University students awarded National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships

Stephanie Anne Maddox of Columbia and Tyler Ray of Midlothian, Va., have been awarded National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (NDSEG).

The fellowship program, offered through the Department of Defense, is designed to provide the United States with talented, doctorate-level American men and women who will lead state-of-the-art research projects in disciplines that will benefit national defense. Approximately 2,800 NDSEG Fellowships have been awarded since the program began 19 years ago.

Maddox, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, is majoring in experimental psychology. She is the daughter of Larry H. and Jane C. Maddox and a graduate of Dreher High school. Her research awards include a Magellan Scholarship to conduct research with Dr. Barbara B. Oswald, a Summer Research Institute in Experimental Psychology Fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

Maddox has been an instructor for students taking psychological statistics and is president of Psi Chi, the psychology honor society. She received the Roger W. Black Scholarship for psychological research and second place in the neuroscience category at the university’s 2007 Discovery Day. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in behavioral neuroscience at Yale University.

Ray, the son of Bill and Kathy Ray, is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and minoring in mathematics. He holds a McNair Scholarship, the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship for out-of-state students. A student in South Carolina Honors College, Ray graduated from Midlothian High School. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Mu Epsilon. He has conducted research for two summers at Arista Laboratories in Richmond, Va. Last summer, he worked for Innovative Technology for Custom Machinery (ITCM) in Coventry, United Kingdom. This summer, he will be at Eaton Electrical in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Ray is the recipient of an Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the honors college and a Magellan Scholarship for undergraduate research with Dr. Sarah Baxter, a faculty member in the university’s department of mechanical engineering. He is a Goldwater scholar and a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship honorable-mention recipient. He is working on an interdisciplinary research project with Baxter and Dr. Cathy Murphy of the university’s department of chemistry and biochemistry.

Ray will continue his studies at the university for a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.

NDSEG candidates were supported by the university’s Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs, established in 1994 to assist students for national fellowship competitions. To learn more about national fellowships and competitions, visit www.sc.edu/ofsp.