Five CSS Scholars Receive NSF GRFP Awards

April 3, 2020

Five CSS scholars have been named Research Fellows in the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) for 2020. The GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

The award includes a three-year annual stipend, allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research. Many GRFP Fellows go on to become leaders in their fields who make significant contributions to research, innovation, and teaching.

CSS 2020 NSF GRFP Winners:

Margie Bruff (UNC ’20, CSS 4)
Margie is a physics and math double-major from Clayton, NC. She plans to attend the University of Colorado Boulder in the fall and pursue a Ph.D. in physics.

Caleb Cox (UNC ’20, CSS 4)
Caleb is a chemistry and math double-major from Rutherfordton, NC. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kristen Gardner (UNC ’19, CSS 3)
Kristen graduated last year with a B.S. degree in chemistry, with Honors. Originally from Charlotte, NC, she is currently a first year graduate student at UC-Berkeley, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Samantha Pagan (UNC ’19, CSS 3)
Samantha graduated last year with a B.S. degree in physics, with Highest Honors. Originally from Asheville, NC, she is currently a first year graduate student at Yale University, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in physics.

Jared Richards (UNC ’20, CSS 4)
Jared is a quantitative biology major from Columbia, MD. He plans to attend Harvard University in the fall and pursue a Ph.D. in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology.