{"id":5160,"date":"2015-04-16T14:45:48","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T21:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/scst\/2015\/04\/16\/nsf-rgf\/"},"modified":"2015-04-16T14:45:48","modified_gmt":"2015-04-16T21:45:48","slug":"nsf-rgf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/scst\/2015\/04\/16\/nsf-rgf\/","title":{"rendered":"Schmid Students Receive NSF Fellowship Honorable Mentions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Schmid College saw its current students and alumni alike receive prestigious distinctions for\u00a0the 2015 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship<\/a>. Of over 16,000 applicants vying for grants to fund their research, only 2,000 received awards.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year was especially successful for Schmid College; among the students and alumni who applied, five received honorable mentions and one was bestowed the coveted grant. These six students represent nearly half of Schmid College’s total awardees dating back all the way to 2002.<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Chris Kim<\/a>, the sudden surge in Schmid College\u00a0representation among NSF Fellowship applications and recognition can be traced back to the opportunities the college\u00a0offers its students. Kim, Associate Dean of Academic Programs\u00a0at Schmid College and head of the Kim Environmental Geochemistry Lab<\/a>,\u00a0gave high praise for the programs Schmid College offers.<\/p>\n

“Schmid College majors have a great advantage over students at both smaller and larger institutions because they get to conduct research directly with faculty members and actually do<\/em>\u00a0science, not just learn about it.” Kim said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Elizabeth Marie Berrigan ’14<\/strong><\/a>, who double-majored in biochemistry<\/a> and physics<\/a> at Schmid College, was the only affiliate awarded the fellowship in 2015. Berrigan attributes much of her success to Schmid College’s research opportunities, including researching entanglement at the Institute for Quantum Studies at Chapman University.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI learned how to be a scientist there.\u201d Berrigan said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Tyler Anthony ’14<\/strong> and Jenny Bowen<\/strong>, receiving honorable mentions was particularly impressive given that neither are enrolled in a graduate program as of yet. Bowen still attends Schmid College as an environmental science and policy major<\/a>\u00a0and Anthony just recently graduated.<\/p>\n

Both Bowen and Anthony were aware of their positions entering the competition.<\/p>\n

Anthony said, \u201cI definitely felt like an underdog going against graduate students that were likely already part of a well-established research group with specific research goals in mind.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bowen shared Anthony\u2019s view, but both felt prepared due to Schmid College’s research opportunities<\/a> for undergraduates.<\/p>\n

\u201c[These opportunities] are resources that not every student utilizes throughout their time at Chapman,\u201d Bowen said. \u201cSchmid provides amazing opportunities for undergraduates to be involved with research, an opportunity that is rarely available at other universities.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Other 2015 Schmid College honorable mentions not aforementioned include Thomas Clayton<\/strong>, Gretchen Saunders<\/strong> and Kristin Marie Blacklock<\/strong>. Previous year honors went to the following Chapman University alumni:<\/p>\n