University of Richmond senior and 2008 graduate awarded NSF graduate research fellowships
April 20, 2009
University of Richmond senior Miles Johnson and 2008 graduate Bryan Der have been awarded graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation.
The highly competitive awards provide support for graduate students pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The fellowships provide $40,500 each year to recipients for three years at any institution and a one-time award of $1,000 for international travel.
Johnson, the son of Virginia and William Johnson of Akron, Ohio, has researched new chemical reactions since his freshman year. A Goldwater Scholar for the 2007-08 academic year, his work could lead to synthesis of new pharmaceuticals or improvement of existing pharmaceuticals to increase their affordability. He will attend University of California at Berkeley in the fall where he also received a Regents' and Chancellor's Scholarship, and will pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry.
Der, the son of Charles and Kristen Der of Colonial Heights, Va., is pursuing a doctoral degree in biochemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research at Richmond focused on designing a glucose biosensor to create real-time monitoring of blood glucose levels. He also received a Pogue Fellowship from UNC, and at Richmond, was a Goldwater Scholar in 2006-07 and an Ethyl and Albemarle Science Scholar.
In 2008, the National Science Foundation funded 913 graduate research fellows out of 8,146 eligible submitted applications.