Recent University of Kentucky graduates Lucas Gastineau and Asa O’Neal have been awarded U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships.
The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000.
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States.
Gastineau, a native of Prospect, Kentucky, who will continue his education at UK pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, said he hopes to use the fellowship to continue a collaboration he has established with national laboratories in the United States and international organizations, including Oxford University.
“I am highly motivated to continue my innovative research in electrical engineering and become the first in my family to pursue an advanced degree in STEM,” Gastineau said. “That degree will ultimately allow me to return to academia so I may give back to society by working with the future generations of students and faculty.”
O’Neal, from West Liberty, Kentucky, will pursue a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research will focus on modeling air-breathing electric propulsion systems for spacecraft operating in very low Earth orbit (VLEO).
“This research will support the development of sustainable, long-duration VLEO missions by enabling in-situ propellant collection and reducing reliance on onboard fuel,” O’Neal said. “The NSF GRF will empower me to pursue independent, high-impact research, allowing me to explore innovative modeling techniques without the constraints of project-specific funding. With this support, I can focus on advancing fundamental understanding of fluid dynamics and plasma interactions to develop next-generation propulsion technologies.”
The NSF GRFP is the country’s oldest graduate fellowship program directly supporting graduate students since 1952. GRFP is a critical program in the overall strategy to develop a globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation's leadership in advancing science and engineering research and innovation.
A hallmark of GRFP is its contribution to increasing the diversity of the STEM workforce, including geographic distribution, as well as the participation of women, underrepresented populations, persons with disabilities and veterans.
To learn more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, visit the website.
The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards assists current UK undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external scholarships and fellowships funded by sources (such as a nongovernment foundation or government agency) outside the university. These awards honor exceptional students across the nation. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with the office, housed in the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence, well in advance of the scholarship deadline. Staff is available for appointments to discuss opportunities.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2239063. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
