Thirteen Biomedical Engineering Graduate Students Earn National Science Foundation Fellowships

6/30/22 Pratt School of Engineering

Highly competitive national awards will help new and returning Duke BME graduate students conduct research on campus

Thirteen Biomedical Engineering Graduate Students Earn National Science Foundation Fellowships

Eleven PhD students and two master’s students in Duke University’s Biomedical Engineering program received prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program for 2022.

It was an especially banner year for Duke BME students, who received 13 of the 22 NSF Fellowships awarded to graduate students at Duke.

Launched in 1952, the NSF GRFP is the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind. It funds outstanding graduate students pursuing Ph.D. or research master’s degrees in NSF-supported STEM disciplines. Fellows receive a three-year stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, and access to professional development opportunities.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our students,” says Joel Collier, the Theodore Kennedy Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and the director of graduate studies in Duke BME. “It’s a reminder that our graduate students are among the most impressive in the country, and I’m happy to see them recognized for their innovative research.”

Congratulations to this year’s recipients:

Helen Streff

Helen Streff

Undergraduate Institution: University of Notre Dame
Duke Faculty Advisor: Charles Gersbach

Anita Silver

Anita Silver

Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley
Duke Faculty Advisor: Lingchong You

Zach Quinn

Zach Quinn

Undergraduate Institution: Binghampton University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Ashutosh Chilkoti

Alana Gonzales

Alana Gonzales

Undergraduate Institution: The University of Arizona
Duke Faculty Advisor: Nimmi Ramanujam

Zach Fralish

Zach Fralish

Undergraduate Institution: Florida Southern College
Duke Faculty Advisor: Daniel Reker

Taylor Chavez

Taylor Chavez

Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Sharon Gerecht

Eleanor Caston

Eleanor Caston

Undergraduate Institution: Temple University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Tatiana Segura

Connor Amelung

Connor Amelung

Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia
Duke Faculty Advisor: Tatiana Segura

Ashutosh Raman

Ashutosh Raman

Undergraduate Institution: Duke University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Patrick Codd, MD

Incoming Students with NSF Fellowships:

Lauren Onweller

Lauren Onweller

Undergraduate Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Tatiana Segura

Cecilia Schmitz

Cecilia Schmitz

Undergraduate Institution: Kansas State University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Jonathan Viventi

 

Amber Detwiler

Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Nenad Bursac

Shea Middleton

Shea Middleton

Undergraduate Institution: East Carolina University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Cameron “Dale” Bass

Honorable Mentions:

Aristotle Martin

Undergraduate Institution: Eastern Washington University
Duke Faculty Advisor: Amanda Randles

Will Wightman

Undergraduate Institution: University fo Wisconsin, Madison
Duke Faculty Advisor: Junjie Yao