Rebecca Carlson, a graduating senior at Michigan State University, has been named a Hertz Fellow – one of only 12 selected nationwide.
The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award is awarded to students pursuing an advanced degree in the applied physical, biological and engineering sciences. The foundation received 721 applications from students across the country planning to earn their doctorate in a STEM field.
Carlson is in the Honors College and majoring in chemical engineering in the College of Engineering. She is MSU’s 3rd Hertz Fellow.
“I know that I could not have received this award without the support of my friends, family, research mentors, and, most importantly, God,” Carlson said. “I am honored to receive this award and can’t wait to take advantage of the opportunities that are now available to me.”
The National/International Fellowships & Scholarships Office (NIFS), administered by the Honors College, helps interested undergraduate and graduate students pursue major national and international opportunities by providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application process.
Carlson, a 2015 Goldwater Scholarship recipient, has conducted research on and off MSU’s campus. Currently, she is a research assistant in Professor S. Patrick Walton’s applied bioengineering lab and also a student ambassador for the Undergraduate Research Office.
As an Evergrande Scholar, Carlson assisted at Harvard Medical School’s Evergrande Center for Immunologic Diseases.
Carlson is the recipient of the Alumni Distinguished Scholarship – selected from more than 1,100 of the top high school seniors who applied to MSU, took an intensive general knowledge exam and were interviewed by faculty and staff. She was valedictorian of her high school in Rockford, Michigan. Prior to that, she lived in Italy with her family for 14 years.