40 Finalists Named for 2016 Hertz Fellowships

March 16, 2016
Hertz Staff
Livermore, Calif

The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation has announced the selection of 40 finalists for its 2016 class of Hertz Fellows. The finalists were selected from more than 800 applicants. Each Fellowship consists of up to 5 years of academic fiscal support valued at $250,000 and research freedom at a participating graduate institution in the United States.

The Foundation was created by entrepreneur John Hertz to inspire and invest in the future of scientific exploration by providing resources and academic freedom to young minds. The Foundation funds graduate education for leaders in the fields of applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences and encourages its awardees to pursue science for the public good.

“We are pleased to make this announcement,” stated Robbee Kosak, Hertz Foundation President. “With such an outstanding field of applicants, it was quite challenging to select only 40 finalists.” The highly competitive selection process includes a comprehensive written application, four references, and two rounds of technical interviews by recognized leaders in applied science and engineering.

For over a half century, the Hertz Foundation has focused on finding the best and brightest in the fields of science and engineering in order to help strengthen our Nation and the world at large.

Fellows have the freedom to innovate in their doctoral studies without research or university restrictions. In the past ten years, with Foundation support, a community has been built which allows Hertz Fellows of various ages and disciplines to gather together and inspire one another. This collaboration further augments the powerful contribution they bring to society.

The recipients of the 2016 Hertz Foundation Fellowship will be notified by April 4th.

Finalists are listed with their field of study and present or recent schol.

Rebecca Alford
Quantitative Biology & Bioengineering
Carnegie Mellon University

Surojit Biswas
Bioinformatics & Integrative Genomics
Harvard University

Kurtis Carsch
Chemistry
California Institute of Technology

Rohan Chitnis
Computer Science
UC Berkeley

Sarah Dean
Engineering
University of Pennsylvania

Margarete Diaz Cuadros
Biology
Harvard University

Paul Dieterle
Applied Physics
California Institute of Technology

Julia Ebert
Bioengineering
Imperial College

Samuel Greene
Chemistry
Oxford University

Kettner Griswold
Biophysics
Georgia Institute of Technology

Catherine Groschner
Materials Science
University of Cambridge

Stephen Henrich
Bioengineering, Materials Science
Northwestern University

Steven Herbst
Electrical Engineering
MIT

Felipe Hernandez
Mathematics
MIT

William Hoza
Computer Science
California Institute of Technology

Daniel Kang
Computer Science
University of Cambridge

Mark Koren
Aerospace
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa

Yuri Lensky
Theoretical Physics
Stanford University

Harry Levine
Physics
Harvard University

Brian Li
Bioengineering
University of Texas Austin

Sarah McFann
Bioengineering
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa

Benjamin McInroe
Biophysics
UC Berkeley

Nicole Michenfelder-Schauser
Materials Science
UC Berkeley

Stephen Mussmann
Computer Science
Stanford University

Andrew Nelson
Plasma Physics
University of Colorado Boulder

Andrew Pierce
Physics
Harvard University

Manish Raghavan
Computer Science
UC Berkeley

Dylan Rees
Physics
UC Berkeley
Nicholas Rivera
Applied Physics
MIT

Reuben Saunders
Biochemistry & Biophysics
MIT

Daniel Sawyer
Electrical Engineering
Columbia University

Joseph Scherrer
Applied Physics & Astronomy
Princeton University

Jacob Shenker
Biophysics
California Institute of Technology

Josh Tycko
Quantitative Biology
University of Pennsylvania

Caleb Voss
Computer Science
Rice University

Eli Weinstein
Physics
Harvard University

Alexandra Welch
Materials Science & Engineering
Stanford University

Charles Wojcik
Electrical Engineering
Stanford University

Madeleine Youngs
Oceanography
MIT

William Yuan
Chemistry
Oxford University

About the Hertz Foundation

For more than half a century, the Hertz Foundation has found and supported the best and brightest graduate students in the sciences, furthering our country’s leadership in these fields. Hertz Fellows pursue a PhD in the STEM fields and follow their academic curiosity with greater financial independence. These students are chosen for their intellect, their ingenuity and their potential to make scientific advancements for the public good. The Hertz Foundation also builds a vibrant Hertz Fellows community, gathering the Fellows together at annual workshops and retreats to allow them to inspire and learn from one another across generations. For more information visit www.hertzfoundation.org and follow the Foundation on Facebook.