Graduate School Newsblog

Spring 2027 Finishing Fellowship Nominations Open

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Applications for Spring 2027 finishing fellowships are being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. on October 14, 2026 to the Graduate School. 

Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online. Please note that the process for student applications and advisor references has been changed for the Spring 2027 application period. Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish during the semester supported as a finishing fellow.
  3. Must have submitted no more than one previous application for a finishing fellowship.
  4. Must be eligible for candidacy (tuition charged at Research Mode rate) at the time of application.
  5. Must not hold a final oral examination (“defense”) prior to the start of the award semester.

Finishing Fellowships provide support to PhD candidates who are close to completing their degrees. These fellowships are available through the generosity of alumni and friends of the University. They are intended to recognize outstanding PhD candidates who are in need of financial support to finish their degrees and are also contributing to the attainment of goals outlined in The Michigan Tech Plan. Students who receive full support through a Finishing Fellowship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a Finishing Fellowship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

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Graduate Research Fellowship Program – Fall 2026 – Molly J Vander Werp

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Molly J Vander Werp, PhD in Forest Science, 2026

Molly Vander Werp is a first-year PhD student in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science at Michigan Tech, co-advised by Dr. Sarah Hoy and Dr. Kristin Brzeski. Her doctoral research sits at the intersection of molecular ecology and wildlife conservation, where she uses noninvasive genomic tools to uncover how genetic change relates to wildlife health in the Isle Royale National Park moose population.

As a Michigan native, Molly grew up hearing about the wolves and moose of Isle Royale, both in the news and the biology classroom. Working with the Isle Royale system as a graduate student is a dream come true.

Before graduate school, Molly worked as a bluebird monitoring assistant, a bear genetics technician, and a Parkinson’s disease researcher. She is thrilled by the opportunity to combine her expertise in molecular lab techniques with her love of wildlife science.

As a 2026 recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Molly plans to continue her PhD research at Michigan Tech. She extends her gratitude to past and present advisors, collaborators, and mentors.

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Graduate School Orientation!!

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Graduate School Orientation Fall 2026

We look forward to welcoming our new graduate students and encourage all new students to attend our Welcome to Graduate School event. Starting grad school is an incredible milestone, and everyone on campus is so excited to welcome our new wave of graduate students.

To help you find your footing before classes kick off, MTU is hosting the official Welcome to Graduate School event. Here are the absolute basics you need to know:

  • When: Monday, August 24th from 2:00 – 3:30pm
  • Where: The Rozsa Center
  • Why it matters: This session is crucial for learning about key Michigan Tech policies and how to complete your required Basic Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training. Plus, we have some free SWAG and lots of people who want to meet you!

Can’t make it in person? Don’t stress! If you are unable to attend, the RCR training is completely online and we’ll record the welcome session so you can view is later.

Helpful Tools & Resources

To get a head start on your transition, here are a few essential links to explore:

Have Questions?

The Graduate School team is here to help you every step of the way. If you run into any questions about orientation, feel free to email gradschool@mtu.edu or drop by and see them in person at the Administration Building, Room 414.

For the full breakdown of events, schedules, and extra resources, head over to the official MTU Graduate School Orientation Page.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Breeanne Heusdens

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Breeanne Heusdens, PhD in Geophysics, 2026

I have spent an incredible time, both length and quality, at MTU. The Keweenaw was my favorite campus location since touring universities for my undergraduate choices, and I have completed both my BS in Geological Engineering and my MS in Geophysics here prior to returning once more for this PhD opportunity. Being in the GMES department, I quickly knew most of the professors and became involved in many opportunities like AIPG and my accelerated MS, all the way to becoming involved with working with HPCs in my current project. I have also been able to travel to AGU conferences with other students in working with my advisor to share our research, as well as gain important exposure to other professionals in our field.

My research focuses on drone-borne ground penetrating radar data for use in soil moisture predictions. These predictions can be used by large farms to optimize irrigation for water conservation due to the variance of soil types and different crop needs. I developed a signal denoiser via continuous wavelet transform and deep learning that can significantly improve the signal feature clarity and remove most obscuring noise. I now work with a data projection through deep learning to convert the individual signals into subsurface permittivity images that will become the soil moisture maps. Developing these machine learning and data science skills were an important step in developing applicable research experience for the future, despite a less computationally focused background.

