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Achieving a Dream

We have an incredibly talented pool of undergraduates, and they are getting recognition for it.

Fellowship Advisor Jennie LaMonte

 Jennifer Ricks ('08) was one of 18 NC State undergrads named Graduate Research Fellows by the National Science Foundation.

Jennifer Ricks ('08) was one of 18 NC State undergrads named Graduate Research Fellows by the National Science Foundation.

Year after year, NC State's reputation for churning out high-achieving undergraduate students grows without limitations, and 2008 has proven to be no different with the announcement that the National Science Foundation has offered the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) to a group that includes 18 science, mathematics, engineering and technology undergrads and alumni.

"NC State students are now garnering the national recognition that they have deserved all along," fellowship advisor Jennie LaMonte said. "We have an incredibly talented pool of undergraduates, and they are getting recognition for it."

The GRF program invests in graduate education for a select group of diverse individuals who demonstrate potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation. The three-year awards include a stipend of $30,000 per year, as well as an educational allowance that covers tuition, fees and health insurance.

"I was very excited and honored to be selected for this fellowship," said biochemistry and chemistry major Jennifer Ricks ('08), one of two 2007 Goldwater Scholars to be offered the GRF this year along with Jennifer Boyd ('08). "I've been able to do some undergraduate research at NC State that really prepared me to apply for this fellowship and to do research at the next level."

Ricks – a Massachussets Institute of Technology summer-research veteran who will return to MIT for graduate school – and Boyd are joined by 16 other undergraduate students and alumni, as well as NC State graduate student Helen Chappell in receiving fellowships – an increase of more than 200% over the number of GRFs earned by NC State students in 2007. In comparison to students at peer institutions across the nation, NC State ranked second only to Cornell University in the total number of undergraduates honored.

"The university has done a very good job in preparing me to achieve my goals and ambitions," said Boyd, a biomedical engineering and German studies major who will be attending graduate school at the University of Oxford. "It's obviously working on a larger scale, because we've had so many students selected for the Fellowship."

In addition, 15 students and alumni received Honorable Mention recognition from the program. Of the 30 undergraduate students and alumni receiving NSF GRF recognition and awards, 25 were involved in the University Honors Program or University Scholars Program at NC State.

"These students did not reach this level alone," LaMonte said. "A huge thanks goes out to the many people who contributed to the accomplishments of these outstanding young scientists and engineers.

"It is readily apparent that undergraduate research, scholarly accomplishment, and intensive support from enrichment programs are critical elements in preparation for success in this highly competitive program."

Boyd agreed, adding that she felt the NC State's support during her undergraduate years gave her a distinct advantage in submitting her application for the Graduate Research Fellowship.

"NC State has made a lot of options available to students through different summer research opportunities," Boyd said. "Through a number of NC State programs, I was able to do summer research at both Duke and Oxford, which validated that I wanted to go to graduate school and that I also wanted to pursue orthopedic engineering."

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A complete list of NC State's 2008 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows and Honorable Mention recipients follows:

2008 NSF Graduate Research Fellows:

  • Colleen Bowker ('08): USP, Environmental Engineering
  • Jennifer Boyd ('08): Caldwell, USP, Biomedical Engineering & German Studies
  • Emily Chandler ('06): UHP, Biological Engineering
  • Helen Chappell (Graduate School): Materials Science & Engineering
  • Andrew Coughlin ('07): USP, URP, Biomedical Engineering & Textile Engineering
  • James Etheridge ('08): UHP, Biological Engineering
  • Allison Finger ('07) USP, Biomedical Engineering
  • Samia Ilias ('07): USP, Chemical Engineering
  • Joy Johnson ('06): UHP, Electrical Engineering
  • Amit Lakhani ('07): UHP, Electrical Engineering & Physics
  • K. Wesley Overton ('07): Park, USP, Chemical Engineering
  • Kasey Phillips ('08): Park, USP, Applied Maths & Physics
  • Diana Proffit ('06): Park, UHP, URP, Materials Science + Engineering
  • Jennifer Ricks ('08): UHP, Biochemistry & Chemistry
  • Jennifer Robison ('08): USP, Computer Science + Engineering
  • Brian Selgrade ('07): UHP, CSLEPS, Biomedical Engineering
  • S. Michael Stewart ('07): Chemical Engineering
  • M. Erin Anderson Summers ('07): USP, Electrical Engineering
  • Peter Thompson ('08): UHP, Biochemistry

2008 NSF GRF Honorable Mention recognition:

  • Tracey Addy (Graduate School): Zoology
  • Sara Arvidson (Graduate School): Chemical Engineering
  • Megan Chesser ('07): Caldwell, USP, Zoology
  • Brian Clark ('08): Caldwell, USP, Physics
  • Anthony Franklin (Graduate School): Applied Maths
  • Troy Gould ('08): USP, Chemical Engineering & Textile Engineering
  • Olguitza Guzman ('00): Microbiology
  • Kristy Lamb ('06): UHP, Microbiology & MDS
  • Eric Lownes ('08): UHP, Applied Maths & Physics
  • Ryan McCulloch ('07 & Graduate School): USP, Biomedical Engineering
  • Frank Myers ('07): UHP, Electrical Engineering
  • James Reale-Levis (Graduate School): Environmental Engineering
  • David Roberson ('07): USP, Mathematics
  • Katherine Schadel ('05): USP, Chemical Engineering
  • J. Megan Woltz ('07): USP, Zoology