A&S Science Graduate Students Earn Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Students from the University of Virginia College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences have earned top honors from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, one of the most prestigious awards for early-career scientists and scholars.

Three students affiliated with the College were awarded fellowships , with an additional five students receiving honorable mentions, which recognizes a high level of competitiveness and their potential to contribute to research and innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend and cost-of-education allowance, and is widely viewed as a career-defining achievement for graduate students pursuing STEM-based graduate degrees.

This year’s fellowship recipients include:

• Caroline Elizabeth Troy (Environmental Sciences), whose research on restored seagrass meadows at the Virginia Coast Reserve is focused on understanding how genetic diversity may have changed over two decades of restoration and the environmental and genetic drivers of eelgrass wasting disease.
• Jessee Steele (Environmental Sciences) who uses novel remote sensing and deep learning techniques to study how climate change has impacted the distribution of individual dead trees across the United States,  
• Danya Alboslani (Astronomy), who studies the atmospheres of brown dwarfs — objects that are too small to become full stars but larger than planets — and planet‑like worlds to better understand atmospheric circulation works and how weather patterns change as these objects age and evolve.

This year’s honorable mentions include:

• Sophia June Wood (Environmental sciences) 
• Emma Louise Pakulniewicz (Biology)
• Eleanor Lee McGrath (Environmental sciences)
• Star Markowitz (Psychology) 
• Tierney E. Cantwell (Environmental sciences)

Established in 1952, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports students who demonstrate both intellectual merit and the potential for broader societal impact through their work. Fellows are selected through a rigorous national competition that evaluates research proposals, academic achievement and letters of recommendation.

Brent Gunnoe, associate dean for graduate education in Arts & Sciences, praised the students for their accomplishments and their promising work.

“These students exemplify the curiosity, rigor and sense of purpose that define the College’s research community,” Gunnoe said. “To be recognized by the National Science Foundation at this stage in their careers speaks not only to their individual talent but also to the strength of the mentorship and research environment here at UVA. We are proud of the impact they are already making and excited to see how their work will contribute to addressing complex challenges in the years ahead.”

The NSF fellowship is notable for its flexibility, allowing recipients to pursue graduate study at any accredited U.S. institution. In addition to financial support, fellows gain access to professional development opportunities and a nationwide network of researchers.

Alumni of the program frequently go on to become leaders in academia, industry and public service, underscoring the fellowship’s role in shaping the future of the scientific workforce.

For the University of Virginia, this year’s cohort continues a tradition of strong participation in the program and highlights the breadth of research pursued by students across a range of disciplines, from earth science to astronomy.