Grad Students Win Intel Foundation Fellowships

The Intel Foundation recently awarded PhD fellowships to Michal A. Brown, a graduate student in materials science, and Robert J. Walters, a graduate student in applied physics.

Brown’s fellowship research uses X-ray diffraction to validate an optical measurement method called coherent gradient sensing, His advisor is Ares Rosakis, the Theodore von Kármán Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering.

Walters’s fellowship research will focus on understanding the physics relevant to novel silicon nanocrystal-based optoelectronic devices, including optical memory elements, modulators, and nanocrystal LEDs. His advisor is Harry Atwater Jr., the Howard Hughes professor and Professor of applied physics and materials science.

Each fellowship includes a cash award, access to an Intel technologist who serves as a mentor, an Intel architecture–based laptop, and the opportunity to participate in an internship at Intel.

Brown and Walters were selected from more than 200 applicants. This year, the Intel Foundation awarded 43 fellowships totaling $1.8 million to outstanding PhD candidates pursuing leading-edge research at 17 U.S. universities.

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