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UMASS/Amherst Student Awarded EPA Research Grant

Release Date: 10/08/2008
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 8, 2008) – A student at University of Massachusetts in Amherst who is working on ways to improve drinking water quality was chosen as one of four students in New England and 32 nationwide to receive an EPA STAR fellowship to complete their masters or doctorate degrees and work on solutions to important environmental challenges.

Kirsten Studer of Ashland, Va., received the funds to support work aimed at detecting and removing endocrine disrupting chemicals from drinking water while at the same time monitoring byproducts formed by these chemical contaminants. Identifying byproducts will help provide quick responses to improve polluted water systems.

"Remarkable young people like Kirsten are doing work that will help create a cleaner, healthier environment," said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. "We are proud to support these fellows as they pursue the kind of studies that can make an environmental difference."

EPA supports fellowship programs as a way to address our country's environmental workforce needs. EPA's STAR graduate fellowship program supports promising masters and doctoral candidates. A total of 879 applicants competed this year for 32 fellowships.

Another 22 new students nationally and two in New England were awarded Greater Research Opportunities fellowships, which help students complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees. EPA's Greater Research Opportunities fellowship program helps build environmental studies programs at universities with limited funding for research and development. A total of 156 applicants competed this year.

Since the fellowship program began in 1995, EPA has awarded more than 2,200 fellowships. All applications for EPA's fellowship programs are peer reviewed. Graduate fellows receive up to $37,000 a year to complete their degrees. The undergraduate program pays tuition and a stipend for the junior and senior years of study and includes a summer internship at an EPA facility. The undergrad fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and up to $7,500 of internship support for summer.

EPA is now accepting applications from students for GRO undergraduate fellowships. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or be lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence.

More information:

- 2008 Fellowship Awardees (https://www.epa.gov/ncer/08fellowships)

- STAR & GRO Fellowship programs and application opportunities (https://www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow)

- Kirsten Studer’s research (https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract/8870)