Flagship Fellowship
The Graduate School’s Flagship Fellowship Program helps to recruit outstanding doctoral students to the University of Maryland. The Flagship Fellowship program helps recruit high-performing students, advances campus unity objectives, and contributes to increasing degree completion and decreasing time-to-degree. The Graduate School will offer up to 40 Flagship Fellowships this year to help graduate programs compete successfully for superlative students.
The fellowships are multi-year enhancement awards to be added to fellowship/assistantship offers normally made by graduate programs. The award may total up to $60,000 per student over the duration of the award. Each University of Maryland Ph.D. program may nominate up to two (2) eligible students.
Guidelines and Nomination Process
NOMINATION DEADLINE: TBD
Flagship Fellowships are enhancement awards added to base full-time fellowship/assistantship packages provided by programs to Flagship Fellows. These base packages must provide full-time support to the candidate and must extend for the duration of the Flagship Fellowship. Additionally, the base package must be comparable to those normally offered by the program and must meet or exceed guidelines for minimum stipends set annually by the Graduate School. (Minimum stipend levels can be found at go.umd.edu/minimum_stipends.) Programs must commit to providing the base package at the time of nomination for a Flagship Fellowship, and must notify the Graduate School of any subsequent changes in the proposed support package.
Upon acceptance of an award, the program has the discretion to select a 4- or 5-year payout plan for the student. The annual stipend will be posted to the student account in two (2) equal installments (Fall/Spring). Please note, international students will require the completion of the Nonresident Alien form.
The Flagship Fellowship does not come with tuition assistance.
Candidates must be Ph.D. applicants for Fall 2027. U.S citizens and international students are eligible for nomination.
All candidates will have exceptional qualifications and with clear promise for outstanding performance in doctoral study, and will contribute to the university's ideals as outlined in the UMD Strategic Plan’s Guiding Principles.
Programs must recommend their nominee(s) for admission prior to making the nomination.
Candidates who will have an assistantship as their base support must have U.S. citizenship, valid visa status, or valid work authorization.
Flagship Fellowships are awarded to programs for specific students and are not transferable to other students. Should the awarded candidate decline the Fellowship, or should a student holding a Flagship Fellowship graduate or leave the program with enhancement funding outstanding, the Graduate School will return unused funds to the Flagship Fellowship pool.
Each Program is eligible to nominate 2 students.
Nomination packages must include the following:
- Nominee Information Cover Sheet
a letter of nomination from the program’s Chair, DGS, or the major professor with whom the student would work. The nomination letter should address the student’s exceptional qualifications and promise, including what distinguishes the student from other top applicants to the program and what contributions the student is likely to make to the program and the field. Additionally, letter writers should convey information about how the student will contribute scholarship in the discipline.
Letter writers should not make any reference to standardized testing scores.
a description of the base fellowship/assistantship support being offered by the program to the student (these base packages must extend at least for the duration of the Flagship Fellowship and must meet or exceed guidelines for minimum stipends for fellowships and/or assistantships set annually by the Graduate School; it is expected that these base packages will be at least comparable to those normally offered by the program).
Candidates who will have an assistantship as their base support must have U.S. citizenship, valid visa status, or valid work authorization.
- School of Public Health programs that accept applications through SOPHAS will be required to submit the student’s SOPHAS application.
Programs must gather the above items as three (or four) individual PDF files and submit to the Graduate School Awards Portal at terpengage.umd.edu/gsawards/s/ by the nomination deadline. At the time of nomination, TerpEngage will prompt nominators to select the correct application (the correct APP-ID).
An applicant may be nominated for the Flagship and the President’s Fellowship but may receive only one of these awards. If awarded both, the student would be able to accept only one of them.
A committee with broad disciplinary representation, appointed by the Graduate School, will serve as the selection committee. Selection decisions will be based on excellence, understood as a convergence of the nominee’s academic success, statement of purpose, prior research or other original scholarship, letters of recommendation, and the program’s letter of nomination.
The Flagship Fellowship selection committee will not consider GRE scores or other standardized test scores during their evaluations.
Award decisions are expected in mid-February. It is expected that the cohort of awardees will reflect the University’s commitment to diversity, including disciplinary diversity.
Flagship Fellows will also submit a brief annual progress report using this Google Reporting Form.
The program and the Graduate School will confer regarding any Fellow who experiences significant academic difficulty during the year and will establish benchmarks for monitoring the student’s progress. Continuation of the President’s Fellowship will be contingent upon the student’s resumption of timely and satisfactory progress.
Because the Flagship Fellowships are intended for exceptional students, continuation of the Fellowship is predicated on the student maintaining full-time status and making timely and satisfactory progress to degree.
