Their selection as NSF Graduate Research Fellows is a "significant national accomplishment," stated NSF's Nirmala Kannankutty in their notification letters. The Fellowship provides financial support for three years as they each pursue their research. We are very proud of their accomplishments and look forward to sharing milestones of their work.

Donovan's Research Interests

As the U.S. moves towards the “gig” economy, there has been a growing need for entrepreneurial activity as careers steadily reshape for the next generation. While engineering educators and researchers attempt to broaden participation in engineering and other STEM careers, Donovan is interested in learning how youth leverage engineering skillset and entrepreneurial mindset to advance their own social, cultural, and financial change within their communities. His goal is to understand how urban youth of color gain entrepreneurial and engineering experiences in their communities while leveraging their cultural background.

Joseph's Research Interests

Computation is of paramount importance globally as it helps advance nearly every scientific discipline and industry sector. The goal of Joseph's research is to devise effective ways for integrating computational modeling in the undergraduate engineering classroom sooner, more often, and with greater success. This will be done by developing pedagogy based off of characterizing the unique ways engineering students think during modeling activities.