A total of seven Hope College graduating seniors or recent graduates have received recognition through the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship program of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Seniors Joseph Dennis of Marshall and Isabel Morris of Albuquerque, New Mexico, received fellowships through the program, and senior Lisa McLellan of Fort Wayne, Indiana, received honorable mention.
In addition, four alumni received honorable mention: 2013 graduate Meagan Elinski, 2013 graduate Danielle Goodman, 2012 graduate Elizabeth Miller and 2012 graduate Ingrid Slette. Elinski had also received honorable mention last year.
Hope students or graduates have received fellowships or honorable mention through the program every year for more than 20 years, and this is the eighth year in a row that multiple graduating seniors or recent alumni have been recognized. The NSF awarded 2,000 of the fellowships nationwide this year. There were 16,500 applicants.
The awards are for students pursuing a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in NSF-supported science and engineering disciplines. The fellowships are for up to three years, and pay a $34,000 annual stipend and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance.
Dennis is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, and has conducted collaborative research at Hope with Dr. Jeff Johnson, associate professor of chemistry and Schaap Research Fellow, in addition to working with Dr. Thomas Maimone at the University of California, Berkeley, in the summer of 2014 through the Amgen Scholars Program. He intends to pursue graduate study in chemistry with an emphasis in chemical catalysis at M.I.T. He is the son of Joseph and Sheryl Dennis of Marshall, and a 2011 graduate of Marshall High School.
Morris is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering with a civil engineering emphasis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies, and has been mentored at Hope by Dr. Courtney Peckens, assistant professor of engineering, and former engineering faculty member Dr. Jeff Brown. In the Classics, she has been mentored by Dr. Stephen Maiullo, assistant professor of Classics. She intends to pursue graduate study in civil engineering at Princeton, combining her interest in engineering with her studies in the Classics and her interest in historical building preservation and renovation. She is the daughter of Colin and Cindy Morris of Albuquerque, and a 2011 graduate of Valley High School.
McLellan is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and has conducted research at Hope with Dr. Aaron Best, who is the Harrison C. and Mary L. Visscher Associate Professor of Genetics, and former biology faculty member Dr. Aaron Putzke. During her time at the college she has also conducted research with Dr. Christina Stallings at Washington University in St. Louis, where she will be pursuing graduate study in microbial biology. She is the daughter of Robert and Karen McLellan of Fort Wayne, and a 2011 graduate of Carroll High School.
Elinski graduated from Hope with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She is pursuing graduate study in chemistry (surface and nanochemistry) at Texas A&M University in College Station. While at Hope, she conducted collaborative research with Dr. Mary (Beth) Anderson, assistant professor of chemistry and Towsley Research Scholar.
Goodman graduated from Hope with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and molecular biology. She is pursuing graduate study in virology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. While at Hope, she conducted collaborative research with Dr. Joseph Stukey, assistant professor of biology.
Miller graduated from Hope with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She is currently pursuing graduate study in materials chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the direction of Dr. Andrew Gewirth. While at Hope, she researched language processing with Dr. Gwenda Schmidt-Snoek, assistant professor of psychology. Their findings were recently published in “Frontiers of Human Neuroscience.”
Slette graduated from Hope with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She is pursuing graduate study in ecology at Colorado State University. While at Hope, she conducted collaborative research with Dr. Greg Murray, professor of biology, and former chemistry faculty member Dr. Michael Short.