nus math phd students

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Postdoc & Visiting Scholars/PhD Students in my Reseach Group

May 4, 2019

Current Postdoc & Visiting Scholars/PhD Students

• Dr Shu Ma , Postdoc, March 2024 — February 2025, at National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Miss Huini Liu , Visiting PhD Student from Xiangtan University under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC) (jointly with Professor Zhenning Cai), January 2024 — December 2024.
• Mr Feng Wang , Visiting PhD Student from Harbin Institute of Technology under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), January 2024 — December 2024.
• Mr Yulin Zhang , Visiting PhD Student from Shanghai Jiaotong University under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2023 — October 2025.
• Mr Limin Xu , Visiting PhD Student from Tsinghua University under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2023 — October 2024.
• Dr Yifei Li , Postdoc, August 2023 — July 2024, at National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Dr Fukeng Huang , Postdoc, July 2021 — December 2024, at National University of Singapore, Singapore.

Past Postdoc & Visiting Scholars/PhD Students

• Miss Xiangjun Meng , Visiting PhD Student from Beijing Normal University under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2023 — July 2024.
• Position after: PhD student, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
• Dr Qian Yi , Visiting Scholar from Guangxi Normal University under the support of the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2023 — July 2024.
• Position after: Lecturer, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi Province, China.
• Dr Wei Liu , Postdoc, April 2023 — April 2024, at National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore; September 2020 — February 2023 at South China Research Center for Applied Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Studies (CAMIS), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China (including 1 year at NUS under the support by the Chinese Postdoc Council during February 2022 — January 2023).
• Position after:
• Miss Guixian Wang , Visiting PhD Student from Harbin Institute of Technology supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), November 2022 — November 2023.
• Position after: PhD student, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
• Miss Yanfei Li , Visiting PhD Student from Beijing University of Technology supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2022 — October 2023.
• Position after: PhD student, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.
• Prof Yong Chen , Visiting Scholar from Jiangsu Normal University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2022 — July 2023.
• Position after: Professor, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
• Prof Meng Li , Visiting Scholar from Zhengzhou University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2022 — July 2023.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
• Dr Teng Zhang , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Qinglin Tang), April 2021 — June 2023, at Beijing Computational Science Research Center, China.
• Position after: Lecturer, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
• Prof Lifang Pei , Visiting Scholar from Zhengzhou University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), January — December 2022.
• Dr Boyi Wang , Postdoc, May 2022 — December 2022, at National University of Singapore.
• Position after: Postdoc, TU Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
• Miss Minmin Wang , Visiting PhD Student from East China Normal University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2021 — September 2022.
• Position after: PhD student, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
• Miss Qian Yu , Visiting PhD Student from Xi’an JiaoTong University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2021 — September 2022.
• Position after: PhD student, Xi’an JiaoTong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China.
• Dr Junqing Jia , Visiting PhD Student from Shandong University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), October 2021 — September 2022; and Visiting postdoc from Shandong University supported by the International Postdoc Exchange Programme at the Shandong University, February 2024 — January 2025.
• Position after: Postdoc, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
• Dr Longjuan Xu , Research Fellow, September 2020 — September 2022, at National University of Singapore.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Capital Normal University, China.
• Dr Qiongao Huang , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Wei Jiang), August 2019 — June 2022, at South China Research Center for Applied Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Studies (CAMIS), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Henan University, China.
• Dr Bo Lin , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Zhenning Cai), August 2020 — December 2024, at National University of Singapore.
• Dr Yue Feng , Postdoc, June 2020 — September 2022, at National University of Singapore.
• Position after: Postdoc, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL), Sorbonne University, France.
• Dr Yichen Guo , Postdoc, October — December 2021, at National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Position after: Risk Analyst, DBS Bank, Singapore.
• Dr Gengen Zhang , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Dr. Chunmei Su), August 2019 — July 2021, at South China Research Center for Applied Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Studies (CAMIS), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Yunan University, Kunming, China.
• Dr Ying Ma , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Yongyong Cai), July 2019 — August 2021, at Beijing Computational Science Research Center, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China.