Please direct any questions to Robyn Kotzker in the Office of Funding Opportunities
at rkotzker@umd.edu or 301-405-0281.
Society of Fellows
Flagship Fellows are a part of the Society of Fellows, a talented group of students. Learn more about the Society of Fellows.
Award Recipients
AY 2025-26
Dongping Chen, Computer Science
Hokeun Choi, Kinesiology
Isabella Dallasta, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Weijun Gao, Biophysics
Finn Genz, Philosophy
Jun Goh, History
Amanda Izes, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Alba Jorquera Jimenez De Aberasturi, Linguistics
Neel Lal, Economics
Mengyu Liu, Public Policy
Jacob Miller, Biophysics
Maria Nikolaitchik, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
Nathanyal Ross, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Hyerin Ryu, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Morgan Thoem, Communication
AY 2024-25
Dramane Bationo, American Studies
Wen-Hsin Bi, English
Farhana Chowdhury, Biological Sciences
Brittany Ann Farr, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Mehrdad Hosseini, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Tania Lamprea Barragan, Policy Studies
George Zhaoqi Li, Computer Science
Dylan Major, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
Rahul Mittal, Computer Science
Josue Porras-Fernandez, Communication
Uhjin Sim, Information Studies
Tara Sullivan, Psychology
Ellie Taylor, Human Development
Taryn Thrasher, Counseling Psychology
Isabel Wilder, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Milla Wu, American Studies
AY 2023-24
Adebowale Daniel Adebayo, Geographical Sciences
Ditra Backup, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Anne Baldino, Marine-Estuarine Environmental Sciences
Nathalie Andreea Isabella Bonin, Computer Science
Lemi Taye Daba, Agriculture and Resource Economics
Logan Patrick Knudsen, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Zaicun Li, Mathematics
Sivan Lurie, Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Daniel Wangunwa Pimbi, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Katherine Rabogliatti, Art History
Shameem Hawa Razack, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Uddipta Roy, Anthropology
Jana Sabri, Communication
Chandrasekhar Venkata Durga Sepuri, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Prajwal Singhania, Computer Science
Jiaxun Sun, Geographical Sciences
Elizabeth Mitten Swanson, Linguistics
Roxanne Alana Bishop Faure, English
Sanjana Gogna, Policy Studies
Edgar Isaac Gómez Álvarez, Music
Filippo Grassi, Art History
Dalton Greene, English
Allison Elizabeth Huysman, Entomology
Ashleigh Marie Jankowski, Bioengineering
Michelle Thomason, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
Emily Faith Wisinski, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Jiseung Yoo, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Oksana Zapletina, Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
AY 2022–23
Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova, Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Morgan Anvari, Psychology
Carolina Batista, Government and Politics
Mariom Carvajal, Entomology
Alex Alvin Cheung, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Amber Colquhoun, Government and Politics
Andrew Connelly, Physics
Paige Didier, Psychology
Loretta Eboigbe, Psychology
Sarah Endyke, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences
Teresa Garcia, Human Development & Quantitative Methodology
Wenqing Huangfu, Government and Politics
Deonte Hughes, Sociology
Nora Jameson, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Angshuman Kashyap, Behavioral and Community Health
Carla McGinnis, American Studies
Giang Nguyen, History
Noriko Okada, Art History
Ellen Roche, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Ella Rockafellow, Physics
Bryan Shannon, Behavioral and Community Health
Utku Turk, Linguistics
Kajwan Ziaoddini, Music
AY 2021–22
Jessica Anane, Behavioral & Community Health
Alisa Davis, Communication
Joshua Davis, Computer Science
Peijian Ding, Applied Mathematics & Scientific Computation
London Dixon, Linguistics
Caitlyn Gardiner, Government and Politics
Rose Gebhardt, Aerospace Engineering
Harriet Goers, Government and Politics
Katherine Howitt, Linguistics
Alexis Hunter, Behavioral and Community Health
Kelli Iddings, Geographical Sciences
JooHee Kim, Art History
Michael Lebron, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Sara Mascone, Kinesiology
Faith Otchere, Communication
Madisen Placzkowski, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Melissa San Miguel, Art History
Henry Santer, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Emily Schueller, Economics
Kelly Sharer, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Matthew Stefanak, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences
