Zachary Vealey ’13 was among only 35 students named National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows for 2015. Zachary is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at Yale University.

NSF fellowships are among the most prestigious federal awards for graduate students in STEM fields. Nationally, 2000 new fellows are chosen each year from a pool of more than 16,000 applicants, and winners receive three years of funding. Students apply as college seniors or in their first two years of graduate school.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency created to promote the progress of science and to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare of the United States by supporting research and education in all fields of science and engineering. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program aims “to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States” by supporting high-achieving individuals early in their careers and broadening the participation in science and engineering of underrepresented groups, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.