by Niki Acton '16

Three Knox College alumni were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships this spring. These highly competitive awards provide three years of financial support for graduate study leading to a master's or doctoral degree to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. 

In addition to the three grant recipients, two Knox alumni received honorable mentions for the fellowships.

"To have three awardees and two honorable mentions in one year demonstrates that Knox is doing an excellent job in preparing students for careers as research scientists," said Mariangela Maguire, interim director of the Gerald & Carol Vovis Center for Research & Advanced Study.

"Small colleges don't often appear on the list at all," said Maguire. "It's exciting and affirming to see three Knox College alumni on the list."

These three Knox College alumni received NSF Graduate Research Fellowships:

• Adrienne Ernst '15 received a grant for Life Sciences - Ecology at Northwestern University - Chicago Botanic Garden.
• James Loving-Lichtenstein '14 received a grant for Life Sciences - Ecology at University of Pittsburgh and University of California, Santa Barbara.
• Amelia Goranson '14 received a fellowship to support her study of Social Psychology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

While a senior at Knox, Goranson conducted an Honors project in psychology, exploring how language used toward others can change behavior. Even before she graduated from Knox, Goranson knew the project would set her apart.

"Having this experience under my belt is going to really help make me more competitive as a [Ph.D.] candidate and more prepared once I get there," Goransan said in and article about her research as a Knox student.

Her Honors Board chair, Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology Frank McAndrew, agreed. "This research is not typical for undergraduate students, as Amelia is essentially doing the equivalent of a master's degree thesis," he said in the same article. "Involvement in this type of research is the single most important factor in getting admitted to a good Ph.D. program."

Goranson and the other two NSF grant recipients were Ford Fellows while at Knox. The program, now called ASSET (Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow), is open to juniors with strong academic records. The fellows participate in seminars during the academic year and receive stipends to pursue an independent project over the summer.

The two honorable mentions were for Michael Supej '15, studying chemistry at Cornell University; and Kathleen Beeson '09, studying life sciences-neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University.

Last year, Knox alumna Gretchen Walljasper '14 received an NSF fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Population Biology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Pictured above: As a Knox student, Michael Supej used a nitrogen-filled glove box to work with an iron compound during a chemistry research project. Below: Amelia Goranson, who was a teaching assistant in psychology while at Knox, assists a student with an assignment involving data input and analysis.