NEWS
NORMAN, Okla. – Five current and former students from the University of Oklahoma have received prestigious fellowships to pursue graduate degrees in STEM. The National Science Foundation has announced Aditi Gali, Evan Jones, Cayman Matson, Marinna Stopa and Liam Thompson as among the 2026-27 recipients of its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).
The GRFP fellows are graduate students who have displayed exceptional potential for STEM leadership and were chosen from a highly competitive pool of nearly 14,000 applicants this cycle. Through the program, they will receive three years of financial support to be used over a five-year period.
Since its creation in 1952, GRFP has supported more than 70,000 fellows, over 40 of whom have received Nobel Prizes.
“We congratulate these five students for each receiving this outstanding recognition,” said OU Senior Vice President and Provost André-Denis Wright. “We also thank the National Science Foundation for supporting these promising future leaders, who represent our commitment to empowering students to make an impact within the OU community and beyond.”
Aditi Gali is a senior in the Gallogly College of Engineering. She will pursue a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Gali has been working with Michele Galizia, Ph.D., to study mechanisms governing selectivity and stability in polymer membranes for gas and liquid separations, and aims to deepen her knowledge in membrane design and advanced material characterization.
Evan Jones is a senior in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. He will pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Jones plans to combine structural biology with computational chemistry to discover novel properties of proteins.
Cayman Matson is a graduate of the Gallogly College of Engineering. They are pursuing their Ph.D. in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Matson’s research focuses primarily on treating and preventing scarring of the vocal folds and on developing various therapeutics and novel delivery methods to treat this scarring.
Marinna Stopa is a graduate student in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. She is pursuing her M.S. in Geography and Environmental Sustainability at OU ahead of her Ph.D. Stopa’s current work focuses on examining the barriers people face when evacuating from hurricanes, and her future work will continue research into how experts can better communicate risk and vulnerability during severe weather.
Liam Thompson is a senior in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. He will pursue a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. Thompson’s work will leverage ground-based radar, machine learning algorithms and his background in both atmospheric science and environmental sustainability to advance air quality forecasting research.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Five current and former students from the University of Oklahoma have received prestigious fellowships, in recognition of their exceptional potential for STEM leadership.
Although often considered a disease of the past, leprosy remains a global health issue, causing preventable disability due to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. In a paper published in The Lancet, a professor of infectious diseases from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine calls for stronger awareness, earlier detection and improved long-term management.
The University of Oklahoma Honors College hosted its 38th annual Undergraduate Research Day on April 16 in the Thurman J. White Forum Building. Over 300 people attended, and 175 students presented their posters and projects to visitors, faculty members, judges and peers.