Kathrine Udell, Geology
Renata Valieva, Mathematics
Kasey Vangelov, Policy Studies
Yue Xin, Teaching & Learning, Policy & Leadership
AY 2020–21
Yi Chen, Biological Sciences Program
Jin Choi, Communication
Cameron Conrad, Economics
Zoe Copeman, Art History
Ian Des Jardin, Aerospace Engineering
Jordan Dewar, Government and Politics
Jade Dunstan, Psychology
Fernando Duran, English
Joseph Gurrola, Philosophy
Erin Hill, Psychology
Priya Kulkarni, Mechanical Engineering
Ruolan (Leslie) Li, Neuroscience & Cognitive Science
Megan Lloyd, Government and Politics
Katherine Luken Raz, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
David Miller, Music Education
Silvana Montanola, Anthropology
Otto V. Osterman, Mathematics
Erica Ryan, Economics
Danett Song, Teaching & Learning, Policy & Leadership
Johannes Visser, Music Education
Christin Washington, American Studies
Linda Waters, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Olivia Young, Mechanical Engineering
Nan Zhong, Art History
AY 2019-20
Angelica Alonso, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Gabriela Barber, Family Science
Chauncey Dennie, English
Victoria Ferrari, Materials Science and Engineering
Shannon Grogans, Psychology
Halla Khalil, English
Julia Kuhlman, Music
Caitlin Leach, Women’s Studies
Logan Monks, Biological Sciences
Aryn Neurock, Anthropology
Kristen Regenauer, Psychology
Jennifer Robinson, Behavioral and Community Health
Sarah Rothman, Environmental Science and Technology
Lauren Salig, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Kathryn Their, Communication
Kendyl Waddell, Mechanical Engineering
Victoria Whitley, Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation
AY 2018-19
Christopher Brown, History
Erika Exton, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Jessica Keralis, Epidemiology
Kathryn McNaughton, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Alexandra Rose, Psychology
Deborah Shelef, Family Science
AY 2017-18
Stephanie Allen, Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computation
Eviatar Bach, Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
Lauren Beatty, Agricultural Resource Economics
Christina Blomquist, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Victor Bramble, American Studies
Mary DePascale, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Eugene Fanning, History
Naette Lee, Communication
Adam Liter, Linguistics
Zachary Maher, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Hanna Muller, Linguistics
Alexander Perrault, Agricultural Resource Economics
Ellen Platts, Anthropology
Rodrigo Renaro, Communication
Melanie Rio, English
Jonelle Walker, Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Lillian Wies, Art History
AY 2016-17
Diana Alkire, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
Dana Arbaugh, Music
Morgan Botdorf, Psychology
Aaron Doliana, Linguistics
Randall Fowler, Communication
Julianne Garbarino, Hearing and Speech Sciences
Rachel Lamb, Geographical Sciences
Megan McKee, History
Anton Mitrokhin, Computer Science
Jeffery Moro, English
Melanie Nguyen, Art History
Samantha Stanley, Communication
AY 2015-16
Quinn Dizon, Music
Phoebe Gaston, Linguistics
Anat Kimchi, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Kelsey Michael, American Studies
Sergio Pinto, Public Policy
Rodrigo Ranero, Linguistics
Sean Rao, Government and Politics
Patrick Rivera, Anthropology
Rachel Ruisard, Music
Jake Weissman, Biological Sciences
AY 2014-15
Melissa Benitez, American Studies
Paul Jacob Bueno de Mesquita, Toxicology
Rebecca Eckert, Entomology
Katelyn Esmonde, Kinesiology
Zachary Glassman, Chemical Physics
Allison Greaney, Geology
Gaurav Kandlikar, Biological Sciences
Tabitha Kidwell, Curriculum and Instruction
Mattson Ogg, Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences
Laurel Perkins, Linguistics
Kristina Stephens, Bioengineering
Jessica Stern, Psychology
Rodman Turpin, Epidemiology
Gordon Walsh, Art History
Joshua Wayland, Geography
AY 2013-14
Lara Ehrenhofer, Linguistics
William Howell, Communication
Jared Kenlon, Music
Stephanie Madden, Communication
Daniel McNeish, Human Development and Quantitative Methodology
Ana Sanche-Rivera, Geography
Stephen Secules, Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
Noah Sennett, Physics
Carl Sabottke, Biological Sciences
Grace Sayuri Yasumura, Art History
AY 2012-13
Patricia Akinbola, American Studies
Michael Ray Casiano, American Studies
Avery Dame, Women’s Studies
Jared Fisher, Epidemiology
Andrew Foss-Grant, Biological Sciences
Eve Grice, Women’s Studies
Chris Heffner, Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences
Raino Eetu Isto, Art History
Tracy H. Jenkins, Anthropology
Alex Lopatka, Geology
Emily Quinn Rosenzweig, Human Development
Shrutii Sarda, Biological Sciences
Geoffrey Sheil, Music