2020-2021+Awardees

Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $8,500 to rising juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time in a program of study in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and have a specific faculty-mentored research project that has NASA or aerospace relevance. Applied Health Sciences majors are not eligible for this program.

Graduate and undergraduate papers will be posted soon.

Yogesh Aradhey

Yogesh Aradhey is a Masters candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Investigation of NASA Combustion Scheme Under Thermoacoustic Instability. Their research paper can be found here.

Benjamin Belfore

Benjamin Belfore is Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is Modeling Dynamic Recrystallization of Phase Change Materials for Applications in Adaptive Optics. Their research paper can be found here.

Sara Benham

Sara Benham is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is Mapping the spread of the pathogen Rickettsia parkeri through landscape genetic analysis of the primary vector, the Gulf Coast Tick (Amblyomma maculatum). Their research paper can be found here.

Doyee Byun

Doyee Byun is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Quasar Outflow Analysis: Extreme Ultraviolet Observations and Beyond. Their research paper can be found here.

Brian Collister

Brian Collister is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is remote sensing of marine particle properties using shipboard oceanographic Lidar. Their research paper can be found here.

Nathan Cooper

Nathan Cooper is a Ph. D. candidate at William & Mary. His research topic is Athena: Towards Improving Semantic Code Search with Causal Reasoning and Knowledge Graphs. Their research paper can be found here.

Delaney Costante

Delaney Costante is a Masters candidate at William & Mary. Her research topic is Quantifying threats affecting imperiled species in the United States. Their research paper can be found here.

Joseph Cuozzo

Joseph Cuozzo is a Ph. D. candidate at William & Mary. His research topic is Novel Josephson junctions for cryogenic memory and fault-tolerant quantum computation. Their research paper can be found here.

Mary Angelique Demetillo

Mary Angelique Demetillo is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Assessing Air Pollutant Exposure Inequality Using High-Resolution Nitrogen Dioxide Datasets. Their research paper can be found here.

John Elliott

John Elliott is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Porous Carbon Fibers for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Power Generation. Their research paper can be found here.

Emma Marie Hepworth

Emma Marie Hepworth is a Masters candidate at William & Mary. Her research topic is Elucidating the Molecular Mechanism of MK-STYX in Stress Response Pathways. Their research paper can be found here.

Kelsey Huelsman

Kelsey Huelsman is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Assessing the ability to detect invasive plant species using drone-based leaf-scale visible and near-infrared imaging spectroscopy. Their research paper can be found here.

Von Clyde Jamora

Von Clyde Jamora is a Masters candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is Understanding the Defect Formation of Thin Ply Composites during Automated Fiber Placement. Their research paper can be found here.

Matthew Kane

Matthew Kane is a Masters candidate at William & Mary. His research topic is Using Spatial Data to Protect Nonbreeding Frog and Toad Habitat. Their research paper can be found here.

Lee Kendall

Lee Kendall is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Integrated Nanotube/Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Nanosheets for Water Splitting Applications: Enabling Long-term Human Activity on Mars. Their research paper can be found here.

Imran Khasawneh

Imran Khasawneh is a Masters candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is A 3-Axis PID gain tuner for eVTOL hover flight mode. Their research paper can be found here.

Christopher Krier

Christopher Krier is a Ph.D candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is deducing non-migrating diurnal tides in the Earth’s thermosphere using satellite data from the NASA/GOLD Mission. Their research paper can be found here.

Alicia Milam

Alicia Milam is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is The influence of negative affect regulation on neurophysiological markers of cognitive control and distress tolerance. Their research paper can be found here.

Hannah Mast

Hannah Mast is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence: a novel approach to quantify photosynthesis in wetland ecosystems. Their research paper can be found here.

Renato Mazzei

Renato Mazzei is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is The Role of Magnetic Fields in Star Formation, from Cloud to Disk Scales. Their research paper can be found here.

Deborah McGlynn

Deborah McGlynn is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is Understanding reactions of ozone with biogenic volatile organic compounds in a forest canopy. Their research paper can be found here.

Fiona McGroarty

Fiona McGroarty is a MS. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is Constructing Crustal and Lithospheric Profiles of Mars Using NASA InSight Data. Their research paper can be found here.

Joshua Moser

Joshua Moser is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Autonomous Task Sequencing and Assignment for In-Space Multi-Robot Assembly. Their research paper can be found here.

Carly Norris

Carly Norris is a Ph D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is Investigating space brain: how do brain cells respond to the effects of increased intracranial pressure? Their research paper can be found here.

Sarah Power

Sarah Power is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is Cryptic microbes in Antarctica: Determining the limits of biotic detection via satellite imagery. Their research paper can be found here.

Hannah Richstein

Hannah Richstein is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies: Shedding Light on Dark Matter. Their research paper can be found here.

Mackenzie Ridley

Mackenzie Ridley is Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Tailoring Thermal Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Environmental Barrier Coatings. Their research paper can be found here.

Rebecca Skelton

Rebecca Skelton Marshall is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Analysis of Galvanic Coupling in Fastener/Plate Configurations – Progress Report. Their research paper can be found here.

Lauren Sommers

Lauren Sommers is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. Her research topic is Quantifying Shoreline Change Using Satellite Imagery. Their research paper can be found here.

Eric Stone

Eric Stone is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Effects of Phase Mixtures on Long Term Stability of Ytterbium Silicate Environmental Barrier Coatings. Their research paper can be found here.

Austin Tapp

Austin Tapp is a Ph. D. candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is Modeling and Simulation of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields to Maintain Bone Density During Prolonged Low Gravity Exposure. Their research paper can be found here.

Robin Thady

Robin Thady is a Masters candidate at William & Mary. Her research topic is Evaluating the use of acoustic warning signals to reduce avian collision risk. Their research paper can be found here.

