NDSEG Fellowship

[Guest liquidmethane]

Just curious, how "defense-related" was your proposal? I've been trying to ascertain from last year's winners whether this is important or not, and it seems like most people's research is at least peripherally related to defense, or could be applied in some way to defense science and technology. Did you think about this when writing the proposal?

Mine is totally unrelated to defense, unless there's some application I'm unaware of... I just thought that since my field is recognized by the program, they might be interested anyway.

[ucflipcat]

I called today, Friday or early next week. decisions have not been made yet from what it sounded like.

secondly, i am curious on how i stack up against others. If you are intrigued this is what i wrote and here are some quick stats

My stats:

BSCHE in ChemE from Cincinnati GPA 3.16 in 05

1st year Grad students at USF GPA 4.0 (In my opinion this doesnt mean

much coming from this school) You ask why I chose this school then

1.) Advisor

2.) Decision going to grad school was decided late for me, early Feb I

wanted to go after some research experiences made my decision. Limited

schools open

3.) They offered me an NSF GK-12 Fellowship which the other schools

did not, it was a lot of money.

Cooped at General Electric Advanced Materials for 1 year

Rowed Collegiately for 2.5 years

Numerous extracurricular Activities

Its just a brief glimpse, but gives you a fair idea of who I am

Letters of Recommendation Stats

My advisor - graduate admissions for ChemE at USF (associate)

Professor, Double Emeritus and ASEE Fellow at Cincinnati, Colorodo and

Visiting Professor at University of Singapore

Professor, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies at Cincinnati

Analytical Chemist (PhD General Electric)

Essay,

My long term goal is to build my expertise in interdisciplinary research that spans disciplines of chemistry, biology, engineering, and the medical sciences to solve problems in biomimetics, biomaterials, and interfacial science. I plan to apply this expertise to the development of educational programs in science and engineering that can make a significant impact on student recruitment and retention at the undergraduate level.

As a first step towards my goals, I have focused my graduate research on understanding and exploiting molecular recognition at the solid-liquid interface. Specifically, I am investigating self-assembled monolayers of thiolated calix[4]resorcinarenes (R4SH) and derivatives. These macrocyclic compounds possess a molecular-sized cavity that promotes the formation of a guest-host complex with organic and inorganic species in a manner mimicking enzymatic recognition. The recognition is driven by factors such as steric size and shape as well as forces such as hydrogen bonding. I plan to complement this research by studying recognition driven self-assembly of surface-modified nanorods. By pursuing this research, I will be able to not only establish principles for the better design of sensors and nanomaterials but also carry the knowledge to my second goal of being a teacher.

I realize that effective educational programs require an understanding of complex social elements in education. I have been fortunate in having a supportive environment that allowed me to attain a BS degree in engineering and to progress to an advanced graduate degree program. I believe that by reflecting on factors that have given me the ability to succeed will allow me to translate that information into student retention focused programs. I also need to learn the teaching methods and styles that give students the highest quality of education. I plan to achieve this by interaction and involvement in current science education programs ranging from pre-school to the undergraduate level. Working at all levels will help me better understand the positive and negative aspects of our education system and allow me to develop solutions for the challenging aspects particularly in the sciences.

My graduate education is vital for achieving my goals of being a successful and effective future educator in the science community. The NDSEG fellowship will make my dream and ambition possible. I believe that graduate school is a time to discover your research passions and it also offers great learning opportunities for teaching. Your fellowship will give me the chance to find my passion and use it to energize the next generation of scientists and teachers

Part 2

I believe that two of my major formative experiences are my co-op rotation and my undergraduate research work. These two have allowed me to apply classroom knowledge to real-world situations. I have been fortunate to have had a diversity of co-ops that range from manufacturing and management to research. These experiences give me confidence to handle situations that I may encounter in graduate school and beyond. The solid foundation I have gained from these experiences has already proven invaluable in my first semester as a graduate student and will continue to be essential as I continue my education. During my professional practice, I have found the most challenging aspect of work was not the technical competency but the development and use of soft skills such as communication, time management, and leadership. Strengthening these skills further in graduate school will be critical in my goals of becoming an educator.

