Felix J. Berríos Ortega and Nitza V. Falcón Cruz They are two of the 26 students and graduates of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) selected to receive the prestigious scholarship Graduate Research Fellowship Programof the National Science Foundation (NSF, in English), through which they will obtain financial support for their doctoral studies and scientific research.
In total, the NSF announced last Thursday that 2,037 students – from accredited universities in Puerto Rico and the United States – won the scholarship. All will receive an annual stipend of $37,000, as well as an additional $16,000 to cover educational expenses, for three consecutive years.
Berríos Ortega, undergraduate student in the Department of Biology of the UPR in Humacaorelated that, although “he was very nervous,” he remained with a positive mentality, since he had begun to work hard on his proposal with the support of his mentors.
“When I finally received the notification that I had been selected, I had to refresh the website several times because I couldn't believe it”said the young scientist, who in August will begin his doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut.
For Berríos Ortega, who will be the first in his family to obtain a high school degree, this scholarship represents financial relief that will allow him to focus on his research and doctoral studies.
“With this scholarship, I will be able to study copepod parasites, which are present in all bodies of water and about which very little is known. “These parasites negatively affect the fishing industry, causing millions in losses every year due to infected fish.”he shared.
On the other hand, Falcón Cruz, a graduate of the Chemistry Department of the UPR in Humacao, said that, the night before the announcement, “I was very tense and, when I found out that I had been awarded, I quickly wanted to call my mother, But it was 1:00 in the morning, so I had to wait to tell him.”
“I would not have achieved this without the support of my mentors, Dr. Carlos E. Crespo Hernandez and the doctor Rolando Oyola Martínezand the PREM program of the UPR in Humacao. “This scholarship gives me financial security to focus on my research and studies.”highlighted Falcón Cruz, who is completing his first year of a doctorate in chemistry at the Case Western Reserve Universityin Ohio.
With this financial aid, the student will investigate medications based on chemical compounds that can be activated by light, offering a therapeutic response against cancer.
For his part, the doctor Carlos A. Galiano Quiñonesrector of the UPR in Humacao, highlighted that, “as a university community, this news fills us with pride and joy.”
“To the student Félix J. Berríos Ortega and the graduate Nitza V. Falcón Cruz, my congratulations and recognition for achieving this scholarship, one of the most competitive in the United States. These success stories are evidence of the quality of teaching and the academic development opportunities offered at the University of Puerto Rico”said the rector.
In addition to the 2,037 young people chosen, 1,788 students obtained honorary recognition from the NSF, including seven from the UPR.
Different UPR campuses – such as Arecibo, Cayey, Humacao, Mayagüez and Río Piedras – were represented by students who were selected as scholarship recipients or received honorable mentions.
Since 1952, more than 60,000 students have been beneficiaries of this scholarship and more than 40 scholarship recipients have been awarded with Nobel Prizes.
The author has a doctorate in Cellular and Molecular Biology, is a scientific communicator and professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao.