UI Grad Student Receives National Science Foundation Fellowship
Monday, April 6
University of Idaho student Thomas M. Linscott has been selected as a recipient of a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Three more UI students received honorable mentions through the program.
This year, the NSF is awarding fellowships to 2,000 individuals from among 16,500 applicants. Awardees represent a diverse group of scientific disciplines and come from all states, as well as the District of Columbia, and commonwealths and territories of the United States.
Since 1952, NSF has provided fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a critical program in NSF’s overall strategy to develop the globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation's leadership in advancing science and engineering research and innovation.
The award provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period, including a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the institution for graduate study that leads to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in science or engineering.
Linscott, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tulsa and is studying evolutionary biology at UI’s College of Science. The award will allow him to jump-start his research under biological sciences Professor Christine Parent. Linscott’s research focuses on the evolution of flightlessness in beetles on the Galapagos Islands.
“My overarching goal is to perform my research with the systematic rigor that would be expected of a professional scientist and to tell the story of the resulting ideas and discoveries in a way that will generate interest in this system from professional, student and amateur scientists from all walks of life,” Linscott said.
“Winning an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Jie Chen, dean of the College of Graduate Studies. “We are tremendously excited that Thomas would choose UI for his doctoral studies. Thomas will be supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship with funding for three years as he pursues his Ph.D. in evolutionary biology.”
In addition to Linscott’s fellowship, three UI students received honorable mentions from the NSF. Mitchell A. Parsons of East Wenatchee, Washington, is graduating this May from the UI with a bachelor’s degree in ecology and conservation biology and will start working on a master’s degree at the University of Washington School of Environmental and Forest Sciences in the fall. Joshua M. Sukeena of Nampa, Idaho, is working on his doctorate in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry in the Department of Biological Sciences.Paige A. Byerly of Anchorage, Alaska, graduated from UI and is beginning a doctorate in evolutionary and environmental biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the fall.
For more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, go here: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=134647&org=NSF
About the University of Idaho
The University of Idaho helps students to succeed and become leaders. Its land-grant mission furthers innovative scholarly and creative research to grow Idaho's economy and serve a statewide community. From its main campus in Moscow, Idaho, to 70 research and academic locations statewide, U-Idaho emphasizes real-world application as part of its student experience. U-Idaho combines the strength of a large university with the intimacy of small learning communities. It is home to the Vandals. For information, visit www.uidaho.edu.