Physics major Leon Nichols ’23 has been awarded the 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship through the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The GRFP is one of the largest nationally competitive fellowships in the United States, directly supportsing students. Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 and a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees. Further, they have access to opportunities for professional development available to NSF-supported graduate students.
Leon has been working with Professor Ken Segall on the development of artificial neurons using Josephson junctions for neuromorphic computation. He is also completing his art history minor. In fall 2023, he will pursue his PhD in plasma physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has received the Dean of Science’s Graduate Student Fellowship. Read more.