Three CBE Students Receive NSF Fellowships

Three NC State chemical engineering students will join the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) in the fall semester of 2022. Alexis Voulgaropoulos and Daniel Haller, seniors in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, plan to pursue their fellowships at Stanford and Rice, respectively. Lydia Skolrood, a second-year PhD student, is the department’s third recipient this year.

The NSF GRFP is a prestigious fellowship awarded to early-career graduate students who demonstrate potential for significant research achievements in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Recipients selected for the NSF GRFP receive three years of financial support over a five-year fellowship with a cost of education allowance for tuition and fees. NSF also provides GRFP fellows with professional development opportunities and encourages students to participate in collaborative research between institutions in national and international scientific communities.

Meet the Students

Alexis Voulgaropoulos, from Cornelius, North Carolina, is studying chemical engineering with a minor in biotechnology. She will graduate as a fifth-year student with valuable co-op experience. She says

“I feel extremely fortunate to have received this, as I think many of my peers were equally deserving. This fellowship will help me achieve my aspirations of using chemical engineering technologies to help improve the lives of others. I can’t thank my mentors and friends enough for all of their help and support throughout undergrad and this application process.”

Daniel Haller is from Waxhaw, North Carolina. At NC State he is a Park Scholar, a Goldwater Scholar and a member of the University Honors Program. He is also involved in musical ensembles at NC State and volunteer with NC Science Olympiad. He says

“I’m so grateful for the investment and support of my mentors and friends at NC State, who have been instrumental in helping me to win this fellowship. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship will provide me with flexibility as I begin my training as a researcher in the field of synthetic biology.”

Lydia Skolrood is from Gainesville, Georgia, and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of North Georgia in 2018. She then participated in research internships at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before beginning her PhD at NC State. Under the supervision of Dr. Qingshan Wei, Skolrood currently researches new approaches to sensing plant disease at the point-of-care by developing a portable, smartphone-based sensing platform. She says

“Receiving the NSF fellowship is a huge honor, and I am thankful for every person who has mentored me and encouraged me to pursue it. The support that the GRFP will provide to my research will help me achieve my goals to impact global issues through science.”