April 09, 2010

Science alumni honored by NSF for potential as leaders

Eight Lewis & Clark alumni received prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for demonstrating promise as leaders in their fields.

Eight Lewis & Clark alumni received prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for demonstrating promise as leaders in their fields. The NSF offers fellows three years of support for graduate studies, investing in the education of outstanding students who have the potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering.

The following Lewis & Clark alumni received 2010 Graduate Research Fellowships:
  • Andrea Bailey BA ’05 (biology), studying animal behavior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
  • Claire Fassio BA ’09 (biochemistry and molecular biology), studying cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley
  • Katie Holzer BA ’08 (biology), studying ecology at the University of California, Davis
  • Conor Jacobs BA ’09 (biochemistry and molecular biology), studying neuroscience at Stanford University
  • Charles Morgan BA ’08 (chemistry), studying chemical biology at the University of California, San Francisco
  • Benjamin Ross BA ’05 (biochemistry and molecular biology), studying evolutionary biology at the University of Washington
  • Amelia Still BA ’03 (biochemistry and molecular biology), studying biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Marjorie Weber BA ’07 (biology), studying ecology at Cornell University

“Our students deserve much credit for their achievements, and so do members of this excellent faculty who, time and again, prove the value of a liberal arts education in the development of academic talent and leadership potential,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Julio de Paula.

This year, Lewis & Clark alumni received more NSF fellowships than did alumni of Reed, Willamette, and the University of Puget Sound combined. The eight recipients also set a record for the college.

Since 1952, the NSF has funded 42,000 Graduate Research Fellowships out of more than 500,000 applicants. President Barack Obama expanded the program, citing its efficacy and the importance of America’s leadership in the sciences.

“This program was created as part of the space race five decades ago. In the decades since, it’s remained largely the same size—even as the numbers of students who seek these fellowships has skyrocketed. We ought to be supporting these young people who are pursuing scientific careers, not putting obstacles in their path,” Obama said during an address to the National Academy of Sciences in April 2009.

Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, a one-time $1,000 international travel allowance and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S., or foreign institution of graduate education they choose. This year, the NSF announced 2,000 awards and 2,025 honorable mentions.