​Twelve Swarthmore alumni have received 2017 graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF), in recognition of outstanding potential in each of their respective fields of study. 

Through this program, the NSF recognizes and supports graduate students who have demonstrated intellectual strength in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and social science disciplines.

In addition to the 12 Swarthmore alumni who received fellowships, three others received honorable mention. NSF selected its 2,000 fellows from 13,000 applications through a rigorous, national competition.

“This is a great recognition of how well Swarthmore is training its students,” says Professor of Biology Elizabeth Vallen, adding that the College provides students the means to make meaningful waves in their respective fields.

“From their diverse experiences and interactions," she says, "our students are well poised to think broadly about [their studies] and what the potential impacts might be.” 

Swarthmore’s fellowship recipients are:

• Nathan Cheek ’15, now at Princeton University (in the field of social psychology)
• Philip Chodrow ’12, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (systems engineering)
• Phoebe Cook ’15, James Madison University (evolutionary biology)
• Elena Kingston ’14, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (biochemistry)
• Martin Mathay ’15, University of Washington (microbial biology)
• Christine McGinn ’16, Columbia University (electrical and electronic engineering)
• Sominder Mohan ’15 (computer systems and embedded systems)
• Alexander Noyes ’15, Yale University (developmental psychology)
• Harshil Sahai ’15, University of Chicago (economics)
• Daniel Stuart ’13, Harvard University (economics)
• Taylor Tai ’15 (ecology)
• Rachel Vogel ’16 (linguistics)

Receiving honorable mentions are: Vasomnoleak Ly ’15, the University of Michigan (cultural anthropology); Charlotte Morris-Wright ’13, Brandeis University (mathematical sciences); and Rebecca Senft ’15, Harvard University (neurosciences).

The NSF graduate fellowship program has nurtured economic innovation and leadership in the U.S. since 1952.