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Four Furman students, alumni receive NSF grants

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Last updated April 8, 2016

By Tina Underwood

The National Science Foundation has awarded grants through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) to four Furman students and alumni.

The recipients are Furman senior chemistry major Michael Davis Turlington (Mills River, N.C.); December 2015 political science graduate Caroline Marie Lancaster (Laurens, S.C.); 2015 philosophy and psychology graduate Francis Truitt Anderson (Washington University); and 2013 Asian studies graduate Sarah Ellen Johnson (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

Turlington’s GRFP award is for the chemistry field of study (chemical structure, dynamics, and mechanism). Lancaster’s award is for social sciences (political science) research. Anderson’s award goes toward STEM Education and Learning Research (science education), and Johnson was awarded a fellowship for social sciences (linguistics) research.

In total this year, the NSF has named 2,000 individuals as GRFP award recipients. Awardees, chosen from nearly 17,000 applicants, represent a diverse group of scientific disciplines and from all states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories.

Says Dr. John Wheeler, Furman Professor and Director of Integrative Research in the Sciences, “For four students from an undergraduate institution the size of Furman to receive Fellowships in the same year is an outstanding achievement. But what’s even more impressive is the range of areas in which the Fellowships were granted, including linguistics, science education, political science and chemistry. This speaks to the remarkable strengths of the Furman experience across the disciplines.”

GRFP provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period ($34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution). The funds support graduate study that leads to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in science or engineering.

Former NSF Fellows include numerous individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering, have become leaders in their chosen careers, and have been honored as Nobel laureates. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents and are selected through the NSF peer review process.

“The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a vital part of our efforts to foster and promote excellence in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics by recognizing talent broadly from across the Nation,” says Joan Ferrini-Mundy, NSF assistant director for Education and Human Resources. “These awards are provided to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements, and they are investments that will help propel this country’s future innovations and economic growth.”

For more information about the NSF GRFP program visit the website at this link, or contact Furman’s News and Media Relations Office at (864) 294-3107.

 

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