RUSTON, La. – Louis Reis, a Louisiana Tech University biomedical and electrical engineering student, and Mark Wade, a recent summa cum laude graduate in electrical engineering and physics and current graduate student at Tech, have each been awarded Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The Fellowship provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research. It recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF's mission.
"To be selected from among thousands of qualified candidates around the world is a real honor," said Reis. "I appreciate all that Louisiana Tech has given me to excel in my field and prove my worth for this award. I look forward to the experience and the knowledge I will gain while working toward my Ph.D. as a NSF Fellow."
Reis is planning to continue his studies at Louisiana Tech as a Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering. His research focus is biosensors, specifically glucose and chemical sensors.
Wade, who graduated first in his class in both electrical engineering and physics, has been working as a design engineer for Radiance Technologies since graduation, and will be starting a Ph.D. program in electrical engineering this fall at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
"I am honored and excited to receive the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship," said Wade. "The award will allow me to focus on my Ph.D. studies and research, and it is a testament to the quality of engineering and science education at Louisiana Tech. I am grateful to the professors at Tech who helped me put together my application and prepared me for graduate school."
The NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship Program is highly-competitive and sought after among students in the STEM fields. The program seeks to ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the U.S. The ranks of NSF Fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen fields and Nobel laureates.
"I have reviewed for this program for the last four years and can tell you that it is an intensely competitive process," said Dr. Jenna Carpenter, associate dean for administration and strategic initiatives in Louisiana Tech's College of Engineering and Science. "These are very prestigious awards. They receive over 10,000 applications and only award about 3,000."
Students selected for the Fellowship receive an annual stipend of $30,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $10,500. Fellows can choose to attend any appropriate, accredited, non-profit U.S. institution offering advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.