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Austin students receive EPA science fellowships

Release Date: 09/25/2007
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or [email protected]

(Dallas, Texas – September 25, 2007) Two Austin, Texas, students recently received Science to Achieve Results (STAR) fellowships from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Amanda Van Epps and Corinne Wong were among 98 students chosen from more than 1,200 applicants nationwide for this prestigious fellowship.

Fellows can receive up to $37,000 per year to help complete master’s and doctorate degrees.

Ms. Van Epps attends the University of Texas, where she is pursuing her doctorate. She is studying ways to remove arsenic from drinking water based on levels of other chemicals such as silica, calcium, and carbonate that are present in the source water.

Ms. Wong also attends the University of Texas, where she is pursuing her master’s degree. She is studying whether the method of clearing brush from land will improve water recharge in underground aquifers, as is commonly believed.

EPA’s STAR fellowship program helps to build capacity in universities with limited funding for research and development by awarding fellowships to students in environmental fields. 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.

EPA is accepting applications from students for the 2008 STAR fellowship program as well as the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Application information can be found at https://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/.

For more information on these programs, visit http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/.

To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, please visit https://www.epa.gov/region6.