Gracie Dellinger ’24, recent genetics and microbiology alum, was one of the six Clemson members recognized with the country’s most prestigious STEM-focused graduate research fellowship, awarded annually through the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship program helps ensure the quality, vitality and diversity of the country’s scientific and engineering workforce by supporting outstanding students pursuing research-based graduate degrees at accredited United States institutions.
Gracie, originally from McClellanville, South Carolina, was a part of the Clemson Honors College and has been performing undergraduate research in EPIC with Dr. Kim Paul since the summer after her junior year of high school, focusing on the parasite that causes African Sleeping Sickness, a disease that can be fatal if left untreated. Last summer, Gracie attended a Research Experience for Undergraduates at UNC Chapel Hill, exploring different adaptations of an intestinal pathogen responsible for a hospital-acquired disease called C. difficile infection.
Gracie will be attending Duke University School of Medicine in the fall, where she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and microbiology. She was also awarded a fellowship called the James P. Duke Fellowship, which aims to attract and develop outstanding scholars at Duke.
