The National Science Foundation has awarded coveted Graduate Research Fellowships to 10 Emory College seniors and recent alumni, as well as three Emory PhD students.
This year’s Emory recipients of the nation’s oldest continuous STEM investment include graduating seniors Morgan Creighton, neuroscience and behavioral biology; Madeline Garcia, biophysics and chemistry; and Tallulah Story, biology and environmental sciences.
Emory College alumni recipients are:
- Sophia Barthel 25C, chemistry and economics (now at the University of Michigan)
- Nicholas Chang 24C, environmental sciences (now at the University of Minnesota)
- Elias Heanue 24C, biophysics (now at University of California-Irvine)
- Blake Miller 23C, biology and environmental sciences (now a full-time research specialist for Philip Santangelo’s spatial biology lab at Emory who will start in the joint Georgia Tech/Emory biomedical engineer program in the fall)
- Nyasha Musoni 25C, chemistry and film and media (now at the University of Wisconsin)
- Maya Risin 25C, biology and environmental sciences (now at the University of Georgia)
- Caroline Thomas 20C, biology (now at Loyola University of Chicago).
They are among more than 2,500 high-potential, early-career scientists and engineers selected from a pool of nearly 14,000 applicants to win support for research-focused graduate training.
The fellowship provides three $37,000 annual stipends and $16,000 cost-of-education allowances paid to the fellows’ graduate institutions, as well as programs for professional development and international research.
The National Scholarships and Fellowships Program (NSFP) in Emory College’s Pathways Center provides support and information to seniors and recent graduates who apply directly for the fellowship.
This year, Emory College and the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies collaborated to offer a grant-writing workshop to help students apply for the funding.
Three Emory doctoral students also received fellowships. They are Jenna Caudle in organic chemistry, Aniya Hartzler in biomedical engineering (a joint doctoral program with Georgia Tech) and Angelys M. Rivera-Hernández in neuroscience.
“An Emory undergraduate education offers students unparalleled opportunities for students to be involved in cutting-edge research while also giving back to the Emory and Atlanta communities through volunteer work, mentorship and teaching,” says NSFP director Megan Friddle.
“This intersection of innovation and service uniquely positions graduates for opportunities like NSF GRFP that seek to identify and support emerging leaders who will contribute to the advancement of both scientific knowledge and societal well-being,” Friddle adds.
One graduating senior, chemistry major Benjamin Chiok, earned an honorable mention for the 2026 fellowship, as did four recent Emory College graduates.
The Emory College alumni honorable mentions went to Madeline Bloomer 25C, physics (now at University of California-Davis); Madeline Clerici 25C, chemistry (now at Columbia University); Victoria Keane 25C, applied mathematics (now at Duke University); and Kiara Vazquez Narvaez 23C, biology (now at Yale University).
The NSF does not limit the number of times students may apply annually before beginning graduate study. However, due to a change this year, only first-year graduate students are eligible.
“These fellowships recognize students who are already asking ambitious questions and doing work that matters,” says Tamara Caspary, associate dean for strategic projects at the James T. Laney Graduate School. “Earning an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is a major milestone that reflects not only the strength of each student’s research agenda, but also their potential to contribute meaningfully to their fields. We’re proud of our Laney students whose work and ideas have been recognized at this level.”
Honorable mentions for Laney applicants are Martin Griffin and McKenna D. Romac, doctoral students in neuroscience, and chemistry doctoral students Sigrid Real-Aguilar and Cayley Williams.
Learn more about scholarships
The next round of applications for NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship will open in the fall. Undergraduate students interested in learning more about it and other prestigious awards should contact Megan Friddle in Emory’s National Scholarship and Fellowship Program, part of the Emory College Pathways Center.
NSF grant workshops are offered through the James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies (LGS) in the summer and fall. Graduate students can contact Tamara Caspary, associate dean for strategic projects at LGS, for information about applying for NSF grants. Students are also encouraged to visit the LGS newsroom and read the Grad Report, published on Tuesdays, for updates about upcoming workshops.