{"id":8361,"date":"2020-04-17T17:19:34","date_gmt":"2020-04-18T00:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/scst\/2020\/04\/17\/headed-to-caltech-with-a-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T23:23:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:23:33","slug":"headed-to-caltech-with-a-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/scst\/2020\/04\/17\/headed-to-caltech-with-a-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship\/","title":{"rendered":"Headed to CalTech with a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"danielWe are so excited to celebrate Daniel Chang \u201919, who was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship<\/a> (NSF GRFP)! The NSF GRFP recognizes graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math who are pursuing further education in masters and doctoral programs. The fellows receive opportunities for international research and professional development, as well as an annual stipend to help with the cost of tuition and fees. Chang currently works at Chapman as a lab instructor for organic chemistry and as a full-time research assistant in the Liberman-Martin lab<\/a> <\/span>with Dr. Allegra Liberman-Martin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Chang graduated from Chapman in 2019 with a degree in chemistry and a minor in computational science. While an undergrad, he served as a supplemental instructor\/tutor, as well as gaining research experience as a research assistant. He will be attending graduate school at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) in the fall, where he will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry with a focus in organic chemistry. He shared with us the involvement and research that set him up for success, as well as his current career plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research Involvement\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Undergraduate research is a hallmark of the Schmid experience. Chang took full advantage of the opportunity to conduct research as an undergrad student in order to learn about his interests and skills. He tells us, \u201cAs an undergrad, I started research in Dr. Warren de Bruyn\u2019s lab during my second month at Chapman. I was able to do research every semester and summer of my undergrad career and completed 26 credits of research. My research experiences were in organic synthesis, analytical chemistry, & chemical education.\u201d These experiences not only made Chang a competitive applicant for the fellowship program but also helped him narrow his interests as he looked to graduate research opportunities. \u201cIt was really great to experience a bunch of different kinds of chemistry in undergrad, but I\u2019ve finally settled on pursuing research in organic synthesis!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Headed to CalTech<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

At CalTech, Chang will be focusing his research primarily on the development of new catalytic organic reactions. Beyond working in the lab, he\u2019s looking forward to meeting other students with his same interests. \u201cI\u2019m mostly excited to be surrounded by other people that are just as excited about organic chemistry as I am! During my visit to Caltech, I really enjoyed interacting with faculty and graduate students, so I am really excited to get to know them all better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After he completes his Ph.D., Chang hopes to become a professor. \u201cI really like mentorship, teaching, and research, so I feel that this would be the ideal job for me!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tips for Your Application<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Grant and fellowship programs like the NSF GRFP are incredibly competitive, and the application process can be time-consuming and difficult. Chang drew upon his relationships at Chapman and the Center for Undergraduate Excellence<\/a> to learn more about the process and to help with mentorship. He decided to apply for the program when he realized he wanted to pursue a Ph.D. during his junior year as an undergraduate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Once Chang decided to apply for the program, he got to work right away. He explained that he started writing his personal statements and asking for letters of recommendation in the fall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For other students who are interested in applying to similar fellowships, Chang has a few recommendations:<\/span><\/p>\n