University of Arkansas Students, Past and Present, Earn Fellowships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Eleven current and former University of Arkansas students have won National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for the upcoming academic year, and three more received honorable mentions. Of these 14 students, 10 are from Arkansas, 10 were members of Honors College, four are graduating seniors, two are current graduate students and seven are recent graduates.

Last year, 12 University of Arkansas students received NSF fellowships; eight received them in 2009.

“The selection of 11 U of A students as NSF Graduate Research Fellows is a great tribute to them and to the faculty,” said G. David Gearhart, the university’s chancellor. “They competed successfully against the very top students from around the country to win these prestigious awards. Their selection is yet another highlight of what has been a remarkable year of academic achievement for our university.”

The graduate fellowship program is one of the National Science Foundation’s oldest and most highly competitive, with roots in the foundation’s original 1950 charter, offering support for graduate study in all scientific disciplines. NSF graduate fellows are promising young mathematicians, scientists and engineers who are expected to pursue lifelong careers marked by significant contributions to research in their fields.

Each fellow receives $30,000 a year, and the awards are renewable for three years. The National Science Foundation provides the fellowship institution a cost-of-education allowance of $10,500 per year on behalf of each fellow. Fellows also receive a $1,000 one-time international travel allowance. Fellows and those who receive honorable mention are also given access to the supercomputer TeraGrid for their research.

“The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is a very prestigious award for students preparing for careers in math, science, social science, or engineering,” said Ashok Saxena, dean of the College of Engineering. “We are able to provide such strong support for students applying for these awards because so many of our faculty members serve on NSF selection panels. The advice these faculty can give is invaluable, and this is just one piece. Undergraduate research is very much part of the University of Arkansas culture, paving the way for success for students who want to compete for awards like this one, that requires students to have previous research experience.

“Funding from the Honors College has also been instrumental in helping many of these students have a broader set of experiences that makes them more competitive. I know many of these students personally, and they are as bright as any in the country, and they tie a keen intelligence to an incredible work ethic. It’s no surprise that they are successful at the national level,” he said.

This year’s recipients include:

• John Blanchar, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is working toward his doctoral degree in experimental social psychology at the University of Arkansas as a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow. In collaboration with his adviser, professor Scott Eidelman, Blanchar’s research focuses on the social psychological factors contributing to status quo maintenance regarding social beliefs, normative and ethical evaluations, and judgments of bias. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2010.

• Nathanial “Scotty” Bobbitt, from Greenwood, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas last spring with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He was a Chancellor’s Scholar, a Distinguished Governor’s Scholar and a National Merit Scholar. While at the University of Arkansas, he completed extensive research with engineering professor Jerry King. Bobbitt is in his first year of graduate school at the University of Texas,  where he is pursuing a doctorate in chemical engineering.

• Elaine Christman, a native of Prairie Grove, graduated summa cum laude in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 2008. She was a Sturgis Fellow and Governor's Distinguished Scholar. Her research mentor was professor Lin Oliver. Christman is an alumna of the Teach for America Mississippi Delta Corps and a 2008 Amgen Teaching Fellow. She will pursue a doctorate in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her primary research interest is biological physics, and she is also interested in physics education research.

• Joseph Courtney, from Fayetteville, graduated magna cum laude in both chemistry/biochemistry and physics this spring. He is an Honors College Fellow, an Arkansas Governor’s Scholar, and a National Merit Scholar. He also received an Honors College research grant to complete a project in biochemistry with his research mentor, professor Roger Koeppe. He will pursue a doctoral degree in chemistry next fall at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• Robert "Drew" Fleming, from Batesville, graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and minors in mathematics and physics. He was a recipient of the Chancellor's Scholarship and a member of the Honors College. He will use his fellowship to pursue a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering under the direction of professor Min Zou at the University of Arkansas.

• David Fryauf, from Rogers became interested in electricity, magnetism and nanostructures while he was still in high school and chose to major in electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas. He graduated magna cum laude this spring. Fryauf is an Honors College Fellow and an Arkansas Governor’s Scholar. He also received an Honors College research grant to complete research under the guidance of his research mentor, professor Omar Manasreh. Fryauf plans to pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering at the University of California at Santa Cruz, where he would like to help create more efficient forms of transportation and energy storage.

• Elise Geraghty, a senior from Fort Smith, graduated summa cum laude this May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in statistics. She is a Sturgis Fellow, National Merit Scholar and Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar, and was granted the Walter J. Richards Memorial Award for 2010 by the department of psychology. Her research mentor is professor Denise Beike. In the fall, Geraghty will attend graduate school at the University of North  Carolina, where she will pursue a doctoral degree in social psychology.

• Jacob Irwin, from Fayetteville, graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological engineering, and a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in Spanish. He was a Chancellor’s Scholar, and he received the George F. and Marion L. Branigan Scholarship as well. His research mentor was professor Julie Carrier. After graduating, Irwin worked at Merck & Co. Inc. for two years in the Merck Manufacturing Development Rotational Program. In 2010, he decided to pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering at the University of Virginia, where he is currently studying Alzheimer’s disease drug development.

• Nicole Lorenz, from Chicago, graduated this spring summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She is an Honors College Fellow and an Honors College undergraduate research grant recipient. Lorenz was awarded the nationally competitive Barry Goldwater Scholarship for outstanding research in engineering, and was selected as this year’s Outstanding Senior for the College of Engineering. Her research mentor was professor Jamie Hestekin. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

• Colin Paul, from Tulsa, Okla., graduated summa cum laude in 2010 with Bachelor of Science degrees in physics and chemical engineering. He was an Honors College Fellow and a National Merit Scholar. He also received a state Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship and an Honors College research grant to complete research with his mentor, professor Jamie Hestekin. Paul is pursuing a doctorate in chemical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

• Ben Rainwater, from Little Rock, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2010, graduating with high distinction. He is currently a graduate student in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, studying ceramic material systems for use in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells. In addition to the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Rainwater is also supported by a Georgia Tech President’s Fellowship.

“I am very pleased that two of this year’s recipients will be using their funds to complete graduate work at the University of Arkansas,” said Todd Shields, interim dean of the Graduate School. “John Blachar is doing very interesting work in social psychology, and we look forward to welcoming Drew Fleming into the Graduate School in engineering this fall. Both are clearly stellar students whose work will certainly have an impact on their respective fields.”

Students receiving honorable mentions are Jordan Greenlee in electrical engineering, Christopher Walton in mechanical engineering, and James Wesolowski in archaeology.