• Dr Lei Liu , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Yongyong Cai), July 2019 — June 2021,  at Beijing Computational Science Research Center, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
• Dr Weijie Huang , Postdoc (jointly mentored with Prof. Yongyong Cai), July 2018 — June 2021, at Beijing Computational Science Research Center, China; including being awarded a Research Fellow at Department of Mathematics, National University of Singapore during June 2019 — May 2020.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Beijing JiaoTong University, Beijing, China.
• Dr Jia Yin , Research Fellow, September 2019 — June 2020, at National University of Singapore.
• Position after: Postdoc, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL), University of California, USA.
• Miss Jingye Yan , Visiting PhD Student from University of Defence and Technology supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), September 2019 — August 2020.
• Position after: PhD student, University of Defence and Technology, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
• Dr Jiyong Li , Visiting Scholar from Hebei Normal University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2019 — July 2020.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China.
• Dr Wei Hua , Visiting Scholar from Liaoning Normal University supported by the Chinese Scholar Council (CSC), August 2019 — July 2020.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Liaoning Normal University, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
• Position after: Professor with Tenure, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
• Position after: Professor, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China.
• Position after: PhD student, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
• Position after: Research Scientist, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Lecturer, Henan University of Economics and Finance, Zhengzhou, China.
• Position after: PhD student, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor with Tenure, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.
• Position after: Postdoc Research Fellow, Department of Mathematics, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Position after: PhD student, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Hunan University, Changsha, China.
• Position after: Assistant Professor, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
• Position after: Lecturer, Beijing Universisty of Technology, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Harbin Engineering University, China.
• Position after: Postdoc, Universisty of Paris VI and INRIA, France.
• Position after: Postdoc, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
• Position after: PhD student, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Xi’an JiaoTong University.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor, School of Mathematics, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
• Position after: PhD student, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Nanjing Normal University.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Postdoc, Universite de Rennes 1, France.
• Current Position: Associate Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
• He was awarded the one Thousand Talent Program for Youth (QR-Y) by Chinese Government in 2019.
• Position after: Research Scientist, Institute for Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics (IAPCM), Beijing, China.
• Position after: Lecturer, College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
• Position after: PhD student, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Tsinghua University.
• Position after: Lecturer, Department of Mathematics, Beijing University of Technology, China.
• Position after: Postdoc, University of Lorraine/Innia-Nancy, France.
• Current Position: Professor, College of Mathematics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
• He was awarded the one Thousand Talent Program for Youth (QR-Y) by Chinese Government in 2018.
• Position after: Lecturer, School of Mathematics, Jilin Universit, Changchun, China.
• Current Position: Associate Professor, School of Mathematics, Jilin Universit, Changchun, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China.
• Position after: Researcher, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China.
• Position after: Postdoc, University of Wisconsin, Madison/University of Maryland, USA.
• Current Position: Professor, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
• He was awarded the one Thousand Talent Program for Youth (QR-Y) by Chinese Government in 2016.
• Position after: Lecturer, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
• Position after: Consultant in Finance and Risk Management at d-fine , Germany.
• Position after: Postdoc, Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
• Position after: Postdoc, Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, USA.
• Current Position: Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA.
• Position after: Postdoc, Department of Mathematics, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Current Position: Chair Professor, School of Statistics and Mathematics, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, China.
• He is awarded the Outstanding Talents in the New Century by the Ministry of Education of China in 2013.
• Position after: Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Nanjing University, China.
• Current Position: Professor, Department of Mathematics, Nanjing University, China.
• Position after: Associate Professor, School of Science, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, China.
• Current Position: Professor and Dean, School of Science, Beijing Information Science and Technology University, China.

