UofM Biological Sciences Students Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

April 10, 2023 — Serena Blais and Julia Weil, both University of Memphis graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences, were selected as 2023 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows (NSF GRF). They join 2,550 other students awarded this nationally competitive fellowship, out of approximately 13,000 applicants.

The NSF GRF recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines who are pursing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at U.S. institutions. Each fellow will receive three years of support including an annual stipend of $37,000; their institution will receive an annual cost of education allowance of $12,000.

“We are very proud of Julia and Serena, said Dr. David Freeman, chair of Biological Sciences. “The NSF GRFP provides an amazing opportunity for our students to immerse themselves in their research projects.”

Blais is working with Dr. Jennifer Mandel to investigate the evolution of a unique floral trait within a genus of the sunflower family. Blais, a first-year PhD student from Sacramento, California, earned her BS in Biology at California State University, Sacramento as a first-generation student. There she studied the evolutionary importance of polyploidy within diamond Clarkia, a California wildflower, as well as six species of wood ferns combining both genomic and ecological niche approaches. She presented her work six times and published a peer reviewed article.

Weil is working with Dr. Jim Adelman to investigate whether differences in animal personality predict an individual’s response to sickness, and the implications of this relationship for pathogen spread. Weil, a first-year PhD student from Atlanta, earned a BS in Ecology at the University of Georgia. Her undergraduate research focused on the impacts of human-feeding on variation in aggressive behaviors of the wading bird white ibis, and how this aggression contributes to transmission of zoonotic pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli.

Both women acknowledge the prestige of the award, while recognizing the multitude of ways it will enhance their professional and personal lives.

“The fellowship allows for the greatest resource in life, time, to do research and focus on my studies; which is the biggest gift a graduate student could ask for,” said Blais. 

More information on the NSF GRFP can be found on the program’s website (https://www.nsfgrfp.org/).