Lexi Applequist Awarded NSF GRFP

May. 03, 2023

Four U of A students and three recent alumni have been selected to receive Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation.

The highly competitive award, considered one of the nation’s top academic honors, is given to students pursuing graduate studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields and recognizes academic excellence and the potential that each student will make to their field and to society at large. 

According to the National Science Foundation, more than 12,000 students apply each year for Graduate Research Fellowships. Approximately 2,000 receive awards, which they take to U.S. graduate institutions of their choice. 

Each fellowship is worth $37,000 per year and can be renewed for up to three years. Along with the renewable stipend, each student’s institution will receive $12,000 per year to offset tuition costs, bringing the total amount of funding awarded to these seven students to over $1,000,000.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, 162 U of A students and alumni have received this prestigious fellowship.

“Research is a central part of the University of Arkansas’ land-grant mission,” said Chancellor Charles Robinson. “Our faculty are engaged in the very highest levels of discovery that result in new knowledge and innovation that benefit our state and the larger society. Faculty include both undergraduate and graduate students in this engaged learning, and the result is that our students then have the experience and training to win scholarships as competitive as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Each of these amazing students is committed to a career that will focus on research. That’s great for them and certainly good for all of us.”

“Our NSF Graduate Research Fellows and those recognized as honorable mentions deserve kudos for their ambition and for their dedication,” said Provost Terry Martin. “The funding will not only support them through their graduate school years, but will also set them up for success in a variety of ways as they launch their professional careers. I am delighted to see the tribute these students give to their faculty mentors. Research is truly a collaborative effort. Congratulations to all.”

Alexis Applequist

Alexis Applequist graduated with a B.S. in biomedical engineering in 2021. She conducted research with Morten Jensen and Kartik Balachandran, both associate professors of biomedical engineering. 

She also conducted industry research at a medical technology startup company in Bangalore, India. Currently a Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering at the U of A, she is developing a heart-on-chip platform, Coco Chip, to be used as a novel drug screening device in the pharmaceutical industry. She plans a career in industry research and development with the goal of minimizing the socioeconomic gap in healthcare worldwide.  

“I am extremely honored to have been selected as an NSF GRFP recipient,” Applequist said. “My experiences in India, researching with professors Jensen and Balachandran, and leading departmental initiatives allowed me to highlight my dedication to research in my application. I am very thankful to the University of Arkansas biomedical engineering faculty and their continued support.”

Contacts

Suzanne McCray, vice provost for enrollment

Dean of Admissions and Nationally Competitive Awards

479-575-4883, smccray@uark.edu

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