2020-2021 Graduate MSGC Academic Year Award Recipients

The University of Maine’s Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) has announced the 2020-21 CUGR and Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) academic year graduate fellowship winners.

The CUGR Research and Creative Activities fellowships were developed to enhance and increase undergraduate and graduate student involvement in faculty-supervised research and are supported through the office of the Vice President for Research. Each fellowship provides $3,000 per graduate student for costs associated with the project.

The 2020-21 Academic Year MSGC Graduate Research Fellowship awards help provide research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in aerospace technology, space science, human exploration and space development, Earth science, and other science- or engineering-related fields. The focus of proposed projects funded by the fellowships must be aligned with the research priorities of NASA’s Earth and space science strategic enterprises.

This year’s recipients are:

2020-21 MSGC Graduate Award Recipients

(Student Name, Academic Program, Project Title, Faculty Mentor, NASA Field Center Collaboration/Mentor)

Thomas Kiffney, Marine Biology, “Aquaculture site selection through dynamic energy budget models coupled with high-resolution satellite products,” advised by Damian Brady

Christian Crane, Biomedical Engineering, “Perfusion of Extremities via SFDI,” advised by Karissa Tilbury

Logan Hess, Physics, “Luminosity Functions of Galaxy Clusters in the Aquarius and Microscopium Superclusters,” advised by Dr. David Batuski

Morgan Stosic, Psychology, “A Lens Model Approach to the Nonverbal Expression of Fatigue,” advised by Dr. Mollie Ruben

Anna Soule, Intermedia MFA + Accounting MBA + Graduate Certification in Innovation Engineering, “Mars 2020! The Journey of Perseverance – A Rover’s Perspective: A Large-Scale, Multiple-Phase, Socially-Engaged Art & Science Installation Series,” advised by Shawn Laatsch