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Xinliang An Profile page

• Assistant Professor Mathematics

An Xinliang is an assistant professor of mathematics at the National University of Singapore. He received his PhD from Princeton University, USA in June 2014. He has been with the Department of Mathematics at NUS since July 2018. His main research interests are in nonlinear wave equations, mathematical physics, geometric analysis and general relativity.

FIELDS OF RESEARCH

• Particle and high energy physics
• Mathematical physics
• Pure mathematics
• Applied mathematics
• Nuclear and plasma physics
• Astronomical sciences

Kris Hartley

Assistant professor of public policy | city university of hong kong, my interview with nus offering advice to new phd students.

Posted By: Kris Hartley March 22, 2023

https://nusgs.nus.edu.sg/kris-hartley/ In retrospect, would you still have chosen to do a PhD? Why?

Given the level of commitment needed to complete a PhD, it is essential to have a clear vision for how the degree will help you achieve your goals. From the time I was a high school teacher two decades ago, I have had a passion and talent for teaching. I also love reading, writing, thinking about, and debating politics and global policy issues. Becoming a professor was the best opportunity to bring my passions together into one career, and obtaining a PhD was the only pathway. I am certainly happy with my choice.

On hindsight, would you still have chosen NUS to do your PhD?

I have absolutely no regrets about doing my PhD at NUS/LKYSPP. There are several reasons for this. First, in my program there was a tight connection between faculty and students, enabling me to be involved with research right from the start. It seemed more like an academic apprenticeship than just another degree. Second, the resources were fantastic – my department placed a high value on research and scholarly activity, and provided students with funding and opportunities to do both. Finally, the network I obtained is indispensable. Graduates of the program remain in close touch and I would say half or more of my collaborative work, even four years after completing the program, continues to be with my junior or senior peers, and professors, in the PhD program. We all share an understanding about the value of the network and help each other when needed. Even people from other schools know of and admire the network and the close connections graduates have with this program.

On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research topic for your PhD?

My research topic made sense to me at the time, but for almost everyone, tastes and interests change. In my subsequent work, I have used my PhD research as a basis to branch out and explore other issues capturing my interest, including the politics of policymaking, the role of technology in policymaking, and global institutional efforts to address existential problems. My PhD topic did what it was supposed to do: it gave me the theoretical grounding to know how to pursue my interests as desired, and the methodological grounding to be flexible in how I answer research questions. For public policy in particular, this is uniquely important as policy problems and conditions are constantly changing and invite new angles on research.

On hindsight, would you have chosen the same research supervisor for your PhD?

My supervisor, Professor Michael Howlett, is an eminent scholar in the field and it was an honor and pleasure to work with him, and we continue to work together now. He has such a sharp mind, a keen ability to make connections among topics and ideas, and probably the deepest knowledge of the literature in my field of anybody around. But, most of all, when I selected my PhD supervisor and committee, my first priority was trust and reliability. Professor Michael Howlett, Professor Vu Minh Khuong, and Professor Yumin Joo were all exceedingly helpful, honest, and straightforward. They pushed me when needed and gave me the freedom to explore. I can honestly say that my PhD experience was challenging for all the right reasons (intellectual engagement) and for none of the wrong reasons (dramas and personal disagreements). All three committee members were only interested in my success, and I continue to work with all three even now – years after completing my degree. I think this alone is a testament to the quality of support I received at NUS.

How did NUS prepare you for your career?

NUS has deep resources, a strong network, and an excellent reputation. My association with the university has been a significant boost in my early career, as it opens doors throughout Asia and beyond. As my field is highly specialized, it was the professors in my program who held the best wisdom in terms of offering advice on career preparation – and all of them, from my committee to my coursework professors, were always forthcoming and willing to share their advice and experiences.

How did your experiences as a graduate student shape and guide you in your current career?

In my field, the purpose of a masters degree and purpose of a PhD are distinct. I have two ‘practitioner’-based masters degrees, and they helped orient me towards the real world in terms of the problems I would have to solve and the realities of working in organizations. The PhD, by contrast, prepares graduates for a very specialized set of tasks – it is not “more masters.” Thus, my PhD experience was quite different in that the focus was on how to produce knowledge. However, in my field of public policy, the concept of solving problems (that is, making policy) is never far out of mind. So, in a way, it is a research degree about practical experiences – a balance I have enjoyed.

Suggest 2 or 3 things that graduate students should do to prepare for their professional careers?

• 1. Balance having a clear vision or pathway with remaining flexible and open to new opportunities.
• 2. Focus on the “how” more than the “what.” Knowledge is always changing. What I learned in my MBA 15 years ago isn’t necessarily always relevant today. But learning the “how” prepares you for all kinds of things – the “how” is related to methods for understanding how anything works fundamentally and knowing how to analyze an issue or problem. With that, you are ready for anything.
• 3. Everyone will be smart. Do not try to distinguish yourself that way. Distinguish yourself by being the nice person, the helpful person, the sensitive or empathetic person. Focus on relationships as much, or more, than on simply filling your head with what’s and how’s. No matter what field you go into, it will at its heart be a “people” profession. So, be a person!

Name 2 – 3 things you wished you had been told when you started graduate school?

Find the syllabi for courses you will take your first semester and get reading! Connect early, before arriving on campus, with your new classmates. Share information and look at your experience as a teamwork engagement rather than a competition. And finally, where possible, simplify your personal life!

What advice would you give someone considering doing his/her PhD at NUS?

