More than two dozen University of Arizona students have been offered prestigious graduate fellowships totaling nearly $1.2 million.

The awards include fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, NASA, the National Institutes of Health and other organizations.

"We are proud to see so many of our students receive these graduate fellowships," said Kirsten Limesand, dean of the UArizona Graduate College. "These awards are a testament to our incredible students, their dedication to improving our world and the quality of the support they receive at the University of Arizona."

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships recognize and support outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

Fellows get a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with a $12,000 allowance for tuition and fees. They can conduct their research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education.

Eight UArizona students were awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.

Brianna Billingsley is a doctoral student in the Department of Physics in the College of Science. Billingsley's research is on experimental condensed matter physics. With the NSF award, she plans to study geometrically frustrated magnetic materials.

Noelle Daigle is a doctoral student in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences studying biomedical optics. Her research project aims to develop a multimodal laparoscope for neuroendocrine tumor localization.

Jake Dean is a master's student in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences' Center for Latin American Studies. Dean's research explores the ramifications of conservation-as-development and green capitalist pushes for whale-watching ecotourism on small-scale fishing communities in Baja California Sur.

Nico Deshler is a doctoral student in the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. Deshler's research involves leveraging quantum properties of light. The NSF award will support Deshler's thesis work developing computational imaging systems.

Savannah Fuqua is a doctoral student in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the College of Science. Fuqua studies the effects of invasive plants on below-ground communities and processes. With the NSF award, she will investigate the effects of the invasion by European beach grass on coastal dune ecosystems. Fuqua's goal is to use research to inform coastal dune habitat restoration practices.

Gabriel Geffen is an undergraduate student in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics in the College of Engineering, where he will continue his studies as a graduate student after he graduates in May. Geffen's research area is traffic engineering. His research focuses on using data-driven approaches to improve transportation infrastructure and understand driver preferences. With the NSF award, Geffen plans to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence concepts to traffic-related data.

Eric Lu is an undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Department of Mathematics in the College of Science. Lu's research focuses on understanding cellular quiescence from a computational angle, involving clinical data analysis and software development. The award will support Lu's graduate studies in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's biological engineering program.

Sheila Whitman is a graduate student in the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Applied Mathematics. Whitman was awarded the fellowship to research calculation of phase diagrams, or CALPHAD, a computational method in materials science and engineering to understand the behaviors of materials at different temperatures, pressures and compositions. With the support of the NSF fellowship, Whitman plans to lower the barriers to CALPHAD for a wider community, including industry, by streamlining and automating the CALPHAD tasks with cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools.

Some of the other UArizona students awarded prestigious graduate fellowships are listed below.

American Association of University Women International Fellowship

The American Association of University Women International Fellowship supports women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents who intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career.

• Diana Githu, Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Arid Lands Resources Sciences

German Academic Exchange Service

The German Academic Exchange Service, known by the German acronym DAAD, provides support for study and research in Germany.

• Abby Gibbons, Division for Late Medieval and Reformation Studies and the Department of History

NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities

The NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities award provides a $40,000 stipend and additional funding to graduate students who show significant potential to contribute to creating innovative new space technologies.

• Gabe Richardson, Wyant College of Optical Sciences

National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award

National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award helps develop promising predoctoral students into productive, independent research scientists.

• Dakota Michael Reinartz, Department of Immunobiology
• Sarrah Louise Hannon, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Erica Iris Williams, Department of Pharmacology
• Jack D. Tran, Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Cancer Biology
• Katie Giordano, Clinical Translational Sciences Graduate Program
• Benjamin Conner, Department of Medicine
• Ashley Guest, Department of Medicine
• Maria Adelus, Department of Medicine and Clinical Translational Sciences Graduate Program
• Marisela Rodriguez, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Clinical Translational Sciences Graduate Program
• Anngela Adams, Clinical Translational Sciences Graduate Program

P.E.O. Scholar Awards

The P.E.O. Scholar Awards are competitive, merit-based awards intended to recognize and encourage academic excellence and achievement by women in doctoral-level programs.

• Brittany R. Franck, School of Anthropology
• Julie Edwards, School of Geography, Development and Environment
• Ivette Merced, Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies

U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship

The Fulbright-Hays Fellowship award supports students who conduct research in other countries in modern foreign languages and area studies.

• Ryan Blair, School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies
• Linda Choi, School of Geography, Development and Environment
• Jingyi Li, Department of East Asian Studies
• Brittany Power, School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies
• Renee Spellman, School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies

Most awardees worked with the UArizona Graduate Center Office of Fellowships as they applied for these awards. The office supports students throughout the summer and academic year as they prepare funding applications.