I am grateful to my advisors Dr. Askari and Dr. Chatterjee in GMES and my committee members for their support throughout my PhD learning process, as well as the SoilX project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for collaborating with MTU, making this opportunity possible. Thank you to the graduate school and decision panel for awarding me the finishing fellowship and giving me the opportunity to represent MTU with my best novel research.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Brandon Woolman

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Brandon Woolman, PhD in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors, 2026

I joined the Aging, Cognition, and Action lab in the Fall of 2021. After some training I was onboarded for a project, funded by the National Institute of Health, looking at early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease and long-term retention in motor adaptation. We specifically were looking at two different types of motor adaptation: visuomotor rotation and force-field adaptation. This work helped me not only learn valuable research skills but fueled my passion for research.

I have spent my years at Tech investigating the impacts of aging and cognitive decline on motor adaptation. My dissertation seeks to distinguish the overlapping- and unique- neural networks involved in motor sequence learning and motor adaptation. We plan to measure changes in oxygenated hemoglobin in the pre-frontal cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). We expect this region to be of importance to the explicit memory systems involved in motor learning. This work will contribute to knowledge of how healthy aging changes motor learning, and how better understanding motor learning may help better assess cognitive abilities and supplement neuropsychological evaluations.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for granting me this award. I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Kevin Trewartha, for his continued support and guidance throughout my graduate school journey. I am excited to complete my PhD and continue my passion for health-related research.

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Nominations open for the 2026 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

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Nominations are now open for the 2026 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. Please submit nominations to the Graduate School no later than 4pm, May 28, 2026, following our online instructions. This year, nominations are being accepted from dissertations in the fields of:

  1. Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering
  2. Social Sciences (note: history is classed within the humanities and is not a field of competition in 2026)

Michigan Tech may nominate one student in each field. PhD students who have completed all of their degree requirements between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, are eligible. The fields of competition for 2027 will be Biological/Life Sciences and Humanities and Fine Arts (including history).

A nomination packet must be submitted by the department chair or college dean to our google form no later than 4 p.m. on May 28, 2026. Contact Debra Charlesworth (gradschool@mtu.edu) if you have any questions about the competition.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Janith Godakawela

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Janith Godakawela, PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, 2026

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for the Finishing Fellowship award. I would like to sincerely thank my advisor, Dr. Bhisham Sharma, for his continued guidance and support throughout my doctoral journey.


I earned my B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in 2021, where I also began my PhD before transferring to Michigan Tech in 2023 to continue my research under Dr. Sharma. My dissertation focuses on the design and optimization of additively manufactured acoustic liners for aerospace applications. Using 3D printing, I develop architected porous structures and investigate how their geometry can be tailored to achieve targeted sound absorption characteristics. My work spans computational modeling, experimental acoustic characterization, and aeroacoustic validation under conditions representative of aircraft engine environments. Through collaborations with industry and government partners, I have been able to test and refine these designs beyond idealized laboratory settings, confirming their potential for real world noise control applications.


Alongside my research, I have had the opportunity to contribute to teaching through assistantships and grading, as well as mentoring senior design teams and undergraduate researchers. I have also had the pleasure of being a founding member of the Acoustical Society of America student chapter at Michigan Tech, where I currently serve as the national representative.


As I complete my dissertation, I am grateful for the support this fellowship provides. I look forward to pursuing an academic career where I can continue contributing to mechanical and aerospace research and mentoring the next generation of engineers.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Harikrishnan Changarnkothapeecherikkal

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Harikrishnan Changarnkothapeecherikkal, PhD in Computational Science & Engineering, 2026

I am deeply honored and grateful to receive a Doctoral Finishing Fellowship from the Graduate School. This support is a meaningful milestone in my journey at Michigan Tech, which began with my MS in Data Science and has grown into a PhD in Computational Science and Engineering focused on healthcare AI.