NUS has tremendous disciplinary breadth – and a strong reputation in everything. Connect with people from other departments. You may be surprised who is working on what you are working on. This can be done by going to graduate student conferences, social events, or just inviting people to coffee. And take time to absorb the college experience again. Do not lock yourself in your room. Go and study at the U-Town Starbucks, or on the lawn somewhere, or in one of the hawker centers. Go to the gym and strike up a conversation with somebody who looks bored. Eat in public places rather than at your desk. Get out and be social – get a feel for the soul of the university!

Briefly share something fun in your graduate journey at NUS that you remember

Before the pool was renovated, I highly enjoyed swimming laps after the end of a difficult day studying. I loved going to concerts at the YST Conservatory – the best student musicians I have heard anywhere, ever. And of course there is Singapore, city in a garden! I never got enough of Singapore – the food, the concerts, the unexplored coffee shops and bars, the walks around MacRitchie Reservoir, the bike rides at East Coast Park, and did I already mention the food? (Yes). I have lived in New York City, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, and other places. I had as much fun in Singapore as I did anywhere else.

Any other words of wisdom to share?

People will scare you with stories about how tough graduate school can be. If you are prepared, committed, well organized, and mature enough to balance your work and your life, you’ll have a great time. Your best memories will be experiences with other people, so take every opportunity to have them. Graduate school does not have to be miserable. You will look back on it as the best time of your life!

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program honors nine Chemistry student community members

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (4/26/2023) – Nine members of the Department of Chemistry student community were recently honored with recognition by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). Briana Krupinsky, Grace Murphy, Timmy Nguyen, and Ulises Perez were awarded fellowships, and Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions.

Briana Krupinsky is a second-year graduate student in the Lamb group . She joined the UMN community after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Dakota. Briana investigates N-hetereocyclic carbene-carbodiimide (NHC-CDI) adducts for application as catalyst precursors in organocatalysis. At the moment, this includes working towards understanding the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of NHC-CDI adducts for well-controlled catalysis. One of Briana’s research goals is to develop a light-activated NHC-CDI catalyst precursor to achieve spatiotemporal control for the synthesis of polymers.

Grace Murphy , a member of the Hoover lab , came to UMN after completing her undergraduate studies at Saint Louis University. One of her long-term goals as a chemist is to study and develop transition metal catalyzed reactions that are used in organic chemistry. She is particularly interested in understanding the structure-reactivity relationships that make difficult reactions possible. Grace is currently working towards understanding the mechanism of nickel catalyzed/mediated decarbonylation, a reaction that has potential future applications to the synthesis of pharmaceuticals to polymer upcycling.

Timmy Nguyen first came to UMN for a summer research experience program in 2022, right before his senior year at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He officially joined the graduate program in 2023 as a member of the Haynes group. Timmy is interested in anisotropic nanoparticles as substrates and recently started working on a project to synthesize silica-coated gold nanorods for use in SERS sensors. He is also passionate about participating in outreach activities through Science for All, a student group that works to bring the excitement of science to Minnesota middle schools.

Ulises Perez , a Spring 2023 graduate from the UMN Chemistry undergraduate program and current PhD student at University of Washington, was also awarded a fellowship.

The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. The program also seeks to support the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM graduate studies.

Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions for their applications. The Department of Chemistry congratulates all nine students on this significant national academic achievement!

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Mathematics

Adriana fernandez quero wins 2024 clas dissertation writing fellowship.

Congratulations to Adriana Fernandez Quero, a graduate student in the Department of Mathematics for receiving a 2024 CLAS Dissertation Writing Fellowship . 

The program provides ten students each year with the precious gift of time to complete this Ph.D. dissertation, which improves degree completion rates and reduces the time to graduation. Fernandez Quero will receive $14,000 as a fellow. She is one of 14 award recipients. 

College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

News & events, fifteen nsm faculty and two graduate students honored with uh faculty excellence and research excellence awards.

April 26, 2024

Awards Include UH’s Highest Faculty Honor - the Esther Farfel Award – Moores Professorships and Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Research

Congratulations to the 15 College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty members and two graduate students recognized for excellence in teaching, mentoring, scholarship and research. These exceptional faculty members and students were honored at the 2024 Faculty Excellence Awards celebration on April 25.

The awards are among the highest honors bestowed by the University of Houston.

“The 17 individuals recognized represent the best in teaching, research and mentorship,” said Dan E. Wells, NSM dean. “Their efforts are making a tremendous difference in the lives and career paths of our students.”

