Six Oxy Scholars Receive NSF Grants

The total of six awards ties the record for the largest number of Oxy NSF fellows in a single year, first set in 2015. This year’s fellows are:

• Candice Crilly '16, a biochemistry major from Camarillo, now at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• Natalie Dwulet '17, a chemistry major from Los Altos
•  Jeremy Kallick '13, a chemistry major from Boulder, Colo., now at the University of Michigan
• Sally Landefeld '13, a chemistry major from Seattle, now at Oregon Health & Science University
• Kylie McPherson '13, a biochemistry major from Hood River, Ore., now at Oregon Health & Science University
• Anton Molina '15, a chemistry and physics double major from Daly City, now at Stanford University

The award provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based advanced degrees and is intended for students in the early stages of their graduate work. It provides a $34,000 living stipend and  $12,000 per year for tuition for three years.  

This year, the NSF offered 2,000 fellowships out of a field of 13,000 applications. Occidental also had seven honorable mentions:

• Heidi Aronson '16, a biology major from Los Altos
• Kayla Rae Currier '17, a physics and math double major from San Dimas
• Nicholas Foy '17, a chemistry major from Fullerton
• Megan Lang '13, a diplomacy & world affairs and economics double major from Longmont, Colo., now at UC Berkeley
• Alexander Rand '15, a chemistry major from Phoenix, now at the University of Michigan
•  Jessie Salter '14, a biology major from Evanston, Ill., now at Louisiana State University
• Sasha Skinner '11, an English and comparative literary studies major from Bainbridge Island, Wash.

"The impressive showing of NSF recipients speaks to the strong fundamental academic preparation students receive at Oxy," said Kim Babon, director of national and international fellowships at Occidental.

Since 1990, 45 Occidental students and alumni have been awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.