Candidates must demonstrate outstanding scholarly promise and leadership potential. They apply for the NSF either the year before entering graduate school or during the first or second year of their graduate degree programs.

Kayla Huber ’16 is a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at University of Minnesota. After graduating from Lake Forest College as a neuroscience major, Huber served as a research assistant at DePaul University’s Center for Community Research for two years. At University of Minnesota, Huber is a lab member in the Stress and Trauma Lab and is interested in differential responses to trauma—both intra- and interpersonally—as well as tailored interventions.  

Omid Saleh Ziabari ’15, a doctoral candidate in biology at Rochester University, will continue to study the parallel evolution of wings in aphids to understand why some converged traits evolve by similar or different genetic changes. Ziabari began studying aphids as a biology major at Lake Forest College. “My research focuses on the evolution and genetic basis of polymorphisms, a system amenable to training and outreach,” he said. “The support of this fellowship will contribute to my training in these areas and reinforce my efforts to enhance training and teaching for students of all levels.”