Fox Graduate School awards 36 graduate students Fox scholarships | Penn State University

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Thirty-six Penn State graduate students have received scholarships of up to $10,000 from the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Endowment, established by Jeff and Ann Marie Fox’s $20 million naming gift to Penn State’s J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. The 36 students are studying in 32 master’s or doctoral degree programs

The scholarships were created to help students strive for excellence in their research and other academic pursuits, as well as recognize military service

“These scholarships do more than provide financial support; they affirm the years of persistence, creativity and hard work our graduate students have invested in their research and professional growth,” said Levon T. Esters, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Fox Graduate School. “This recognition helps students move their academics forward, whether that means completing a dissertation or thesis, conducting fieldwork, disseminating results with the broader scholarly community, or preparing to lead in their professions.”

Students were nominated for the Fox Endowment scholarships by the academic colleges and campuses in which their program is housed. Recipients represent all six Penn State campuses that offer graduate degree programs (Behrend, Great Valley, Harrisburg, Hershey, University Park and World Campus)

Some Fox scholarship recipients are using their award to further their research. The scholarship will help Gonzalo Ballestero, a doctoral student in economics, support his research, which combines economic theory and data analysis to understand real-world problems and inform policy reforms

“This award will allow me to advance my research and continue working with policymakers in Latin America to improve medical residency matching systems in the region,” he said

Other Fox scholars are using their financial support to participate in professional development experiences that will strengthen and expand the scope of their research. Yiping Li, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in biobehavioral health, plans to attend workshops to improve the advanced computational skills she needs to effectively conduct her research on a larger scale

“The award has enabled my participation in specialized workshops, allowing me to refine my technical skills in advanced statistical modeling and machine learning, which are critical for my ongoing investigations into complex health behaviors,” Li said

For many recipients, like Chandima S.S. Hevapathiranage, a doctoral candidate in energy and mineral engineering, the scholarship will provide peace of mind during a crucial time in their academic journey

“By helping offset educational expenses, the award reduces financial stress and enables me to dedicate more time to advancing my research on sustainable critical mineral extraction,” Hevapathiranage said

The 36 Fox scholarship recipients are:

• Temitope Akinboyewa, Doctoral Student, Geography
• Paige Alexander, Doctoral Student, Entomology with a Dual Title in International Agriculture and Development
• Paapa Yaw Asante, Master’s Student, Clinical Psychology
• Gonzalo Ballestero, Doctoral Student, Economics
• Venkata Sai Renusree Bandaru, Master’s Student, Artificial Intelligence
• Eric Anthony Berdis, Doctoral Student, Art Education
• Deanna Bergdorf, Doctoral Student, Education
• Sree Bhattacharyya, Doctoral Student, Informatics
• Arifur Bhuiyan, Doctoral Student, Public Administration
• Ingrid Lara Bordin Fernandes, Doctoral Student, Animal Science
• Hailey Bowers, Doctoral Student, Curriculum and Instruction
• Viviana Anahí Cáceres Barbosa, Doctoral Student, Physics
• Fan Fan, Doctoral Student, Counselor Education with a Dual Title in Comparative and International Education
• Maria Alejandra Gil Polo, Doctoral Student, Plant Biology
• Jingyi Guo, Doctoral Student, Mass Communications with a Dual Title in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• Katherine Haigler, Doctoral Student, Human Development and Family Studies
• Chandima S.S. Hevapathiranage, Doctoral Candidate, Energy and Mineral Engineering
• Samarth Khanna, Doctoral Student, Informatics
• Kyra LoPiccolo, Doctoral Student, Plant Biology
• Ricardo Larin Ochoa, Master’s Student, Engineering Management
• Hyunjin Lee, Doctoral Student, Biomedical Engineering
• Yiping Li, Doctoral Student, Biobehavioral Health
• Laraib Mazhar, Doctoral Student, Public Health
• Jennifer Mott, Doctoral Student, Biology
• Ilayda Namli, Doctoral Student, Engineering Science and Mechanics
• Amy Orner, Doctoral Student, Art History
• Patrick Parker, Master’s Student, Supply Chain Management and Business Administration
• Muhammad Faizan Raza, Master’s Student, Data Analytics
• Alex Shu, Doctoral Student, Engineering
• Edward J. Spagnuolo, Doctoral Student, Geosciences
• Edward Stene, Doctoral Student, Nursing
• Emily Tufano, Doctoral Student, Biomedical Sciences with a Dual Title in Clinical and Translational Sciences
• J. Norma Watson, Doctoral Student, History with a Dual Title in African American and Diaspora Studies
• Jessica Wellington, Doctoral Student, Nursing
• Amanda Welsbacher, Master’s Student, Clinical Psychology
• Molly Wright, Doctoral Student, Biobehavioral Health

The Fox Graduate School plans to award another round of Fox Graduate School scholarships in the 2026-27 academic year. More details will be available on the Fox Graduate School website in the fall

Last Updated July 14, 2026

Contact

• Liam Jackson

  • lnj104@psu.edu
  • Cell Phone: 814-863-4356

Source: www.psu.edu