The NSF awarded a GRFP, among the most coveted of fellowships, to Aniqa Chowdhury, a student of Dr. Delphine Dean. The NSF awarded Timothy Samec, a student of Dr. Angela Alexander-Bryant, an Honorable Mention. Editor
I feel very honored to have been selected to receive the NSF Graduate
Research Fellowship to continue my graduate studies at Clemson. I
am very excited to complete my Master’s degree in the coming year at
Clemson and subsequently pursue further opportunities to continue
my education.
I am very fortunate to have been able to work with great mentors in
the bioengineering department like Dr. Vyavahare and Dr. Dean, who
have allowed me to explore research in areas ranging from treatment
of abdominal aortic aneurysm to developing a bacteria sensor for use
in developing countries. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to
work with such great mentors and enormously expand my breadth of
knowledge, and I am confident that my education at Clemson has
prepared me for the next step in my career after the completion of my
Master’s degree. I feel honored to have been chosen to receive this
fellowship, and I am excited to see what the future holds.
I am extremely honored to receive Honorable Mention for this year’s
NSF GRFP selection. As it can be noted as a personal accomplishment,
I also view this as a fantastic opportunity to represent my family, lab
group, and the BioE department in the best way I can. I am very excited
to continue working towards achieving my goals in the laboratory
through researching peptide delivery systems for ovarian cancer gene
therapy.
My long term goal is pursuing a career in academia. I am
very thankful to have such a fantastic support system, people who
continue to help me reach new heights while also remaining humble
and knowing there is always something else to be done.
Although I spend much of my time in the lab, I do have a plethora of
activities that keep me balanced. I have raced triathlon for 8 years, and
usually when I’m not in lab you can find me in the pool, on the bike,
or running somewhere!
I have also been lucky to find my way back to
the wrestling mat after several years off, and it feels like I never left.
Other than triathlon and wrestling, I enjoy volunteering at local animal
shelters and spending time with my cat, Chloe!
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and
diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce
of the United States. The program recognizes and
supports outstanding graduate students who are
pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral
degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. The
GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate
education of individuals who have demonstrated their
potential for significant research achievements in
STEM or STEM education.
