Chemistry grad student receives high-level fellowship from DOE

CLEMSON – Nicole Hostetter, a graduate student in the College of Science’s department of chemistry, has received an Integrated University Program (IUP) fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The goal of the IUP fellowship is to improve nuclear energy in the United States. Hostetter will receive $50,000 per year for three years, as well as an additional $5,000 for a summer at a national lab.

“I believe I’m the first person at Clemson University to receive this award, and I feel quite honored,” Hostetter said. “This fellowship will allow me to focus my time and energy on my research. It also gives me the opportunity to spend a summer furthering my research at a national lab. This opportunity to work with higher-grade nuclear materials as well as network with people in the field is greatly appreciated.”

“Nicole’s project combines my expertise with sulfur coordination chemistry and radical reactions with Dr. Modi Wetzler’s expertise in ligand design and Dr. Brian Powell’s expertise with actinides,” added Julia Brumaghim, a professor in the department of chemistry. “The interdisciplinary training that this fellowship enables will open up a wide variety of opportunities for Nicole in the future.

On March 4, 2019, the DOE announced more than $5 million in undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships to students pursuing nuclear engineering degrees and other nuclear science and engineering programs relevant to nuclear energy. The awards include 45 scholarships and 33 fellowships for students at U.S. colleges and universities, according to a DOE website.

“A strong, diverse workforce is critical for us to be successful in advancing nuclear power to meet the nation’s energy, environmental, and national security needs. The administration is dedicated to supporting future innovators who will help tackle the challenges still facing the industry today,” said Edward McGinnis, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy. “The recipients will be the future of nuclear energy production in the United States and the world.”