Kendal Ezell, a student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been selected to become an Astronaut Scholar by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), as well as being honored as Outstanding Junior for the Texas A&M College of Engineering and the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.
The ASF was created to ensure that the United States would maintain its leadership in science and technology by supporting some of the very best science and engineering college students.
Ezell was selected based upon her exemplary academic performance, ingenuity and unique aptitude for research. She is entering her senior year and plans to utilize the scholarship to help with her schooling.
Ezell was nominated by the biomedical engineering department for the college of engineering overall outstanding junior, and received the same award on both the college and university level by Phi Kappa Phi for academic achievement, character and leadership abilities. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines.
Ezell has concentrated her philanthropic efforts with organizations such as the Student Engineers’ Council and Kappa Alpha Theta.
“These experiences have by far had the biggest impact on me during my time at Texas A&M, and have allowed me to give back to the university in various ways,” she said. “However, these experiences would not be possible without the supportive mentors I have had who have opened so many doors and opportunities.”
“The award carries a significant prestige that is greater than any monetary value that I hope will set me apart as I apply to M.D./Ph.D. programs at the second phase of my education,” said Ezell.
Ezell began her career at Texas A&M in fall 2014, and shortly thereafter began undergraduate research in Dr. Duncan Maitland’s Biomedical Device Laboratory that has resulted in multiple publications, presentations, a patent application and an undergraduate thesis in the 2016-17 school year. She has also worked with Dr. Mark Packard in the Institute for Neuroscience and with biotechnology companies in Germany.