Florida State University students awarded prestigious NSF fellowship 

Four recent Florida State University graduates have been awarded the 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a highly competitive five-year fellowship that supports outstanding students pursuing research-focused graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Eight current FSU students and alumni also received honorable mentions in the latest program.

The fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 and recognizes both the recipient’s undergraduate and current graduate institutions. By investing in early-career researchers, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) aims to strengthen the quality and capacity of the U.S. scientific and engineering workforce.

“We are incredibly proud of our students and alumni who have been recognized by the NSF GRFP,” said Craig Filar, associate dean of Honors, Scholars, and Fellows. “The range of disciplines and the recognition of researchers at various times in their student careers demonstrates the breadth of preparation and training our students receive in STEM disciplines across campus from their first year through their doctoral work that have led to so many of our students and alumni being recognized for their innovative work as fellows and honorable mentions.”

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A native of Tampa, Sebastian Castro (B.S. ‘25 chemical engineering) worked on research projects focused on clean energy and water solutions while at FSU, including splitting water to produce hydrogen, converting carbon dioxide into useful products and developing membranes for desalination.

He began his collegiate journey through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), which was enriched by his involvement in the Presidential Scholars Program and the Student Engineering Leadership Board.

Castro credits the guidance from faculty and staff as instrumental throughout the fellowship application process, adding: “FSU has supported me every step of the way.”

Castro’s research centers on advancing sustainability through electrochemical processes, a foundation he will continue to build on by improving electrochemical transformations and developing technologies for industrial-scale environmental remediation. This fall, he plans to begin his doctoral degree in chemical engineering at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive this fellowship. Beyond the validation of my efforts, it represents the culmination of years of hard work across my coursework, research and extracurricular activities.”

– Sebastian Castro

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive this fellowship,” Castro said. “Beyond the validation of my efforts, it represents the culmination of years of hard work across my coursework, research and extracurricular activities. After earning my doctorate, I plan to work in industry, where I hope to contribute to the global energy transition. My goal is to help overcome key challenges in the design and optimization of electrochemical devices to enable their widespread industrial implementation.”

Nicholas Volya (B.S. ‘23 biochemistry) has focused on advancing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the development of radiofrequency amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (RASER) technology while at FSU. His research aims to re-engineer the MRI detector cavity and exploit RASER physics.

A Tallahassee native, Volya is a third-year doctoral student in physical chemistry at North Carolina State University.

“FSU was tremendously impactful on my academic and scientific journey. Every professor encouraged and challenged me to think with clarity and precision.”

– Nicholas Volya

“FSU was tremendously impactful on my academic and scientific journey,” he said. “Every professor encouraged and challenged me to think with clarity and precision, particularly my undergraduate Principal Investigator, Robert Lazenby. He provided the encouragement and resources that allowed me to fully engage with research, and I was proud to be a member of his lab throughout my undergraduate career.”

The NSF GRFP fellowship will support Volya’s current research in the Thesis Lab at North Carolina State University and his plans for a career as a research professor.

“My work on RASER technology is exciting, and I believe it has the potential to fundamentally change how an MRI is performed,” Volya said. “If successful, it could influence the methodology of all magnetic resonance experiments — an ambitious but motivating prospect. My long-term aspiration is to pass on the knowledge and support I have received by becoming a mentor myself.”

Brandon Patron (B.S. ‘20 biological science) returns to FSU in the fall to begin his doctorate in clinical psychology where he will research the effects of early life adversity on adolescent psychological development with consideration to underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

“FSU, and in particular the Children’s Learning Clinic, has provided amazing mentors and support,” said Patron on bridging his biological and psychological journey at the university. “I’ve had the chance to work with amazing researchers and clinicians who have given me insight into intervention research and the time and resources to work on my NSF GRFP proposal. I also had an immense amount of support and guidance from Director and Research Faculty, Leah Singh, who helped review my materials and provided a recommendation.”

“FSU, and in particular the Children’s Learning Clinic, has provided amazing mentors and support. I’ve had the chance to work with amazing researchers and clinicians who have given me insight into intervention research and the time and resources to work on my NSF GRFP proposal.”

– Brandon Patron

Patron expresses gratitude for the NSF GRFP Fellowship which will allow him to focus on his research, exempting him from typical assistantship requirements.

“This fellowship will allow me to spend all my extra time ensuring my research ideas are cutting edge and novel to the literature,” Patron said. “It’s validated my work and assured me that I am indeed worth a career in research.”

Long term, he hopes to open his own research clinic, similar to FSU’s Children’s Learning Clinic, to serve the community, conduct intervention research and formulate precision medicine in response.

“My clinic would differ in that it would focus more on the effects of early life adversity on pathways, such as those of stress and emotion regulation, and how interventions that involve both parent and child can be catered more to the individual family,” Patron said.

Luis E. Blanco (B.S. ‘18 chemical engineering) completed his undergraduate studies at FSU, where he focused on computational protein engineering, biomechanics and microfluidics. After graduation, he co-founded the startup Diatech Diabetes with fellow FSU alumnus John Wilcox. The company addresses issues that patients using diabetes care technology experience.

“FSU is truly unique in how easy it is to build close friendships and get involved,” Blanco said. “I learned to apply for jobs, I started my company, met my wife and made lifelong friendships. I always tell people: ‘FSU attracts some of the smartest and most talented people who also know how to have a good time.’ That combination created an environment where I felt inspired, supported and challenged to dream bigger.”

“FSU is truly unique in how easy it is to build close friendships and get involved. I learned to apply for jobs, I started my company, met my wife and made lifelong friendships. I always tell people: ‘FSU attracts some of the smartest and most talented people who also know how to have a good time.’ That combination created an environment where I felt inspired, supported and challenged to dream bigger.”

– Luis E. Blanco

Blanco has focused primarily on infusion monitoring systems, leading the development of machine learning algorithms to detect insulin delivery failures and conducting preclinical studies and designing sensor-driven research tools.

“Receiving the NSF GRFP is truly life-changing, for me and my family,” Blanco said. “The fellowship has given me clarity, confidence, and financial support to fully commit to this next chapter of my life. At Diatech, we’ve maintained a strong focus on research and have published several articles over the years, and pursuing a doctoral degree will help formalize and mature the skills I’ve developed there.

Blanco will begin a doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) under the supervision of Mechanical Engineering Professor Sumita Pennathur. He seeks to build on his experience by diving deeper into emerging fields like nanotechnology, AI and optics.

“This award brings rare flexibility. I can be more intentional in designing a project that’s both technically ambitious and personally meaningful while building impactful collaborations across UCSB,” he said.