UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In a major boost to graduate education, the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School at Penn State has awarded its inaugural Fox Endowment scholarships to 18 exceptional graduate students across 15 diverse academic programs. The prestigious scholarships were selected from a highly competitive pool of over 600 applicants.
These scholarships are funded through a generous $20 million commitment from philanthropists Jeff and Ann Marie Fox. The aim is to support graduate students in achieving excellence in their research, studies, and academic development.
“These students have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing the highest level of academic excellence,” said Levon T. Esters, Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Fox Graduate School. “Each is deserving of this recognition. The Fox Graduate School is excited to support these students, and we are thrilled to be able to offer similar types of scholarships every year through the Fox Endowment.”
Four Scholarship Tracks Supporting Broad Research Goals
Applicants could apply for one of four scholarship categories:
- Summer Research Grants
- Dissertation Completion Awards
- Military and Veteran Scholarships
- General Fox Scholarships
The awards support research projects, travel, collaboration, equipment, and academic engagement. This year’s recipients include students from both the University Park campus and Penn State World Campus.
Innovative Research Supported by Fox Funding
Among the recipients is Darby Boontarue, a doctoral candidate in animal science, who investigates amino acid requirements in young turkeys to improve sustainability in poultry production. She plans to present her findings at global conferences and build industry ties.
Hanin Othman, a doctoral student in architecture, will use her funding to develop and purchase advanced equipment to study indoor air quality. Her research focuses on affordable sensors and robotics to track pollutants using Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
Cory Brautigam, pursuing a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, will travel to Houston, Texas, to research the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of the Houston Independent School District. His qualitative case study will explore how these takeovers impact classroom teaching and educational policy implementation.
Meet the 2025 Fox Scholars
The full list of the first-ever Fox Endowment scholarship recipients is as follows:
- Nahida Akter – Nursing
- Kawthar Babatunde – Energy and Mineral Engineering
- Darby Boontarue – Animal Science
- Cory Brautigam – Curriculum and Instruction
- Edwin Dartey – Applied Linguistics and African Studies
- Ankan Dutta – Mechanical Engineering
- Altony Hall – Engineering
- Devon Hooper – Engineering
- Arian Jaberi – Chemical Engineering
- Vinay Kammarchedu – Electrical Engineering
- Brandon Kelly – Business Administration (MBA)
- Rayid Mojumder – Electrical Engineering
- Adwar Oguttuh – Art
- Hanin Othman – Architecture
- Daisy Rodriguez – Education Policy Studies
- Nicolas Simon – Public Policy
- Suryansh Upadhyay – Electrical Engineering
- Barry Wade Jr – Strategic Communications
Looking Ahead
Applications for the next round of Fox scholarships will open in Fall 2025. Prospective applicants are encouraged to check the Fox Graduate School website later this year for details and deadlines.
This landmark initiative by the Fox Graduate School not only empowers future scholars but also strengthens Penn State’s commitment to academic innovation and global research leadership.