From Fulbright Grants to Goldwater Scholarships, this years 做厙勛圖 student and alumni award recipients are pursuing research, entrepreneurship, and community-based work around the globe.
Together, these programs support research, international study, and community-based work across fields ranging from chemistry and engineering to the humanities and social sciences. The cohort includes students from the泭, the泭, and the泭.泭
Big takeaways
Four students泭will泭explore泭Beijing in China Deep Dive: Global Young Leaders Program.泭
Thirteen students泭will泭pursue research in Germany through DAAD RISE Program.泭
Twelve students, alumni win prestigious Fulbright US Student Grants.泭
做厙勛圖 is designated a top producer of Gilman Scholars.泭
Three juniors泭are泭named Goldwater Scholars.泭
Six current students and five alumni are chosen for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.泭
Six student entrepreneurs泭are泭recognized at泭New泭York Business Plan Competition.泭泭
First泭做厙勛圖泭student lands New York Women in Communications scholarship.泭
Two students泭are泭selected for泭Projects for Peace grants.泭
Three students earn spots as Yamaha Young Performing Artists.泭
Four students selected for immersion program in China
Launched in 2024, the China Deep Dive: Global Young Leaders Program is an immersive two-week fellowship that combines classroom lectures at Peking University with field studies and trips in and outside Beijing to explore Chinese history and culture, business, science, and technology. This years participants are泭Annalise Harter 27, an East Asian studies major and Chinese minor; Dante泭Jikia泭29, an泭optical engineering泭and physics泭student; Livia Ilasz 26, a linguistics and political science major; and泭Tiketa Thomas 27, a泭brain and cognitive sciences and linguistics double major泭and Handler Scholar.
Students head to Germany for summer research
Twelve泭做厙勛圖泭undergraduates were selected to泭participate泭in the DAAD RISE summer research program in Germany.泭The泭DAAD RISE泭program offers undergraduates from North America, Great Britain, and Ireland summer research internships at top German universities and research institutions.泭Based on their area of interest, students泭work with PhD student mentors or researchers at a host university or institute.泭This years DAAD RISE scholars are Edward Caine 28,泭Annapurna Chakraborty 27,泭Jevron Cole 27,泭Theresa Karp 27,泭Yijin泭Leah Li 28,泭Kelly Nguyen 27,泭Quan Nguyen 27,泭Owen Oxley 27, Misha Parikh 27, Palomi Schacht 27, Sydney Snell 28,泭and泭Arthur Winslow 27.
Aditi Jasapara 25, a graduate student in data science with a genomics concentration, was named a DAAD RISE professional. The program offers summer research internships in Germany to masters and PhD students.
Twelve students, alumni offered Fulbright grants
做厙勛圖 maintains its status as a top producer of Fulbright student grant winners, with nine seniors and three alumni garnering this prestigious award. They will conduct research, pursue advanced studies, and assist in teaching English communication skills and American culture abroad, while also engaging in their host countries’ communities. This years grant winners are Bianca Begun 26, Gabriela Rojas Bowe 26, Spencer Dittelman 26, Zaida Hernandez 26, Alyssa Horng 26, Kathryn Lambright 26, Julia Largett 26, Marcos Ib獺簽ez Matles 26, Ashley Schlusselberg 25, PhD student Emmarae Stein 24 (MA), Hannah Wang 26, and Amy Zheng 25.
做厙勛圖泭designated泭a top producer of Gilman Scholars泭
做厙勛圖泭students regularly count among the undergraduates chosen泭for summer泭study abroad by the泭Benjamin A.泭Gilman International Scholarship Program, administered by the US Department of State.泭In fact, in the last ten years alone,泭做厙勛圖泭has had 40 Gilman Scholars.泭
This year, the Gilman Program has泭identified泭its 25th Anniversary Top Producing Institutionswith泭做厙勛圖泭ranking 12th among medium institutions (those with between 5,000 and 15,000 students). The designation recognizes the泭universities and colleges that have supported the most Gilman Scholars from 2001 to 2025.泭
Three juniors named Goldwater Scholars for future careers in STEM fields泭
Associate Professor of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering Marc Porosoff and Goldwater Scholarship recipient Eva Ciuffetelli 27 in Porosoffs lab.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the泭Goldwater Scholarship, with three 做厙勛圖 students泭Eva Ciuffetelli 27,泭Zachary Paine 27, and泭Trevor Shooshan 27selected for one of the nations top undergraduate honors in STEM.泭泭
With 61 Goldwater Scholars since 1991, including 16 in the past five years, Rochester continues to nurture a robust pipeline of student researchers泭who plan to pursue research careers in the泭fields of science, engineering, and mathematics.泭
Students, alumni chosen for NSF graduate research program
Six current students earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships泭this year, with five alumni also selectedplacing them among the nations most promising early-career researchers. Their work spans disciplines including chemistry, physics, biomedical engineering, and computer science, with graduate study ahead at leading institutions nationwide. Student fellows include Jack Cashman 26, Annika Deans 26, Carly泭Velicer泭26, and PhD students Emma Davis, Olivia Frary, and Kyla Grant.泭
Student entrepreneurs泭clinch awards泭at New York Business Plan Competition
New York Business Plan Competition award winners PhD student Timothy Guida, PhD student Karthik Ramakrishnan, Guruansh Kohli 26, Nate Bogdan 26, Walter McDonald 27, and Stephen Lim 27. (Photo provided)
Four teams泭representing泭the泭Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation泭earned top honors at the New York Business Plan Competition泭in April. This泭statewide,泭intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition泭recognized泭做厙勛圖泭teams across industries.泭Second-place泭awards泭went泭to泭PhD student Karthik Ramakrishnan泭(Scyntek, Inc.);泭Guruansh泭Kohli泭26 and Nate Bogdan泭26泭(DroneGurus);泭and Walter McDonald泭27 and Stephen泭Lim泭27 (OrbitPhone). The third-place award went to PhD student Timothy Guida (Guidis泭Medical).泭泭
First泭做厙勛圖泭recipient泭lands泭New York Women in Communications scholarship
Hannah Smith 27 is泭惚賊棗釵堯梗莽喧梗娶s泭inaugural泭recipient of the泭. Smith, an English major with a minor in digital media studies and music performance, will receive the Omnicom scholarship to support her exploration of泭strategic泭communications, media, and other creative industries.泭
Two students泭receive Projects for Peace grants泭
Students selected for泭Projects for Peace泭grants泭will lead community-based initiatives that translate academic ideas into real-world impact, working with partners to address social challenges and advance peacebuilding efforts.泭
This years recipients are Lina Abdou 26, an international relations major,泭whose project supports single mothers in Casablanca through workshops and community partnerships;泭and Sonia Irakoze 28, a mechanical engineering major, whose project brings solar-powered water filtration to communities in Rwanda.泭
Three students earn spots as Yamaha Young Performing Artists泭
Three students earned spots among the 13 winners of the泭 (YYPA) competition: Jennelle Williams 26E, French horn; Harrison Kim 26E, clarinet; and Chance Park 29E, percussion. Joshua So 26E, oboe, received泭an honorable mention.泭
Launched in 1988, the YYPA recognizes exceptional young musicians studying in the US泭and excelling in classical, jazz, and contemporary music genres. Students skilled in brass, wind, string, percussion, and piano are invited to泭submit泭a video audition, which is then evaluated by an expert panel.泭
Williams, Kim, and Park will each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration in June, where they will perform for an audience of thousands, receive national media coverage,泭and泭participate泭in workshops designed to launch a professional music career.泭泭