From Fulbright grants to Goldwater Scholarships, this year’s URochester student and alumni award recipients are pursuing research, entrepreneurship, and community-based work around the globe.
Four students will explore Beijing in China Deep Dive: Global Young Leaders Program.
Thirteen students will pursue research in Germany through DAAD RISE Program.
Twelve students, alumni receive prestigious Fulbright US Student Grants.
URochester is designated a “top producer” of Gilman Scholars.
Three juniors are named Goldwater Scholars.
Six current students and five alumni are chosen for NSF graduate research program.
Six student entrepreneurs are recognized at New York Business Plan Competition.
First URochester student lands New York Women in Communications scholarship.
Two students are selected for Projects for Peace grants.
Three students earn spots as Yamaha Young Performing Artists.
Four students selected for immersion program in China
Launched in 2024, the China Deep Dive: Global Young Leaders Program is an immersive two-week fellowship that combines classroom lectures at Peking University with field studies and trips in and outside Beijing to explore Chinese history and culture, business, science, and technology. This year’s participants are Annalise Harter ’27, an East Asian Studies major and Chinese minor; Dante Jikia ’29, an optical engineering and physics student; Livia Ilasz ’26, a linguistics and political science major; and Tiketa Thomas ’27, a brain and cognitive sciences and linguistics double major and Handler Scholar.
Students head to Germany for summer research
Twelve URochester undergraduates were selected to participate in the DAAD RISE summer research program in Germany. The DAAD RISE program offers undergraduates from North America, Great Britain, and Ireland summer research internships at top German universities and research institutions. Based on their area of interest, students work with PhD student mentors or researchers at a host university or institute. This year’s DAAD RISE scholars are Edward Caine ’28, Annapurna Chakraborty ’27, Jevron Cole ’27, Theresa Karp ’27, Yijin “Leah” Li ’28, Kelly Nguyen ’27, Quan Nguyen ’27, Owen Oxley ’27, Misha Parikh ’27, Palomi Schacht ’27, Sydney Snell ’28, and Arthur Winslow ’27.
Aditi Jasapara ’25, a graduate student in data science with a genomics concentration, was named a DAAD RISE professional. The program offers summer research internships in Germany to master’s and PhD students.
Twelve students, alumni offered Fulbright grants
URochester maintains its status as a top producer of Fulbright grants, with nine seniors and three alumni receiving grant offers for this prestigious award. They will conduct research, pursue advanced studies, and assist in teaching English communication skills and American culture abroad, while also engaging in their host countries’ communities. This year’s winners are Bianca Begun ’26, Gabriela Rojas Bowe ’26, Spencer Dittelman ’26, Zaida Hernandez ’26, Alyssa Horng ’26, Kathryn Lambright ’26, Julia Largett ’26, Marcos Ibáñez Matles ’26, Ashley Schlusselberg ’25, PhD candidate Emmarae Stein ’24 (MA), Hannah Wang ’26, and Amy Zheng ’25.
URochesterdesignated a ‘top producer’ of Gilman Scholars
URochester students regularly count among the undergraduates chosen for summer study abroad by the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, administered by the US Department of State. In fact, in the last ten years alone, URochester has had 40 Gilman Scholars.
This year, the Gilman Program has identified its 25th Anniversary Top Producing Institutions—with URochester ranking 12th among medium institutions (those with between 5,000 and 15,000 students). The designation recognizes the universities and colleges that have supported the most Gilman Scholars from 2001 to 2025.
Three juniors named Goldwater Scholars for future careers in STEM fields
Associate Professor of Chemical and Sustainability Engineering Marc Porosoff and Goldwater Scholarship recipient Eva Ciuffetelli ’27 in Porosoff’s lab.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Goldwater Scholarship, with three URochester students— Eva Ciuffetelli ’27, Zachary Paine ’27, and Trevor Shooshan ’27—selected for one of the nation’s top undergraduate honors in STEM.
With 61 Goldwater Scholars since 1991, including 16 in the past five years, Rochester continues to nurture a robust pipeline of student researchers who plan to pursue research careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics.
Students, alumni chosen for NSF graduate research program
Six current students earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships this year, with five alumni also selected—placing them among the nation’s most promising early-career researchers. Their work spans disciplines including chemistry, physics, biomedical engineering, and computer science, with graduate study ahead at leading institutions nationwide. Student fellows include Jack Cashman ’26, Annika Deans ’26, Carly Velicer ’26, and PhD students Emma Davis, Olivia Frary, and Kyla Grant.
Student entrepreneursclinch awardsat New York Business Plan Competition
New York Business Plan Competition award winners PhD student Timothy Guida, PhD student Karthik Ramakrishnan, Guruansh Kohli ’26, Nate Bogdan ’26, Walter McDonald ’27, and Stephen Lim ’27. (Photo provided)
Four teams representing the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation earned top honors at the New York Business Plan Competition in April. This statewide, intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition recognizedURochester teams across industries. Second-place awards went to PhD student Karthik Ramakrishnan (Scyntek, Inc.);Guruansh Kohli ’26 and Nate Bogdan’26 (DroneGurus); and Walter McDonald ’27 and Stephen Lim ’27 (OrbitPhone). The third-place award went to PhD student Timothy Guida (Guidis Medical).
First URochester recipientlands New York Women in Communications scholarship
Hannah Smith ’27 is URochester’sinaugural recipient of the New York Women in Communications scholarship. Smith, an English major with a minor in digital media studies and music performance, will receive the Omnicom scholarship to support her exploration of strategic communications, media, and other creative industries.
Two students receive Projects for Peace grants
Students selected for Projects for Peace grants will lead community-based initiatives that translate academic ideas into real-world impact, working with partners to address social challenges and advance peacebuilding efforts.
This year’s recipients are Lina Abdou ’26, an international relations major, whose project supports single mothers in Casablanca through workshops and community partnerships; and Sonia Irakoze ’28, a mechanical engineering major, whose project brings solar-powered water filtration to communities in Rwanda.
Three students earn spots as Yamaha Young Performing Artists
Three students earned spots among the 13 winners of the 2026 Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) competition: Jennelle Williams ’26E, French horn; Harrison Kim ’26E, clarinet; and Chance Park ’29E, percussion. Joshua So ’26E, oboe, received an honorable mention.
Launched in 1988, the YYPA recognizes exceptional young musicians studying in the US and excelling in classical, jazz, and contemporary music genres. Students skilled in brass, wind, string, percussion, and piano are invited to submit a video audition, which is then evaluated by an expert panel.
Williams, Kim, and Park will each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration in June, where they will perform for an audience of thousands, receive national media coverage, and participate in workshops designed to launch a professional music career.
