KNOXVILLE — Seven University of Tennessee students have been recognized by the National Science Foundation for their classroom work and academic research in the fields of science, mathematics and engineering.
Brandice Green, a graduate student in materials science, and Stacy Hutchens, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, were awarded fellowships which include a $27,500 stipend and a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance.
Dr. Thomas Broadhead, director of the University of Tennessee honors program, said the awards are very prestigious.
“The NSF graduate research fellowships are some of the greatest awards that the federal government gives to both undergraduate students who are graduating and to graduate students who have excelled in research in science and engineering,” Broadhead said.
The NSF gives fellowships and honorable mention recognition to hundreds of graduating seniors and graduate students in the United States each year, to promote graduate research leading to masters or doctoral degrees.
These awards are not easy to earn, Broadhead said.
“The principal factors that are considered include the academic strength of the student’s curriculum, but more importantly, the student’s experience in research,” Broadhead said.
“These are awards that not only promote high-quality research by students in their graduate student careers, but also recognize an established record of research, either as undergraduates or early in their graduate student careers.”
UT students receiving honorable mention were:
–Erik Clayton, civil engineering,
–Ryan Kerekes, computer engineering,
–Joel Outten, biomedical engineering,
–Charles Price, ecology and evolutionary biology,
–Monette Vessell, biosystems engineering.
Additional information about the NSF graduate research fellowships is available on the Internet at http://www.orau.org/nsf/nsffel.htm.