Kansas State University

Rader and Huxman receive honorable mention for NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Submitted by Stephanie Jacques

For the second year, Sydni Huxman, psychological sciences graduate, Hutchinson, and Mikaela Rader, graduate student in geology, Wichita, have received honorable mentions in the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship competition. 

The fellowship supports and recognizes outstanding seniors and first- or second-year graduate students as they conduct research related to the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering or mathematics across a wide variety of disciplines at accredited U.S. institutions. There were 13,000 applicants for the 2020 competition and 1,827 applicants received honorable mentions. 

Huxman will start a doctoral studies program with the University of Minnesota in fall 2020. During Huxman's undergraduate degree at K-State, she researched a dating/mating phenomena known as backup mating in the Human Adaptive Reasoning and Decision-Making Lab led by Gary Brase, professor of psychology. She served as president of the College of Arts and Sciences Ambassadors and was a member of the Center for Student Involvement Student Advisory Board. She also received a Beach-Vanier Scholarship, an Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Undergraduate Research Grant, Kansas State University Foundation Scholarship, Arts and Sciences Research Travel Grant, Psychological Sciences Research Travel Grant, and Coberly-Twieto Memorial Scholarship.

For her master's research, Rader is working with Pamela Kempton, professor and head of the geology department, to study lower crustal xenoliths from the Geronimo Volcanic Field. She recently received the Timothy R. Donoghue Graduate Scholarship and placed second in K-State's Three Minute Thesis competition. In addition, she received an Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry Research Award, Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Travel Award, and Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Award. Rader also received a National Association of Geoscience Teachers Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award.

The next deadline window for this fellowship is Oct. 19-23. Current juniors, seniors and first-year graduate students who might be interested in applying can learn more at nsfgrfp.org. Students can also obtain additional information by making an appointment to speak with the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. Email jimlth@k-state.edu to set an appointment.