Students Receive Research Fellowships at National Labs

Published 06.02.2010

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Automated Manufacturing & Machining

Four Pennsylvania College of Technology students accepted Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships at a National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratory.

Students David M. Blumenfeld, of Lincroft, N.J.; Matthew C. Cox, of Selinsgrove; Patrick McCormick, of Howell, N.J.; and Michael Vandervort, of Reynoldsville, will contribute to ongoing research projects under the guidance of a NIST scientist or engineer during the 11-week program this summer at NIST's Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory in Gaithersburg, Md.

This is the second year of participation for Cox and Blumenfeld.

"This is an exceptional opportunity for our students to showcase their respective talents while working on some very interesting, innovative research projects," said Don Praster, dean of industrial and engineering technologies at Penn College.

About 100 fellowships are awarded at the nine Gaithersburg laboratories each year. To be eligible, students must have earned a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and must intend to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics, physics, computer science or engineering.

The students' fellowships are funded through a $32,060 grant from NIST to Penn College, which is used to pay a stipend to the students, as well as their housing costs in Gaithersburg.

Participants in the SURF program which is co-sponsored by NIST and the National Science Foundation gain valuable hands-on experience, work with cutting-edge technology, meet peers from across the nation and sample the Washington, D.C., area.

NIST, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is one of the world's leading research organizations and home to three Nobel Prize winners. NIST Laboratories conduct research in a wide variety of physical and engineering sciences. The labs respond to industry needs for measurement methods, tools, data and technology. NIST researchers collaborate with colleagues in industry, academic institutions and other government agencies.

For general information about the college, visit online , e-mail or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

For more information about grant-funding opportunities, faculty and staff may contact the Grants and Contracts Office at ext. 7562 or through its Web portal.