Graduate Program
The John D. and Jeanette McWhirter Graduate Fellowship
The Department of Chemical Engineering at Penn State is pleased to announce the establishment of a new graduate fellowship, designed to give outstanding students the opportunity to develop their own research.
The fellowship consists of a stipend of $30,000 per year ($32,000 per year following the comprehensive exam), and allows for guaranteed selection of thesis project and research group. Awardees will also have the option of starting their graduate research in the summer to get a head-start on their thesis project. In addition, we will provide a laptop computer during the first year and travel support to a technical meeting during the second year. We anticipate awarding one fellowship per year, starting with the class entering Fall 2008.
Following awarding of the fellowship, the recipient will be able to choose a research group in which to work and will also have the opportunity to develop their own thesis project in consultation with their faculty advisor. This is independent of our normal thesis topic selection process with placement subject only to agreement by the faculty advisor.
To be considered, students should apply to the department following the on-line instructions, and also send an additional two-page research document to Janna Maranas, jmaranas@psu.edu, by January 15, 2012.
This document should describe a research area of interest and outline a suggested approach for future research. If you have already been doing research in this area please include a brief description of previous research results. Include a cover letter indicating your reasons for interest in this fellowship and possible research groups in which you would like to work. Applicants must currently reside in the U.S. and be applying for the Ph.D. to be considered. Formatting requirements: 2 page limit excluding references, 11 pt font or larger, one inch margins.