My extracurricular activities have also been a great learning experience. I have been involved in athletic, volunteer, and social organizations and in each case I have gained something valuable. Rowing taught me discipline and time management while volunteering for community activities infused in me a sense of social responsibility. However, it is my fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon’s philosophy that has given me the greatest tools to succeed, which can be surprising to many people. I believe that a balanced attitude of being a leader, scholar, gentleman, and athlete distinguishes me from others. By serving in various leadership positions, seeking knowledge, learning to help others through philanthropy and volunteering, and forming a sound mind from a sound body, I have learned that a balanced life does not only ensure my success throughout college but also the future.

Thus, my educational and personal experiences have whetted my appetite for learning and I believe your fellowship will give me the time and opportunities to further develop my skill-set that will lead me to being a successful researcher and educator.

Could be good or bad, it is what it is.

what ya guys think, i want this money so i can free up some time to try and teach an undergrad course

[ucflipcat]

This isnt to brag, im just curious and anxious like everyone else. But i figure rougly 200 spots, after you get down to 500 quality applicants, its a crapshoot right?

[Guest GT to Stanny]

Just curious, how "defense-related" was your proposal?

Mine was defense-related. I wrote about the possibility of creating control schemes for DARPA's Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) Program.

They usually don't expect you to have a research topic picked out ahead of time, but they like to see that you can cobble together a plan of action that makes sense.

(At least that's what worked for me with the NSF :wink: )

[Guest guest]

I did a defense-related topic, and I put down my experience working on prior research that is defense-related. I looked up the research websites of the individual branches of the military, and emphasized the research I've done that aligns with one of the research topics. I think they want to see that you've done your research, and that you have a grasp for what kinds of research they are looking for. Plus, each fellow is sponsored by a specific branch, which I presume means that each branch reads your application and asks itself, "Does this person's research align with research we are interested in?"

Also, another thought came to mind. Do you think they delayed their announcement so that they could take into account NSF fellowships so that they don't give out fellowships to people who already ahve funding?

[ucflipcat]

Thats what I did, I went to AFOSR website, followed what I had in common there, and aligned my research with theres

[Guest GT to Stanny]

Also, another thought came to mind. Do you think they delayed their announcement so that they could take into account NSF fellowships so that they don't give out fellowships to people who already ahve funding?

I hope not!

[Guest guest]

Also, another thought came to mind. Do you think they delayed their announcement so that they could take into account NSF fellowships so that they don't give out fellowships to people who already ahve funding?

have you ever heard of a fellowship program doing this?

[Guest guest]

have you ever heard of a fellowship program doing this?

I haven't, but I can imagine it happening. I wouldn't take the fellowship away from someone who definitely should receive it, but for two candidates that are on the bubble, if one has a fellowship and one doesn't, I would give it to the one that doesn't.

I have heard of professors being secretive about what grants they get, because they don't want the news to affect other grants they've applied for.

[Guest GT to Stanny]

Keep in mind that there are a little over 3000 people who applied for NDSEG, probably most of whom applied for NSF too. So, it we cut out the NSF winners who also applied for the NDSEG, it's equivalent to cutting out about the top 1/4 or 1/5 of applicants.

If they did that, it wouldn't be much of a "merit-based" fellowship, now would it?

[Guest guest]

I know 2 people who won both NSF and NDSEG last year. So no, they don't stop people from winning both.

[Guest guest]

they'd have to decline one of them though, right?

[Guest GT to Stanny]

Nah, you can accept both, but not simultaneously. NDSEG for first 3 years and then NSF for next 2 years (since you have 5 years of eligibility).

[Guest gradstudent]

What is "Stanny", by the way? I assume GT is Georgia Tech, but I really hope you're not calling Stanford "Stanny". As an alum, that would make me puke.

Just had to ask...

[Guest GT to Stanny]

Puke away.

Perhaps I'll be as wise as you when I too am a Stanford alum.

[Guest new guest]

What a cocky ass bitch! Wow! You deserve to go to Stanford!

[Guest lmao]

lmao

[Guest guester]

i thought the same thing

[ucflipcat]

Post if you got an email

[Guest GT to Stanny]

What a cocky ass bitch! Wow! You deserve to go to Stanford!

8) What can I say, I'm gearing up for the transition!

[Guest feeling sinister]

I'd bet 10 dollars that no email comes today.

[ucflipcat]

I hear ya, how about 10.01, like price is right. I just hope at some point its me

[Guest Anonymous_yoruba]

I just called, and was told that they expect to release the information in the next few hours. Hope springs eternal!

[Guest guest]

How do you even get through...all my calls in the last couple of days are responded to by their answering machine.

[Guest guest]

time to get my hopes up again...only to come crashing down!