SUNY Recognizes National Science Foundation Awardees from Five Campuses
April 21, 2020
14 SUNY Students Win Graduate Research Fellowships and 13 Receive Honorable Mentions
SUNY Announces the Inaugural Winners of the Chancellor's Graduate Research Scholarship
Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson today congratulated 14 students from five SUNY campuses who have been offered prestigious fellowships by the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). At the same time, the NSF recognized 13 SUNY students with an honorable mention, also a significant national achievement. Historically, GRFP awardees and honorable mention recipients go on to make research breakthroughs, invent new technologies, win Nobel Prizes, teach in colleges and universities, found and lead companies, and head federal agencies.
"Every year since 1952, the NSF has empowered the future by recognizing and supporting early-career talent in science and engineering," said SUNY Chancellor Johnson. "I am proud to celebrate the accomplishments of these extraordinary SUNY students, who have already become leaders in their fields."
GRFP awards provide three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period, which amounts to a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution. That support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in a STEM field. This year, GRFP fellowships were offered to 2,076 students around the country. Over 1,700 students were recognized with honorable mention.
SUNY also announced the inaugural winners of the Chancellor’s Graduate Research Scholarship, established in 2019 by Chancellor Johnson, which provides $5,000 in flexible funds to SUNY graduate students and undergraduates who win prestigious federal fellowships and continue their studies in SUNY graduate programs. Four of the GRFP awardees and 10 of the honorable mention recipients received this award. CGRS funds can be used for research-related expenses and travel, professional development, or stipend support.
SUNY’s GRFP fellowship recipients are:
| Name | Field of Study | SUNY Campus |
|---|---|---|
| Zachary Taylor Kralles* | Environmental Engineering | University at Buffalo |
| Chris R. Gnam* | Aeronautical & Aerospace Engineering | University at Buffalo |
| Fatoumata M. Ceesay* | Sociology | Stony Brook University |
| Tori Peña* | Cognitive Psychology | Stony Brook University |
| Kiran Eiden | Astronomy and Astrophysics | Stony Brook University |
| Audrey Claire Farrell | Plasma Physics | Stony Brook University |
| Mateo Mezic | Economics | Stony Brook University |
| Jonathan Bessette | Mechanical Engineering | University at Buffalo |
| Ian DesJardin | Aeronautical & Aerospace Engineering | University at Buffalo |
| Grant Thomas Iraci | Computer Science | University at Buffalo |
| Nicholas Adam Bartelo | Mathematics/Data Science | University at Buffalo |
| Joshua P Hazelnis | Chemistry | University at Buffalo |
| Jasper Baur | Geosciences | Binghamton University |
| Samantha McComb | Geosciences | SUNY Potsdam |
* Asterisk indicates eligibility to receive the Chancellor’s Graduate Research Scholarship
SUNY’s GRFP honorable mention recipients are:
| Name | Field of Study | SUNY Campus |
|---|---|---|
| Megan Elizabeth Gauck* | Biological Anthropology | Binghamton University |
| Michael Shaw* | Psychology/Perception, Psychophysics | Binghamton University |
| Bernard Gene Stevenson* | Chemistry | Binghamton University |
| Erica Bower* | Geosciences | Stony Brook University |
| Gabrielle Elise Kamm* | Chemistry | Stony Brook University |
| Madani Ahmed Khan* | Chemistry | Stony Brook University |
| Priscilla Edinam Yevoo* | Neurosciences | Stony Brook University |
| Jesus Alberto Frias* | Biochemistry | University at Albany |
| Caleb Kazunari Walcott* | Geosciences | University at Buffalo |
| Payton Elizabeth Charlton* | Cognitive Psychology | University at Buffalo |
| Katherine Mary Eaton | Geosciences | University at Buffalo |
| Claire Marilea Garfield | Environmental Biology | Stony Brook University |
| Gregory Matousek | Particle Physics | Stony Brook University |
*Asterisk indicates eligibility to receive the Chancellor’s Graduate Research Scholarship
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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