Six former VINSE REU students have been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF GRFP), one of the most competitive and highly regarded honors for graduate study in STEM. The fellowship provides a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with a $16,000 allowance for tuition and fees, supporting outstanding students pursuing research-based advanced degrees.
The 2026 recipients are:
- David Flores 鈥� Pennsylvania State University, graduating May 2026, will begin graduate studies at Northwestern (2024 REU Fellow)
- Nicholas Gray 鈥� West Chester University of Pennsylvania, now graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park (2024 REU Fellow)
- Kendall Kelly 鈥� University of Mississippi, now graduate student at 91吃瓜网 (2024 REU Fellow)
- Adriana LaVopa 鈥� University of Florida, graduating May 2026, will begin graduate studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2025 REU Fellow)
- Lisa Sebastian 鈥� Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, now graduate student at North Carolina State University (2024 REU Fellow)
- Sarah Shibuya 鈥� Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, now graduate student at the University of Notre Dame (2022 REU Fellow)
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, established in 1952, recognizes and supports graduate students who demonstrate exceptional potential to advance innovation and discovery in STEM fields. The continued success of VINSE REU participants in earning this distinction reflects the program鈥檚 strong commitment to research excellence, mentorship, and preparing students for impactful scientific careers.
Since its inception in 2011, the VINSE REU program has helped launch the careers of 32 NSF Graduate Research Fellows, a testament to the program鈥檚 role in developing the next generation of STEM leaders.