Two Arts and Sciences students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Four Florida State University students — two of them from the College of Arts and Sciences— and three recent graduates have received the prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

The fellowship programrecognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees.

“This is a simply wonderful achievement further illuminating the depth and quality of our superstar students,” said Mark Riley, dean of The Graduate School at Florida State. “They continue to shine brighter every day.”

Fellows receive an annual stipend of $34,000 over three years, which allows them to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education. The stipend includes a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development.

“We’ve been lucky throughout the years to have wonderful, dedicated graduate students,” said Adrienne Stephenson, director of FSU’s Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards. “This award by the NSF is a testament to their hard work and commitment to their education. We are incredibly proud of these students and their achievements.”

The College of Arts and Sciences’ winners for 2018 are:

• Mary Duffy, 26, a graduate student from Miami. She is working toward her doctoral degree in clinical psychology in the lab of Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology Thomas Joiner. Duffy is focusing her research on body attitudes and experiences in eating disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
• Mysia Dye, 24, a graduate student from Barrington, New Hampshire. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in ecology and evolution in the lab of Associate Professor of Biological Science Emily Lemmon.

Also receiving NSF Graduate Research Fellowships this year are:

• Wrojensky Andre, 23, a senior from Hollywood, Florida double-majoring in retail management and economics. He intends to pursue a doctoral degree in economics.
• Joan Joseph, 21, a senior political science major from Homestead, Florida, and a first-generation college student. Joseph will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall to pursue a doctoral degree in political science, focusing on comparative politics and quantitative methods.

Three recent FSU graduates also received the award.

Emily Anne Vargas, 23, a 2017 graduate from Miami, Florida, will pursue her doctoral degree in materials science and engineering at the University of Southern California. Alexandra Niedzwiecki and Alexandra Barth, both 2016 graduates, also received the award. Barth is currently pursuing a graduate degree at California Institute of Technology.