Front row, left to right: Amber Lopez, Zoe Griffin, Ashley Kreth, Maya Risin, Ian Brunetz
Second row, left to right: Caroline Bendickson, Dianah Anderson, Alejandro Pereira, Devonian Locke, Natalie Yates, Katherine McFerrin
Third row, left to right: Michelle DeMers, Delancey Griffin, Taylor Sobczak, Olivia Walker, Cameron Thomas, Isabelle Scherick, Myles Gosha, Jillian Goodrich
The University of Georgia Graduate School is proud to recognize its newly selected fellows of the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. This year’s cohort increased by a third as compared to last year.
The NSF GRFP is a highly competitive national fellowship that supports outstanding graduate students engaged in scientific research in STEM and STEM education disciplines who demonstrate the potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers.
“It is such a pleasure to welcome our new cohort of NSF Graduate Research Fellows. They join an outstanding group of scholars who are at the forefront of research innovation at UGA.” – Meredith Welch-Devine, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School
The annual welcome meeting and luncheon, held on August 13, gathered both new and established fellows to review information and requirements of the program, hear greetings and encouragement from the Graduate School for the year ahead, and network with each other.
Meredith Welch-Devine, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, addresses new GRFP fellows at the annual Welcome Week luncheon
Congratulations, GRFP Fellows for 2026!
GRFP fellows named in 2026 who are current UGA graduate students are listed below with their departments and fields of study:
Ian Brunetz — Ecology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Ayden Clark-Veal — Integrated Plant Sciences; Life Sciences – Genomics
Karin Ebey — Ecology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Delancey Griffin — Anthropology; Social Sciences – Archaeology
Zoe Griffin — Genetics; Life Sciences – Genetics
Ashley Kreth — Chemistry; Chemistry – Chemical Synthesis
Devonian Locke — Ecology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Amber Lopez — Civil Engineering; Engineering – Civil Engineering
Katherine McFerrin — Ecology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Maya Risin — Ecology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Victoria Walden — Integrated Plant Sciences; Life Sciences – Genomics
Olivia Walker — Plant Biology; Life Sciences – Ecology
Natalie Yates — Plant Pathology; Life Sciences – Cell Biology
Beth Lovern, Director of Fellowships and Scholarships at the Graduate School, explains procedures of the program to the new GRFP fellows
The UGA Graduate School offers webinars and workshops to help aspiring NSF GRFP fellows navigate the application process.
More information on the Graduate School’s offerings
More information on the NSF GRFP
