Four Ph.D. Candidates Offered National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
Multiple BSOS Terps were recently offered an opportunity to participate in the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) in recognition of their successful academic careers and pursuit of NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
As NSF Graduate Research Fellows, each Terp will receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000; a $16,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees; and access to opportunities for professional development.
Meet the exceptional Ph.D. students who were awarded the fellowship this year below:
Lydia Becker
A second-year Ph.D. student in criminology and criminal justice, Lydia Becker's research focuses on using quasi-experimental methods to “identify trends in pretrial detention decision-making and defendant outcomes.” She said that a large portion of her research also explores the effect of cash bail reforms on re-arrest rates and reappearances in defendants.
Becker said that she’s excited to dedicate time to her research with the support of the fellowship’s three-year grant.
“I’m honored that the NSF GRFP will allow me to dedicate space for my own research on criminal court processes,” she said. “I strive to conduct research that is useful for policymakers, and this fellowship will help me keep this priority at the forefront of my research.”
Sarah Wang
Second-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student Sarah Wang focuses on the “psychological, behavioral and cognitive” ways in which stress and trauma impact young immigrants of color. Additionally, Wang looks to center a diversity, equity and inclusion and growth mindset in her research, mentoring and therapeutic work.
“The NSF GRFP will allot me significant time and resources to prioritize conducting risk and resilience research in immigrant youth of color, as well as advocate for increased diversity in young researchers and facilitate culturally responsive research practices so that community members’ voices are supported,” said Wang.
Amber Colquhoun
Amber Colquhoun is a Ph.D. student in Government and Politics who aspires to become a professor.
Colquhoun’s research "revolves around understanding the nexus and hierarchies between class dynamics and Blackness" and "aims to contribute to understanding class positionality in affluent Black political decision-making, and the role of middle and upper-class identity in Black political behavior and opinion."
Colquhoun said that with the help of the fellowship grant, she can focus her attention on completing her dissertation, strengthening her research agenda, and work toward her goal of achieving a tenure-track position after graduation.
Sathvik Nair
Sathvik Nair is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Arts and Humanities' Department of Linguistics. Nair has participated in BSOS' Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) program, and worked with the Maryland Language Science Center.
Nair’s research centers on predicting the ways incoming information will impact human communication; how this shifts the development of AI with language models; and the ways in which language models can be used in psycholinguistics.
“As I am finishing the second year of my Ph.D., I hope to solidify my research program, and the GRFP will support further experimental and computational investigations that will lead to my dissertation,” Nair said.
This article was written by Sofia Appolonio, JOUR '26. The photo of Tydings Hall is by John T. Consoli.
Published on Mon, Jun 10, 2024 - 1:35PM