Institute announces doctoral scholar selection for 2010

The 2010 Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science Doctoral Scholars: Chennan Hu; Daniel Youngstrom; Jung Ki Hong; Zhe Bao; James Dale; S. Phoebe Williams; C. Nathan Jones; Daniel Vanden Berge; Konstantinos Krommydas

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 7, 2010 – Nine doctoral candidates, representing five colleges and nine departments, will begin fall semester studies with a prestigious designation as a Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science Doctoral Scholar. This class of nine scholars brings total participation in the institute's program to 35 awardees, just a few scholars shy of the institute’s steady state goal of 40 by 2011. 

The 2010 Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science Doctoral Scholars are

• Zhe Bao of Beijing, China, a biological sciences doctoral candidate in the College of Science;
• James Dale of Yorba Linda, Calif., is a geological sciences doctoral candidate in the College of Science;
• Jung Ki Hong of Daegu City, Republic of South Korea, a wood science and forest products doctoral candidate in the College of Natural Resources;
• Chennan Hu of Shenzhen, China, a physics doctoral candidate in the College of Science;
• C. Nathan Jones, of Conway, Ariz., a biological systems engineering doctoral candidate in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences;
• Konstantinos Krommydas of Volos, Greece, a computer science doctoral candidate in the College of Science;
• Daniel Vanden Berge, of Wickliffe, Ohio, a civil engineering doctoral candidate in the College of Engineering;
• S. Phoebe Williams of Charlottesville, Va., a plant physiology and weed sciences doctoral candidate in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and
• Daniel Youngstrom of Ann Arbor, Mich., a biomedical and veterinary sciences doctoral candidate in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

The first graduate of the program, Marcel Remillieux of Lyon, France, was awarded a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in May 2010.

The institute's Doctoral Scholars Program was established in 2007 with eleven scholars named in the inaugural year. The program honors exceptional doctoral applicants through the awarding of full financial support. This program is a cooperative effort supported and coordinated primarily by the Institute, with significant contributions from participating departments, colleges and the Virginia Tech Graduate School. Successful candidates of the highest caliber are selected for this honor. 

“This award is an investment in the university’s intellectual talent, creativity and potential, in a way that is complementary to Virginia Tech’s mission and strategic plan,” said Roop Mahajan, director of the institute. “We are well on our way to our goal of establishing a steady state of 40 scholars by 2011."

The award provides full graduate tuition support plus a graduate student stipend award and associated benefits for a maximum of four years for each selected honoree. The annual graduate student stipend is $25,000. Additionally, the institute supports pre-approved travel for professional development and external presentations resulting from degree related research.

A premier Research Institute of Virginia Tech, the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science ensures a sustainable future by advancing transformative, interdisciplinary research at the intersections of engineering, the humanities, and the physical, life, and social sciences.

• Ann Craig
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