Spencer A. Hawkins, a Ph.D. materials science and engineering student researching epoxy nanocomposites in the Polymer Technology Center under the direction of Dr. H.J Sue, has been awarded a fellowship through the NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Graduate Fellowship Program, a program funded by NASA's Office of Education Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) for students studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. Spencer will participate, along with other Jenkins fellows, in a 10-week research experience at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Ph.D. students are awarded $45,000 (research grant, stipend, and tuition offset) for one academic year, with options for renewal in two successful academic years. This fellowship pays homage to Harriett G. Jenkins, who, during a 20-year tenure at NASA, implemented programs for minorities and women, including recruitment of the agency’s first astronauts of color. Ms. Jenkins subsequently served as director of the Office of Senate Fair Employment Practices in the U.S. Senate, ensuring the tenets of the U.S. Civil Rights Act were implemented.
