Alumna, Clare McGillis ‘23, receives “Honorable Mention” in the 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellowship Competition

The National Science Foundation Graduate Student Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) Competition is a prestigious five-year fellowship supporting outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Applicants are evaluated on their intellectual merit and broader impacts through a rigorous review of their research proposals, personal statements, and letters of recommendation. This year, due to anticipated budget constraints, only 1,000 fellowships were awarded — a significant reduction from previous years — and 3,000 Honorable Mentions were given in recognition of exceptional applications.

McGillis’ achievement is testament to her hard work and dedication within the field. Since graduating, McGillis has continued her academic journey as a PhD student at Northwestern University in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Her research focuses on scaling up novel materials and technologies to remove contaminants and recover valuable resources from wastewater. Currently, she is leading a project in collaboration with the Dravid Lab in the Materials Science and Engineering Department to scale up an iron oxide-based adsorbent for phosphate recovery from wastewater effluent — an innovative solution with promising environmental impact.

Receiving an NSF GRFP Honorable Mention is a significant national recognition and is testament to her hard work, dedication and potential as a Civil Engineering researcher. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work. 

Congratulations Clare on this well-earned honor!