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