Sixteen Clemson University students and alumni were recognized by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), a highly competitive award that supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The fellowship provides three years of financial support over five years, including a $37,000 annual stipend and a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance to the institution.
The GRFP recognizes early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate exceptional promise for leadership and innovation. Clemson’s recipients are among approximately 2,599 awards from more than 14,000 applicants nationwide.
“This achievement highlights the remarkable talent of our students and alumni and the strength of the environment that nurtures their success at Clemson,” said Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Cole Smith. “Their success reflects their drive, creativity and a collaborative environment that supports discovery and prepares them to lead in research and innovation.”
Of the 16 honorees, 15 received Graduate Research Fellowships and one earned an honorable mention, a distinction recognizing top applicants nationwide who would receive funding if additional program resources were to become available.
Clemson’s recipients join a nationwide network of scholars who advance research and innovation across disciplines and contribute to academia, industry and public service.
Clemson fellows
Katie Barfield, a genetics and sociology double major and Breakthrough Scholar from Chapin, South Carolina, studies questions at the intersection of genetics, genomics and human health. Her research has explored transposable elements and translational regulation while also examining how science can better serve diverse communities. Her mentors include Miriam Konkel, assistant professor of genetics and biochemistry; Kate Tsai, assistant professor of animal and veterinary sciences; Steven Farber, professor of biology at Johns Hopkins; Shaun Mahony, associate professor of biology at Penn State and postdoctoral researcher Daniel Kelpsch at Carnegie Science. After graduation, she will pursue a Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology at Emory University, focusing on epigenetics and human health.
Mary Grace Boyce ’23, a National Scholar and former economics major, works as a Senior Research Assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where she supports policy and research work in the Real Estate Finance section. She will be starting her Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Virginia this fall with the goal of pursuing a career in research, with interests in the use of economic policy to lessen inequality and poverty. Boyce is Clemson’s second-ever GRFP recipient in the social sciences.
McKenzie Bradley, a master’s student in biomedical engineering from Hilton Head, South Carolina, has spent her graduate career developing novel neuromodulation technology. Beyond her research, she serves as a Graduate Teacher of Record for SolidWorks at Clemson and has grown from researcher to graduate mentor within a Creative Inquiry group focused on designing medical technology for developing countries. Her mentors include Delphine Dean, the Ron and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor and Chair of Bioengineering, and Agneta and Dan Simionescu, the Harriet and Jerry Dempsey Professor in Biology. She was awarded a fully funded studentship to pursue a DPhil in Engineering Sciences at the University of Oxford, which she will begin this fall.
Benjamin Camper ’20, a biological sciences alumnus, received an Honorable Mention in 2025. He is the founder of Sumaco Conservation, an organization focused on protecting ecosystems through research, conservation and sustainable development. He plans to study insect diversity in the global biodiversity hotspot where he currently works — the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador’s Napo province. As a student, Camper conducted research with biological sciences assistant professor Sharon Bewick, studying clonal lizards to explore eco-evolutionary questions.
Aaron Cecil, a mechanical engineering major and Honors student from Rock Hill, South Carolina, studies high-pressure combustion of sustainable fuels and supercritical water oxidation in the Clemson Combustion Lab with assistant professor of mechanical engineering Yuhao Xu. He also completed a CO-OP at Technetics Group as a research and development (R&D) test engineer. His work aims to advance cleaner air travel and support long-duration space habitation. He will pursue graduate study in mechanical engineering.
Makenzie Jones, an Honors student majoring in biomedical engineering from Asheville, North Carolina, conducts research in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering with bioengineering professors Dan and Agneta Simionescu. She has conducted immunology research in Germany during the Summers of 2024 and 2025 through the DAAD RISE program and was named an Astronaut Scholar in 2025. After graduating this May, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of Florida and one day lead a research lab focused on translational immunoengineering.
Olivia Jones ’25, a biomedical engineering alumna, has conducted research in multiple labs, including work on prosthetic socket cooling and cancer cell behavior. She also participated in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs summer research program studying the effects of antidepressants on bone health. She will pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Washington University, focusing on the development of mechanosensitive, cell-based drug delivery systems for osteoarthritis.
Alumni recipients
- Samuel Feyan ’25, a former physics major, is at Harvard University.
- Audreanna Miserendino ’25, a former Honors bioengineering major, received an Honorable Mention in 2025. She is now at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Sarah Paguaga ’24, a former mechanical engineering major, is at the University of Michigan.
- Calvin Paulsen ’24, a former biomedical engineering major, is at William Marsh Rice University. In 2024, Paulsen was awarded a Fulbright research award for study at the Max Planck Institute for Biomolecular Medicine.
- Suma Ravi ’25, a former Honors mechanical engineering major, is at the University of Southern California.
- Cooper Sanders ’23, a former Honors electrical engineering major received an Honorable Mention in 2025. He is now at New York University.
- Alyson Schwartz ’25, a former biomedical engineering major, is at the University of Delaware.
- Soren Spina ’25, a former Honors biochemistry major, is at The Ohio State University.
Honorable mentions
A. Kevin Scott is pursuing a Ph.D. in biological sciences. His research focuses on characterizing genetic differences between phenotypes of the eastern spruce budworm and how those differences influence seasonal survival. In the future, he plans to pursue a career in academia, with a focus on teaching and mentoring biology students.
Students interested in NSF Graduate Research Fellowships or other nationally competitive programs should contact the Office of Major Fellowships at 864-656-9704 or fellowships@clemson.edu.
