A total of 43 UCI graduate scholars received honors from the National Science Foundation (NSF). 22 of those students received earned a Graduate Research Fellowship from the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), while 21 were recognized with honorable mention.
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines across the U.S. Students awarded the fellowship receive a three-year annual stipend of $34,000, as well as $12,000 paid directly to the university to cover tuition and fees. The GRFP has a history of selecting recipients who go on to achieve high levels of success. Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, Google founder, Sergey Brin and Freakonomics co-author, Steven Levitt.
This year’s UCI recipients are listed below:
NSF-GRP Award Winners
| Araneta, Erin Joy Esposo | Chemistry – Sustainable Chemistry |
| Bakis, Athanasios | Mathematical Sciences – Computational Statistics |
| Bautista Garcia, Esteban | Chemistry – Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry |
| Castillo, Andrea Lidia | STEM Education and Learning Research – Engineering Education |
| Dohl, Jacob | Life Sciences – Cell Biology |
| Hernandez Santacruz, Jasmin | Psychology – Cognitive Psychology |
| Huynh, Amy | Engineering – Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering |
| Issa, Mariam Ali | Engineering – Artificial Intelligence |
| Liu, Christopher Pantayatiwong | Engineering – Chemical Engineering |
| Lopez, John Louis-Strakes | STEM Education and Learning Research – Science Education |
| Martinez, Maricela Xochil | Life Sciences – Neurosciences |
| Mendoza, Guadalupe Aileen | Psychology – Cognitive Psychology |
| Muthukumar, Pratyush | Comp/IS/Eng – Artificial Intelligence |
| Nguyen, Hannah | Chemistry – Chemical Synthesis |
| Ramirez, Fabian | Mathematical Sciences – Algebra, Number Theory, and Combinatorics |
| Saleh, Samer | Engineering – Chemical Engineering |
| Samuels, Camille | Social Sciences – Cultural Anthropology |
| Schulte Bisping, Marie Celestine | Life Sciences – Neurosciences |
| Showalter, Samuel R | Comp/IS/Eng – Machine Learning |
| Sousa, Rachel Sylvia | Mathematical Sciences – Mathematical Biology |
| Vasquez, Alexander Michael | Physics and Astronomy – Other (specify) – Chemical, Applied, and Materials Physi |
| Yang, Lucy L | Chemistry – Chemistry of Life Processes |
Honorable mentions
| Allison, Steven | Materials Research – Chemistry of Materials |
| Bautista, Malia | Life Sciences – Neurosciences |
| Beshai, Ryan Amir | Life Sciences – Ecology |
| Bonadonna, Christine Carmella | Life Sciences – Other (specify) – Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| Cenkner, David Patrick | Psychology – Developmental Psychology |
| Cheng, Jiangning | Engineering – Biomedical Engineering |
| Cypcar, Andrew David | Chemistry – Sustainable Chemistry |
| Daniels, Brian Sullivan | Chemistry – Chemical Synthesis |
| de Carvalho, Gregory Belo | Life Sciences – Neurosciences |
| Fortin, Bridget | Life Sciences – Biochemistry |
| Freedman, Hayden | Comp/IS/Eng – Software Engineering |
| Granger-Jones, Jessica Ann | Chemistry – Sustainable Chemistry |
| Heid, Leslie | Physics and Astronomy – Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics |
| Khazindar, Yezzen | Geosciences – Arctic-Antarctic |
| Nishida, Mikaela | Mathematical Sciences – Statistics |
| Pahl, Bryant Labajo | Geosciences – Paleoclimate |
| Pina, Dolores Alejandra | Social Sciences – Other (specify) – Global Studies |
| Ramirez, Cuauhtemoc | Life Sciences – Physiology |
| Silvester, Joseph Maxwell | Physics and Astronomy – Quantum Information Science |
| Spitz, Shiri | Psychology – Social Psychology |
| Urrutia Avila, Ashley Noemi | Engineering – Biomedical Engineering |