Esther Farfel Award – Zhifeng Ren

Zhifeng Ren , Paul C. W. Chu and May P. Chern Endowed Chair in Condensed Matter Physics, received the Esther Farfel Award, the highest honor accorded to a University faculty member. The award is a symbol of overall career excellence. Recipients are chosen for the significance and national/international impact of their research or creative activity, outstanding teaching ability, and distinctive and exemplary service to the University, the profession and the community. The award carries a cash prize of $10,000.

Moores Professorships

Mini Das , Physics Seema Khurana , Biology & Biochemistry This five-year, renewable professorship is given to faculty in recognition of outstanding teaching, research and service.

Teaching Excellence Awards

Distinguished leadership in teaching excellence.

Donna Pattison , Biology & Biochemistry This award is given in recognition of faculty who have made sustained and significant contributions to education within the context of their responsibilities as a full-time faculty member.

Teaching Excellence

Chin-Yo Lin , Biology & Biochemistry, CNRCS This award is given to faculty in recognition of outstanding achievements in teaching.

Teaching Excellence – Provost Core

Ann Cheek , Biology & Biochemistry Tai-Yen Chen , Chemistry This award is given to faculty who have demonstrated outstanding teaching in undergraduate core curriculum courses.

Teaching Excellence – Instructor/Clinical

Cathy Poliak , Mathematics This award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching by faculty instructors, clinical faculty, research faculty, artist affiliates and lecturers.

Teaching Excellence – Graduate Teaching Assistant

Lukasz Krzywon , Mathematics Elliot Lagueux , Biology & Biochemistry This award is given to graduate students who have demonstrated excellence in teaching.

Teaching Excellence – Group Teaching

Paige Evans , teach HOUSTON-Mathematics Jacqueline Ekeoba , teach HOUSTON-Mathematics Ramona Mateer , teach HOUSTON-Mathematics Rachel Glenn , teach HOUSTON-Mathematics This award recognizes faculty who demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and student success, who have worked together collaboratively to improve student outcomes.

Undergraduate Research Mentor

Melissa Zastrow , Chemistry This award acknowledges faculty who are making a significant impact in their field by supporting and mentoring undergraduate students in research and scholarship endeavors and who have demonstrated at least five years of mentorship involvement.

Awards for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity

Research excellence – professor.

Gopal Pandurangan , Computer Science This award recognizes faculty who have a substantial continuing record of outstanding research, scholarship and creative activities.

Research Excellence – Assistant Professor

Weiyi Peng , Biology & Biochemistry, CNRCS This award recognizes faculty who have demonstrated great potential in research, scholarship and creative endeavors by virtue of the exceptional quality of their early contributions.

- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

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Three UNH graduate students and two alumni received prestigious Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFP) from the National Science Foundation. Awarded to students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support, with an annual stipend and tuition allowance. Current student recipients are master’s students Alexis Eaton and Callyan Lacio and Ph.D. student Else Schlerman. Alumni recipients are Eli Duggan ’23, currently studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland; and UNH Manchester graduate Nicole Gallien ’22.

Alexis Eaton ’24 will be receiving her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and sustainability, and she will utilize her NSF GRFP to pursue a master’s degree at UNH in civil and environmental engineering next year. She plans to then continue her education in a Ph.D. program in environmental biochemistry or a similar field.

Eaton’s proposal centered around the presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in septic systems.

“PFAS are a group of manmade emerging contaminants that have been widely used in commercial products because of their resistance to heat, water and oil,” says Eaton. “These substances have been linked to various forms of cancer, reproductivity toxicity and poor thyroid function.”

Eaton’s research, mentored by professor of civil and environmental engineering Paula Mouser, has focused on the fate and transport of emerging contaminants. She says it is important to know where these chemicals end up in the environment, along with what types of substances they produce.

“Emerging contaminants are harmful to the environment and human health; we need to be able to determine what influences our exposure to these compounds and predict potential exposure pathways,” Eaton says.

Callyan Lacio , currently a first-year master’s student in the integrative biology program , is conducting acoustic research that monitors and studies animals' calls to estimate their population sizes and look at changes in breeding timing and behaviors. She also prioritizes integrating Indigenous knowledge and culture into her work.

Her advisor is assistant professor Laura Kloepper, who leads the Ecological Acoustics and Behavior Lab. She is also involved with the Center for Acoustics Research and Education at UNH’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space.

Lacio, who earned her bachelor’s degree in zoo science and conservation science at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, uses passive acoustic monitoring, a technique Lacio says has lower impacts on the animals than normal monitoring efforts. She is also helping the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation create culture-to-career connection materials relating to STEM and her seal research in Cape Cod.

