emily Kaminsky, a 2025 alumnus of the Honors College and the College of Natural Science. Kaminsky graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biochemical and molecular biology.
- Gillian Kuehnle, a fourth-year undergraduate Honors College and College of Engineering student. Kuehnle is graduating this semester with a bachelor’s degree in biosystems engineering.
- Kristin Leutgeb, a Ph.D. student studying entomology through the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
- Dylan Luce, a 2025 alumnus of the Honors College and the College of Natural Science. Luce graduated with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology.
- Aria Muchhal, a 2024 alumna of the Honors College, the College of Social Science, and the College of Natural Science. Muchhal graduated with one bachelor’s degree in economics, and another in genomics and molecular genetics.
- Lauren Murray, a 2025 alumna of the Honors College and the College of Engineering. Murray graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
- Shubhan Nagarkar, a third-year undergraduate Honors College, College of Engineering, and College of Natural Science student. Nagarkar is graduating this semester with one bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and another in molecular biology/biotechnology.
- Sydney Petz, a Ph.D. student studying astrophysics and astronomy through the College of Natural Science.
- Elena Renshaw, a Ph.D. student studying integrative biology, along with ecology, evolution, and behavior through the College of Natural Science.
- Sara Sawford, a 2025 alumna of the Honors College and the College of Natural Science. Sawford graduated with bachelor’s degrees in physics and advanced mathematics.
- Rachel Schenck, a 2025 alumna of the Honors College and the College of Engineering. Schenck graduated with one bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and another in materials science and engineering.
- Samantha Schulte, a fourth-year undergraduate Honors College and College of Engineering student majoring in chemical engineering.
- Netsanet Waal, a Ph.D. student studying chemical engineering through the College of Engineering.
- Caden Wade, a 2025 alumnus of the Honors College and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Wade graduated with a bachelor’s degree in crop and soil sciences. He currently studies biosystems engineering as a Ph.D. student at MSU.
- Bryce Waller, a 2025 alumnus of the College of Natural Science with a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology/microbiology. Waller currently studies microbiology, genetics, and immunology as a Ph.D. student at MSU.
Many of these awardees used resources and workshops from MSU’s Distinguished Student Awards Office and the Graduate School to strengthen their applications.
Please contact Melanie Brender at brenderm@msu.edu for media inquiries on this story.