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Two recent graduates have received prestigious fellowships to continue their education.
The recipient of a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Steve Ryder '01, a mechanical engineering graduate, will study nanotechnology at the University of California, Berkeley, beginning this fall. Since the program's inception in 1989, only 5 percent of applicants have been accepted.
The fellowship covers tuition and fees for the next three years. “Lafayette's program is very strong and I should definitely find that I am well prepared,” says Ryder, who became a member of Phi Beta Kappa last spring. Within the nanotechnology field, he will study microelectromechanical systems, in which very small machines are constructed with the same technology used for microchips. Innovations have led to development of gears, pumps, and motors measuring less than one millimeter across.
Ryder conducted two research projects as an EXCEL Scholar, played drums in the Lafayette Pep Band, and served as computer-system manager for The Lafayette.
Shannon Tyburczy '01, who received a degree in history (with honors) and Russian and East EuropeanStudies, was awarded a James Madison Fellowship for prospective teachers. She will receive up to $24,000 over the next two years to complete a master's degree, furthering her knowledge of American constitutional history. “I'd like to teach a younger generation,” Tyburczy says. “Schools should go into more depth in history and government, especially the Constitution. It's a passionate subject for me. I love it and want to share it.”
A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Tyburczy received the Class of 1910 Prize.