“The ‘culture-to-career’ connection focuses on taking what the Nation students are comfortable with, like their cultural stories and practices, and showing them how the knowledge and appreciation of their culture can be made into a career, for example culinary arts focusing on Indigenous foods or biology focusing on protecting Indigenous lands,” she says.

The GRFP will support Lacio’s move to UNH’s integrative biology Ph.D. program. Her goal is to work for a non-profit or foundation focused on helping animal populations that are locally at risk. As a Cherokee citizen, she also hopes to continue working with local Indigenous Nations and create culture-to-career connections for their students.

Else Schlerman  wants to find ways that humans can live more harmoniously with the natural world, especially in face of climate change and large-scale habitat loss.  As a doctoral student in the Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science Ph.D. program, her research focuses on soil’s potential to store carbon, which speaks to her broad interest in ecologically informed climate change solutions. She is working with professor Stuart Grandy and associate professor Jessica Ernakovich in UNH’s  Center of Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology .

“Soils are the largest terrestrial pool of carbon – greater than the vegetation and atmosphere stocks combined,” says Schlerman, who earned her bachelor’s degree in physics with a German minor from Wellesley College. “Ecosystem-based land management practices can improve the health of the soil and the environment while also removing carbon from the atmosphere. Through my research, I hope to develop the basic research on the mechanisms of soil carbon storage that can inform agricultural and ecological management strategies.”

After completing her doctorate, Schlerman plans to work as a scientist for an environmental conservation organization where she can apply the research she’s doing now to broader restoration and conservation efforts.

NSF awarded 500 fewer GRFP awards this year, making competition for the fellowship especially stiff, says Leigh Pratt, director of UNH’s Office of National Fellowships . Pratt and Michael Thompson, director of Research & Large Center Development , prepare UNH candidates for success as co-teachers of the UNH NSF GRFP class each fall ( INCO 791  /  GRAD 891 ). The course prepares eligible seniors and first- and second-year graduate students to submit applications to the program. Since UNH began offering the GRFP prep in 2019, 13 of 16 students who have been awarded the fellowship have taken the class.

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UM Students Receive Nation’s Top STEM Research Fellowship

• 25 April 2024

By Jenny Lavey, UM News Service

MISSOULA – Four students who received an undergraduate degree from the University of Montana recently were awarded what is widely considered the nation’s most prestigious honor for graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math.

The National Science Foundation awarded a mix of UM undergraduate and graduate students with the highly competitive 2024 Graduate Research Fellowship Program award. As part of the award, each student is provided a five-year fellowship with NSF, including three years of financial support, an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $12,000 to the student’s current institution.

About 12,000 students apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship annually. Only about 2,000 receive the awards, which they take to a U.S. graduate institution of their choice.

“The significance of UM students receiving NSF Fellowships represents the level and rigor of STEM research that they can engage in at UM,” said Kylla Benes, UM director of External Scholarships & Fellowships. “Thanks to the support of the NSF, UM students play a vital role in advancing UM’s research and teaching missions and contribute to ground-breaking research with a real-world impact.”

The award winners and their majors are:

• Fin Arohk Malone, life sciences, ecology from Naperville, Illinois .
• Emily Hamant, life sciences, ecology from Englewood, Ohio .
• Haleigh Brown, geosciences, astrobiology, from Okinawa, Japan .
• Wesley Sarmento, life sciences, wildlife biology, from Golden, Colorado .

Additionally, four UM graduate students received honorable mentions:

• Madeline Kira Jackson, life sciences, ecology.
• Emily Cope, chemistry, environmental chemical systems.
• Remi Murdoch, life sciences, genomics.

The number of NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program award winners is a testament to UM’s robust research enterprise, said Scott Whittenburg, UM vice president for Research and Creative Scholarship.

“UM is classified as one of the top research universities in the world with our R-1 classification,” Whittenburg said. “The NSF fellow awards are a direct result of the remarkable research engine happening at UM, which in turn creates top-tier, graduate-level, research opportunities for our students.”

Whittenburg added that during the past decade, UM research expenditures have more than doubled – reaching an all-time high of $134 million last fiscal year.

NSF has selected more than 46,000 students to receive graduate research fellowships out of more than 500,000 applicants. Fellowship alumni include numerous Nobel Prize winners, Nobel Laureates and members of the National Academies.

Contact:  Kylla Benes, director, UM Office of External Scholarships & Fellowships, 406-243-5241, [email protected] .

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