National Science Foundation (NSF) Announces 2024 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Awardees

Five CCS student awardees, six honorable mentions for renowned fellowship

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the 2024 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awardees. Five current and past College of Creative Studies (CCS) students were selected for the fellowship and six current CCS students received honorable mentions. In total, there were sixteen fellowship recipients and fifteen honorable mentions from UC Santa Barbara. The College community congratulates these future trailblazers as they pursue endeavors aimed at positively impacting society! 

2024 CCS Student Awardees: 

—Mikolaj Godzik ‘23 (CCS Biology)

—Tyler Nelson Tachibana Pennebaker ‘19 (CCS Physics)

—Graham Sharp ‘23 (CCS Physics)

—Charles Nicholas Thrift ‘22 (CCS Biology)

—Ashley Yeh ‘24 (CCS Biology)

2024 CCS Student Honorable mentions:

—Ricardo Isaac Espinosa Lima ‘22 (CCS Biology)

—Vivian Hoang ‘22 (CCS Biology)

—Sriram Vish Ramamurthy ‘22 (CCS Biology)

—Luca Vito Di Raimondo Scharrer ‘22 (CCS Physics)

—Marina Ivaylova Stoilova ‘23 (CCS Biology)

—Guy Wilks ‘24 (CCS Computing) 

"The College of Creative Studies is thrilled to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of our current and past students who have been awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. These fellowships really highlight the creativity and dedication of our students and as these amazing scholars embark on their graduate studies, we are confident that they will make contributions that exemplify the spirit of innovation and discovery that defines us here in CCS. Congratulations!"

—Timothy Sherwood, CCS Interim Dean

Experiential learning is at the center of student learning at CCS, including preparing our students for those interested in pursuing scholarly endeavors. The College recognizes the vital role that its faculty play in mentoring its curious and passionate students with 70 percent of those in STEM majors pursuing advanced degrees at the masters and doctoral levels, according to a past alumni survey. CCS Biology Faculty John Latto and Claudia Tyler lead an annual colloquium on navigating the graduate school application process, including information about the GRFP. In addition, previous recipients of the GRFP have been invited to return to campus to inspire and share their journeys with current students considering applying.

The GRFP is a distinguished fellowship program that supports outstanding graduating seniors and early-stage graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who intend on pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees and show potential for significant research achievements. As the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the GRFP has a legacy of selecting recipients who go on to achieve significant research achievements in their academic and professional endeavors.

Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend and a cost-of-education allowance covering tuition and fees to conduct research at any accredited U.S. institution offering graduate education. In addition, these fellows have opportunities for international research and professional development. These NSF Fellows are anticipated to become leaders in STEM research, education, and innovation. 

Again, congratulations to the 2024 awardees! CCS invites NSF GRFP recipients and others who went on to scholarly endeavors to return to the College to share their graduate experiences with current students.