USC has three National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship winners as well as five honorable mentions in the 2006 competition.

Matt Elder, a graduating senior in computer science and mathematics; Stacey Ivol, a graduating senior in computer engineering; and Jason Owens, a graduating senior in chemical engineering and mathematics, received the fellowships.

Elder plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science theory at the University of Wisconsin. Ivol will pursue a Ph.D. in computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon. Owens will begin work this fall toward a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

Honorable mentions went to Chris Mitchell, geological sciences; Michelle Casper, chemical engineering; Philip Crapse, electrical engineering graduate student; Richard Parker, mechanical engineering; and Emily Sekula geology graduate student.

The USC NSF Committee is chaired by psychology professor Jay Coleman, psychology, and includes faculty members Michael Amiridis, chemical engineering, Erin Connolly, biology, John Dawson, chemistry, and Melayne McInnes, economics.

 NSF has awarded 907 three-year Graduate Research Fellowships to outstanding college and university students for 2006. The fellowships provide a stipend of $30,000 per year for full-time graduate study. NSF also provides an annual cost-of-education allowance of $10,500 in lieu of all tuition and required fees at U.S. institutions and a $1,000 travel grant.

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