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Two UT Students Receive EPA Science Fellowships

Release Date: 08/31/2006
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Cynthia Fanning, 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(Dallas, Texas – August 31, 2006) Stacey Bricka and Nathan Johnson, both of The University of Texas at Austin, each recently received a Science to Achieve Results (STAR) fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ms. Bricka and Mr. Johnson are two of the 112 students chosen from more than 1,300 applicants across the country who competed for these prestigious fellowships that enable them to complete their graduate degrees.

Ms. Bricka is from Bastrop, Texas, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in the field of community and regional planning. Her research will help identify factors that influence multi-purpose trip-making to evaluate commuter flexibility in using alternative modes of commuting.

Mr. Johnson is from Austin, Texas, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in the field of environmental and water resources engineering. His research will evaluate the effect of containment caps on mercury methylation processes in contaminated sediments.

The EPA’s STAR graduate fellowship program supports some of the nation’s most promising master’s and doctoral candidates in environmental studies. Each year, students in the United States compete for STAR fellowships through a rigorous merit review process to ensure that some of the best students in the country are chosen for these programs.

Students can pursue degrees in traditionally recognized environmental disciplines as well as other fields, such as urban and regional planning and decision sciences. Since the program began in 1995, EPA has awarded hundreds of STAR fellowships to students in almost every state. The fellowship has helped produce new academic researchers, government scientists, science teachers, and environmental engineers.

EPA will soon be accepting applications from students for the 2007 STAR fellowship program and the Greater Research Opportunities undergraduate and graduate fellowship program. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. More information on EPA fellowships is at epa.gov/ncer/rfa/.