Purdue Engineering Students Secure Top NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

April 22, 2026

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Purdue University's College of Engineering continues to demonstrate its excellence on the national stage, as its undergraduate student alumni and graduate students have once again secured a remarkable number of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) awards. NSF handed out a record 2,599 of its prestigious fellowships in 2026, with Purdue Engineering maintaining a strong percentage of award recipients.

The NSF GRFP is one of the most competitive and esteemed fellowships in the United States, supporting outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend and a cost-of-education allowance, enabling recipients to pursue cutting-edge research and contribute to the nation’s scientific and technological progress.

As Purdue Engineering celebrates this year’s cohort of NSF fellows and honorable mentions, the college reaffirms its commitment to fostering the next generation of research leaders.

2026 NSF GRFP Awardees

Name Baccalaureate Institution Current Institution Field of Study
Aydt, Abaigeal University of Nebraska-Lincoln Purdue University Mechanical Engineering
Brandes, Giada Boise State University Purdue University Biomedical Engineering
Chitturi, Geetika Purdue University Purdue University Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Condarcure, Marcus University of California-Santa Barbara Purdue University Chemical Engineering
Cooke, Wesley Augusta University Purdue University Robotics, Control, Automation
Coxon, Jade Purdue University University of Colorado at Boulder Bioengineering
Dahm, Andrew William Marsh Rice University Purdue University Mechanical Engineering
Deucher, Thomas Purdue University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Materials Science and Engineering
Dierking, William Purdue University Purdue University Mechanical Engineering
Dor, Harel California Institute of Technology Purdue University Computer Vision
Eksioglu, Deniz Purdue University Purdue University Bioengineering
Freeman, Emmett Purdue University Georgia Institue of Technology Mechanical Engineering
Hart, Katie William Marsh Rice University Purdue University Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
Jacobsen, Aidan Purdue University Purdue University Information Engineering
Laudo, Joel Purdue University Columbia University Mechanical Engineering
Packard, Jason S Purdue University Yale University Materials Science and Engineering
Palka, Jenna Purdue University Purdue University Civil Engineering
Pereira, Emilio University of Central Florida Purdue University Mechanical Engineering
Petrucci, Nathan Purdue University Purdue University Biomedical Engineering
Prakash, Jessica University of California-Santa Cruz Purdue University Biomedical Engineering
Rzendzian, Erek Purdue University Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Mechanical Engineering
Tung, Michael University of Florida Purdue University Communication and Information Theory
Wassgren, Benjamin Purdue University Purdue University Mechanical Engineering

2026 NSF GRFP Honorable Mentions

Name Baccalaureate Institution Current Institution Field of Study
Ault, Kathryn Purdue University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Chemical Engineering
Gaitonde, Anagha Sandeep Purdue University Purdue University Bioengineering
Schoonmaker, Jenna L Purdue University   Environmental and/or Ecological Engineering
Whitmer, Wyatt Daniel Brigham Young University Purdue University Mechanical Engineering

For more information on the NSF GRFP, visit https://www.nsfgrfp.org/

To learn more about awards and recognition of Purdue’s Engineering graduate students, visit: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Academics/Graduate/CurrentGraduateStudents/Awards