St. Norbert College alum receives a National Science Foundation research fellowship

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From St. Norbert College, April 21, 2011
by Chelsey Gruetzmacher, chelsey.gruetzmacher@snc.edu, (920) 403-3089

Kimberly Keil, a 2010 graduate of St. Norbert College, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship for the next three years. Keil, from Manitowoc, Wis., graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and was the Biology Award winner for the 2010 graduating class. She is currently enrolled in the comparative biomedical sciences program at UW Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship is a program that allows early-career graduate students to apply for annual awards given to the best and brightest in the science fields. The fellowship also gives support to those students who are up and coming in their field by including a stipend, payment of tuition to the institution, and the honor of being an NSF fellow for a total of three years. The grant is open to graduating seniors starting graduate school, first-year graduate students and second-year graduate students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields) all across the country.

The application consists of a personal statement, previous research experience, and a grant proposal for research.

"I wrote about my St. Norbert College experiences as a member of the biology and pre-health clubs, and cross country and track teams, and how that involvement allowed me to participate in community outreach activities and provided me with leadership opportunities, and that I was recognized for these activities by receiving the St. Norbert College Legacy Award," says Keil. "These opportunities allowed me to present a strong background in the areas NSF promotes and are in line with what I am doing now to pursue my goal of becoming a professor at a primarily teaching institution like St. Norbert."

St. Norbert College faculty members Deborah Anderson, associate professor of biology, and Russell Feirer, associate professor of biology, were instrumental in recommending Keil for the fellowship.

For more information, contact Mike Counter at 920-403-3089 or at mike.counter@snc.edu.