My dissertation research uses artificial intelligence to make osteoporosis screening more proactive, accessible, and precise. Working closely with my advisor, Dr. Guy Hembroff, and collaborators at Henry Ford Health, I helped develop OsteoFusionNet: a multimodal deep learning framework that assesses osteoporosis risk from routine knee X-rays and basic electronic health record data. The goal is to turn images patients are already getting for other reasons into an early-warning system, flagging at-risk individuals for confirmatory testing and follow-up before fractures occur.

This work goes beyond initial screening to include longitudinal bone health trend analysis and fairness evaluation across patient groups. What excites me most is creating AI that fits seamlessly into clinical workflows, practical tools that alert clinicians to hidden risks without disrupting care or replacing established diagnostics.

This project sits at the perfect intersection of technical innovation and real clinical need. I’ve loved the challenge of building mathematically rigorous systems that are also practical and grounded in healthcare realities. That balance has shaped my approach to research and deepened my commitment to this field.

I am also grateful for the opportunities Michigan Tech has given me to grow as a teacher and mentor. Serving as a lead instructor for graduate courses in clinical decision support & AI modelling and population health informatics has been one of the most rewarding parts of my graduate experience, and receiving the Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award in 2024 was a great encouragement.

I am sincerely thankful to my advisor, committee, collaborators, department, and the Graduate School for their support. This fellowship will help me focus fully on completing my dissertation and preparing for the next stage of my career in healthcare AI research and education.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Victoria Santillan

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Victoria Santillan, PhD in Biomedical Engineering, 2026

I was taught since I was a little girl that education and knowledge are the pillars of freedom and progress. These beliefs led me to pursue a career in science and set my path in education and research. I joined Dr. Smitha Rao’s group and the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Fall of 2022, and since then, my life has changed completely. Under Dr. Rao’s guidance, I had the privilege of engaging in meaningful research and outreach activities. My research on localized therapy for cancer treatment led me to gain insights into how impactful research can be in people’s lives and to better understand how challenging cancer as a disease is. At the same time, I had the pleasure of sharing the science we perform with the local community through fun activities. I will always cherish the memory of seeing the joy wash over a kid’s face as he looked at the wing of a butterfly in a microscope.

I want to thank the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel and the Dean for selecting me to receive this amazing award, which will support me in the final miles of my PhD journey. I also want to express my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Rao, for her full support throughout the program and for helping me grow as a researcher and to find my path. I am deeply thankful for her guidance and help. I am extremely proud of all the work we have done together. I also want to recognize the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Graduate Student Government for all their support.

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Finishing Fellowship Award – Summer 2026 – Logan Schexnaydre

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Logan Schexnaydre, PhD in Computer Engineering, 2026

Autonomous vehicles are becoming more common and can make transportation safer. Yet, it is uncertain how autonomy will affect a vehicle’s energy consumption. While pursuing a PhD in Computer Engineering, I worked to understand how perception systems affect this uncertainty. My research models the effect of lidar sensing and processing on the energy efficiency of automated vehicles.

I explore two ways of saving energy with lidar: automated vehicle following and road grade estimation. First, I show that a leader and follower vehicle can be aligned using lidar, reducing the follower’s aerodynamic drag and energy use. Then, I expand this work to adverse weather by characterizing the effect of snow on lead vehicle estimation. Finally, I show that the lidar can measure the grade of a road ahead of a vehicle, information which can be used for efficient traversal of hilly terrain. This work will enable engineers to design efficient perception systems and autonomous vehicles.

What I appreciate about my time at Michigan Tech is learning how to design technology for the environment and its inhabitants. Enjoying the nature of the Keweenaw with friends I have made here has shown me how important this work is.

Thank you to the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for awarding me the Finishing Fellowship. I am also grateful to my advisor, Dr. Jeremy Bos, and my dissertation committee for their guidance and support. Without my peers on campus and in my lab, I would not be the researcher I am today. Without my family and friends, I wouldn’t be the person who I am today. Thank you to all who have helped me along the way.

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