Nine University of Alabama at Birmingham students have been awarded NASA Alabama Space Grant Consortium scholarships and fellowships.Seven University of Alabama at Birmingham undergraduate students have been awarded NASA Alabama Space Grant Consortium scholarships, and two UAB graduate students have been selected as research fellows.
The scholarship and fellowship programs encourage and equip students to pursue career and research opportunities within the space science and aerospace technology fields.
Designated as NASA Space Grant Scholars, the seven UAB undergraduate recipients demonstrated a proficiency in research and an aptitude for space-related careers. They have been awarded scholarships ranging from $750-$1,500. Each student will conduct an outreach activity to educate and inform the surrounding community on science and technology.
Lalitha Appana is an 18-year-old biomedical sciences major from Cumming, Georgia. Appana is a UABTeach minor and member of the UAB Honors College going into her second year at UAB.
“As an aspiring doctor who loves to teach and wants to help improve the quality of education to all students, I hope to translate my passion in science to enhance the K-12 curriculum as this gives me the optimal opportunity to get involved in the community and make a positive difference in the schools around me,” Appana said.
Maggie Birks, 20, a Columbus, Mississippi native, is a rising junior in the College of Arts and Sciences with a double major in chemistry and physics and a minor in mathematics. She is also a member of the Physics Departmental Honors program.
“I feel so incredibly blessed to have been selected as an Alabama Space Grant Scholar,” Birks said. “I am excited to use this opportunity to serve the community alongside others who share my love for science.”
Designated as NASA Space Grant fellows, both graduate students are set to conduct research for 12 months and were awarded $37,000 each for one academic school year.
Luke Moore, 27, and a Knoxville, Tennessee native, is a doctoral student in the Department of Physics. Moore will conduct research on high-entropy ceramics.
Senior Anabel Scarlet Xiaoyu Byars of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s student. She is completing her undergraduate degree in neuroscience and earning a master’s degree in biology, and is a member of the UAB Honors College.
“I am so thankful for the excellent mentorship and research experience I have gained at UAB, which have allowed me to reach this opportunity,” Byars said. “My interactions with my professors and lab mentors have shown me how much this university cares about its students.”
Chandlor Dobbs, a 22-year-old biomedical engineering major from Birmingham, Alabama, is a rising senior in the Honors College on a personalized pathway.
“Working with Dr. Michael Wyss and Ms. Arlene Bulger of UAB’s Center of Community Outreach Development as a transfer student has demonstrated to me that, with enough perseverance, I can accomplish goals that previously seemed unattainable,” Dobbs said.
Alejandro Elizondo, 20, of Pisgah, Alabama, is a biomedical sciences major with minors in STEM education and chemistry.
“When I heard about this opportunity, it was one that I could not pass up because it mixes two disciplines that I am very passionate about, science and education,” said Elizondo, a rising senior. “I cannot wait to begin working on the outreach activity for the program this fall.”
Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D., professor and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the campus director for the NASA ASGC.
Rebecca House, 22, of Talladega, Alabama, is a member of the UAB Honors College and in the Accelerated Bachelor/Master’s program. House will graduate in December with her undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in business administration.
Mercedes Ivey, 20, is a rising junior from Montgomery, Alabama, majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and STEM education. Ivey says she is grateful to be selected and help educate others on the importance of STEM.
Under the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, the Alabama Space Grant Consortium is a supportive network of the seven research universities and institutions in the state of Alabama. Operating under the primary mission of motivating and inspiring the next generation of aerospace researchers, the program seeks to educate promising undergraduate students in the fields of space science and technology.