Jessica Turner

Jessica Turner is a Ph. D. candidate at William & Mary. Her research topic is A high-resolution spatiotemporal investigation of Chesapeake Bay water clarity with implications for sediment transport and primary production. Their research paper can be found here.

Abygail Waggoner

Abygail Waggoner is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Time Variable Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks. Their research paper can be found here.

Kaleigh Yost

Kaleigh Yost is a Ph. D. candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is Characterizing Near-Surface Geologic Profiles Using Intrusive and Non-Intrusive Methods. Their research paper can be found here.

Ryan Zelinsky

Ryan Zelinsky is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Investigation of Metal Ion Mobility Under Exposure to Deactivating Agents. Their research paper can be found here.

Naomi Carter

Naomi Carter is a Bachelors candidate at Hampton University. Her research topic is An Exploratory Literature Review of Microgravity-Induced Peripheral Nerve Damage and Potential Neuroprotectants using Conceptual Research. Their research paper can be found here.

David Hood

David Hood is a Bachelors candidate at William & Mary. His research topic is Imaging the Electronic Quenching Dynamics of Nitric Oxide with Molecular Hydrogen. Their research paper can be found here.

Mikayla Huffman

Mikayla Huffman is a Bachelors candidate at William & Mary. Her research topic is Craters as Passive Probes of Ice Shell Structure and Transport Processes on Ocean Worlds. Their research paper can be found here.

Kieran Koch

Kieran Koch is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Strength Testing Solid Rocket Motors made with Additive Manufacturing.

Sarah Lang

Sarah Lang is a Bachelors candidate at the University of Virginia. Her research topic is Statistical Modeling of Coastal Water Quality using Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2. Their research paper can be found here.

Sean Leonard

Sean Leonard is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University. His research topic is Robustness for a Pseudo-Constrained Parallel Data Refinement Method for the Advancing Front Local Reconnection Mesh Generation Software. Their research paper can be found here.

Devin McCulley

Devin McCulley is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Sensing in Collaborative Assembly with Uncertainty. Their research paper can be found here.

James Mullen

James Mullen is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech. His research topic is Super-Resolution of Satellite Imagery using Machine Learning. Their research paper can be found here.

Leah Patek

Leah Patek is a Bachelors candidate at William and Mary. Her research topic is Effect of Microgravity on Neuromuscular Systems During Periods of Critical Development. Their research paper can be found here.

Dominic Pinnisi

Dominic Pinnisi is a Bachelors candidate at University of Virginia. His research topic is Materials Processing Challenges for Ultra-High Temperature Hypersonic Components. Their research paper can be found here.

Abigail Morgan Re

Abigail Morgan Re is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech. Her research topic is The construction and development of an NFT system for mushroom cultivation in space. Their research paper can be found here.

Josef Zimmerman

Josef Zimmerman is a Bachelors candidate at the University of Virginia. His research topic is Bounds on Nuclear Matter Equation of State using Gravitational Wave and X-Ray Observations. Their research paper can be found here.

Christian Mueth

Christian Mueth is an Associates candidate at Germanna Community College majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Steven Tucker

Steven Tucker is an Associates candidate at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College majoring in Science.

Hassan Othman

Hassan Othman is an Associates candidate at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College majoring in computer science.

Mercy Jalongo

Mercy Jalongo is an Associates candidate at Northern Virginia Community College majoring in Information Technology.

Mira Saba

Mira Saba is an Associates Candidate at Northern Virginia community College majoring in Information Technology.

Whitney Bivins

Whitney Bivins is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Civil Engineering.

NiDajah Bolden

NiDajah Bolden is a Bachelors candidate at William & Mary University majoring in Biology.

Daniel Burdisso

Daniel Burdisso is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Science.

Kartik Chugh

Kartik Chugh is a Bachelors candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Computer Science and Economics.

Ailene Edwards

Ailene Edwards is a Bachelors candidate at the University of Virginia majoring in Biomedical Engineering.

Jessica Gibson

Jessica Gibson is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Aerospace Engineering.

Jykeim Giddens

Jykeim Giddens is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Cyber Operations.

Darian Green

Darian Green is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Aerospace Engineering.

Joseph Hayes

Joseph Hayes is a Bachelors candidate at Hampton University majoring in Computer Science.

Kamaria Horton

Kamaria Horton is a Bachelors candidate at Hampton University majoring in Computer Science.

Brianna Jones

Brianna Jones is a Bachelors candidate at Hampton Univeristy majoring in Chemical Engineering.

Nahom Kifetew

Nahom Kifetew is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computational Modeling and Data Analytics.

Stephonda Lewis

Stephonda Lewis is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Biology.

Kevin Lizarazu- Ampuero

Kevin Lizarazu- Ampuero is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Engineering.

Philip Lopez

Philip Lopez is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Aerospace Engineering.

Jasmin Martinez

Jasmin Martinez is a Bachelors candidate at William & Mary University majoring in Biology.

Tijae McNeal

Tijae McNeal is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Civil Engineering.

Aaron Miller

Aaron Miller is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

James Robinson-Vaughn

James Robinson-Vaughn is a Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Auriel Sanders

Auriel Sanders is a Bachelors candidate at Hampton University majoring in Biochemistry.

Rose Stanphill

Rose Stanphill is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring is Aerospace Engineering.

Daniel Stover

Daniel Stover is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Engineering.

Kien Tran

Kien Tran is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Computer Engineering.

Carlos Vasquez Escobar

Carlos Vasquez Escobar is s Bachelors candidate at Old Dominion University majoring in Chemistry.

Ved Verma

Ved Verma is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring in Aerosapce Engineering.

Sean Zylich

Sean Zylich is a Bachelors candidate at Virginia Tech majoring is Aerospace Engineering.