Two Chemistry graduate students, Collin Merrick and Joseph "Joey" Fritsche, were selected for the 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. Collin is a graduate student in the Timothy Wencewicz lab and Joey is a graduate student in the Meredith Jackrel lab.
The Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) is a prestigious honor that recognizes excellence in scholarship among rising and current graduate students. According to the program website, "NSF Fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals are crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation's technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large." The GRFP is the nation's oldest fellowship program (established in 1952), directly supporting graduate students in various STEM fields. The NSF receives approximately 12,000 applications annually, but only about 2,000 receive the fellowship.
