University of the Virgin Islands’ Biology student, Makeda Mills, is the recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. Mills will have access to opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct her own research at any accredited U.S. institution of graduate education. With the fellowship award, she will receive a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 and a $12,000 cost for tuition and fees.
Mills is expected to graduate in Spring 2020 after which, she will enroll at Texas A and M in the Fall, where she will pursue a PhD in Oceanography.
“Receiving an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Award is one of the highest national honors a prospective graduate student can receive,” said Dr. Marilyn Brandt, research associate professor of Marine and Environmental Science. “I am incredibly proud of Makeda for this well-deserved achievement. This honor means that Makeda ranks among the top in the nation of students planning to attend graduate school. It is an enormous achievement.” Students who receive this award not only have excellent grades, but they must also show a strong commitment to scientific research by submitting a record of authentic research experiences and an original research plan.
“Makeda’s academic record is excellent, she has a wide diversity of research experiences and her original research plan was exceptional,” Dr. Brandt said.
“The NSF wants to invest in scientific leaders for the future of the US scientific enterprise. Makeda has the potential to become an excellent scientist and a scientific leader,” said Dr. Teresa Turner, professor of Marine Biology. “The graduate education plan that Makeda developed is strong because it builds on established partnerships between Virgin Islands scientists and leaders in the field on the US mainland. Dr. Marilyn Brandt, in whose lab Makeda is currently working at UVI, is a prominent scientist in the field of coral disease,” Dr. Turner added.
More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI website – http://www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.