JSA Awards Graduate Fellowships for Research at Jefferson Lab

Washington, DC – Jefferson Sciences Associates announced today the award of eight graduate fellowships. The doctoral students will use the fellowships to support their advanced studies at their universities and conduct research at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) – a U.S. Department of Energy nuclear physics laboratory managed and operated by JSA, a joint venture between SURA and PAE.

The 2018-2019 JSA/Jefferson Lab graduate fellowship recipients include:

  • Jason Bane, The University of Tennessee, Nadia Fomin, Advisor
  • Reynier Cruz Torres, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Or Hen, Advisor
  • Juan Guerrero, Hampton University, Alberto Accardi, Advisor
  • Mariana Khachatryan, Old Dominion University, Lawrence Weinstein, Advisor
  • Sahara Nazeer, Hampton University, Michael Kohl, Advisor
  • Iuliia Skorodumina, University of South Carolina, Ralf Gothe, Advisor
  • Weizhi Xiong, Duke University, Haiyan Gao, Advisor
  • Yunjie Yang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michael Williams, Advisor

The students’ research proposals cover a broad scientific spectrum, including experimental and theoretical physics. Guerrero and Skorodumina are repeat winners, having just concluded their 2017-2018 academic year at the laboratory.

With the announcement of the fellowship awards, Jefferson Lab Deputy Director for Science & Technology Robert McKeown said, “Now that the 12 GeV science program is underway, these talented young students will be able to continue their academic pursuit in the field while working alongside scientists and mentors making research contributions to the scientific program at Jefferson Lab.”

Christopher Newport University professor Edward Brash, who chaired the committee of scientists reviewing applications, commented, “The continued support of JSA through graduate fellowships is essential to the education and training of the next generation of science leaders in our field. This year’s diverse applicant pool reflects the excitement of Jefferson Lab’s science program among young researchers.”

Other committee members included: Jefferson Lab Scientists David Richards and Cynthia Keppel; William Briscoe, The George Washington University; George Lolos, University of Regina; and, Kent Paschke, University of Virginia.

The SURA Board of Trustees first established the fellowship program in 1989. Since the program’s inception, more than 215 fellowships have been awarded to students from 21 different SURA member universities. The program is now supported by the JSA Initiatives Fund. Each fellowship award contributes to the student’s research assistant stipend and is supplemented by support from the home institution. Additional funds are available for research-related travel for the student during the fellowship period.

Recipients are chosen based on the quality of their research proposals, their academic standing, and the references of their professors and senior scientists at Jefferson Lab. Students will continue their coursework while enhancing their academic experience with direct interactions and participation with mentors and scientists at the laboratory.

JSA/JLab fellowship recipients attend universities that are members of SURA, a consortium of more than 60 leading research universities. SURA built and operated Jefferson Lab, before becoming a partner of Jefferson Science Associates.

Contact: Elizabeth L. Lawson, JSA Board Liaison & Secretary, 202-408-2410, elawson@sura.org

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About Jefferson Science Associates. Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, a joint venture of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. and PAE, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy. For more information, visit http://www.jsallc.org/index.html.

About Jefferson Lab. Jefferson Lab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (science.energy.gov). The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://www.jlab.org/.

About the JSA Initiatives Fund Program. JSA established the JSA Initiatives Fund to support programs, initiatives, and activities that further the scientific outreach, and promote the science, education and technology missions of Jefferson Lab in ways that complement its basic and applied research focus. Initiatives Fund awards are for those projects that benefit the Lab user community and that leverage commitments of others. The annual commitment is managed by SURA for the JSA Programs Committee. For more information, visit http://www.jsallc.org/index.html.

The original release is posted on the JSA website.

 

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Jefferson Science Associates, LLC, manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, or Jefferson Lab, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. JSA is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Southeastern Universities Research Association, Inc. (SURA).

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science