Atayliya Irving, a graduate student with the Department of Engineering Education (EED), has been selected to the 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). This marks the first time a student in EED has earned this honor.
“Being selected as a 2024 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow is a very prestigious honor that has given me more confidence in pursuing my aspirations, centered around my ethos of diversifying the landscape of computing,” Irving said. “I am now even more eager to leverage my expertise to develop impactful programs in the future to empower individuals to explore and pursue STEM pathways.”
According to the NSF GRFP website, the program ensures the quality, vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. It is labeled as the oldest fellowship program of its kind and strives to produce life-long leaders that contribute to scientific innovation and teaching. This fellowship provides the recipient with a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 along with a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees. It also provides opportunities for professional development available to NSF-supported graduate students.
“After graduating from Jackson State University in the Spring of 2022, I began my Ph.D. journey in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, but soon after I switched to the newly formed Department of Engineering Education,” Irving said. “I have always been interested in diversifying the computing field, but I never knew how to get involved in this space. The Department of Engineering Education gives me the flexibility to explore this space while learning how different factors such as your self-efficacy and mentorship impact your educational experiences and overall trajectory.”
Irving is a member of the PRISEM Lab on campus, which is led by Jeremy A. Magruder Waisome, Ph.D., assistant professor and a holder of the Thomas O. Hunter Professorship. Waisome said Irving showcased her strong commitment as a student by writing her proposal for this honor while balancing coursework, volunteering, and tending to other responsibilities within the lab.
“Atayliya mentioned that receiving the NSF GRFP was one of her goals during our yearly Individual Development Plan (IDP) meeting,” Waisome said. “She worked tirelessly to identify her cybersecurity-related research topic. I enjoyed helping her refine her thoughts into the proposal format. She also asked other faculty, including one of my mentors, Dr. Elliot Douglas, about her ideas.”
When developing the program, the NSF targeted graduate schools because they were the academic level most likely to produce scientists and engineers who could contribute to scientific accomplishments and innovation in the U.S. As of 2024, the NSF said 42 Fellows have become Nobel laureates, and over 450 have become members of the National Academy of Sciences.
“I’m excited to continue to support [Atayliya] as she implements these ideas into her dissertation research,” Waisome said. “I cannot think of a better recipient of this award. It is truly a privilege to serve as her advisor.”
Irving said Waisome has created an inclusive and supportive environment for her to build her network and improve her skills to assist others. She also credited her lab mate and mentor, Dennis Parnell, as being a huge support system and a significant reason for her positive trajectory at UF.
“I encourage everyone to give yourself a chance and seize the opportunities that come your way,” Irving said. “I applied to this fellowship to get experience and feedback with writing a proposal and, to my surprise, I was selected as a recipient.”
Brady Budke
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
*For a full list of 2024 NSF GRFP award winners, click here.