McKelvey Engineering students, alumni win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

The fellowships include a three-year annual stipend and cost-of-education allowance

Beth Miller 04.12.2019

Four McKelvey School of Engineering alumni, including two current graduate students, and two current students, have been offered the highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The fellowship includes a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the opportunity to conduct his or her own research.

In 2019, NSF made more than 2,000 fellowship offers to applicants. More than 1,500 applicants received honorable mentions, which is considered a significant academic achievement.

The new fellows from McKelvey Engineering include:

Philip Irace, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, who also earned bachelor's and master's degrees from McKelvey School of Engineering in mechanical engineering 2017 and 2018, respectively;
Andrew Lezia, a doctoral student at the University of California, San Diego, who earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from McKelvey School of Engineering in biomedical engineering in 2017;
Peter Sharpe, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering, who also earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from McKelvey School of Engineering in 2018;
Louis Wang, a doctoral student at Northwestern University, who also earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from McKelvey School of Engineering in 2017.

New fellows now studying at McKelvey Engineering include:

Matthew Brooks Amrofell, who earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and is now a doctoral student in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering;
Albern Tan, who earned a bachelor's degree from Purdue University and is now a doctoral student in the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering;

Those receiving honorable mentions include:

Lily Schacht, a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who earned a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from McKelvey School of Engineering in 2017;
Zachary Teed, a doctoral student at Princeton University, who earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from McKelvey School of Engineering in 2017;

Christine Weston, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan, who earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from McKelvey School of Engineering in 2014.

The McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis promotes independent inquiry and education with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration without boundaries. McKelvey Engineering has top-ranked research and graduate programs across departments, particularly in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering and computing, and has one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. With 165 full-time faculty, 1,420 undergraduate students, 1,614 graduate students and 21,000 living alumni, we are working to solve some of society’s greatest challenges; to prepare students to become leaders and innovate throughout their careers; and to be a catalyst of economic development for the St. Louis region and beyond.