Purdue's Institute for a Sustainable Future Announces Recipients of 2023-2024 Graduate Fellowships

Purdue University's Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF) is thrilled to announce the recipients of their inaugural 2023-2024 ISF Graduate Fellowships. The goal of these fellowships is to support outstanding PhD students who are committed to conducting interdisciplinary research on sustainability topics aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This year, the ISF has awarded one-year fellowships to two deserving students: Miriam Stevens and Wagner Tamagno Sr.

Miriam Stevens, a fourth-year PhD student in Environmental and Ecological Engineering, is focusing on circular economy development and supply chain analysis of critical materials. Under the guidance of her faculty mentor and ISF affiliate, Shweta Singh, Miriam has displayed exceptional leadership and dedication to sustainability initiatives. Her research involves using computational platforms to map supply chains of critical materials, such as cobalt, embedded in various products. Miriam's work contributes to automating the process of supply chain mapping and understanding the interdependence between different regions and industries. This past year, she has been an integral part of the "Degrowth" coffee hour, showcasing her commitment to sustainability initiatives and engagement. Miriam's innovative research and dedication to sustainability have earned her the ISF Graduate Fellowship.

Expressing her gratitude, Miriam Stevens said, "I am immensely grateful to receive the ISF Graduate Fellowship and am excited to work within the institute over the next year. This opportunity will allow me to explore research areas that are often overlooked by traditional funding agencies in the United States. With this fellowship, I can delve into the impact of growing U.S. consumption of critical materials to support the transition to cleaner energy on global supply chains and the environment, broadening the scope of my current research on domestic critical material supply chains."

Wagner Tamagno Sr., a first-year PhD student in Toxicology, has also been selected as a recipient of a 2023-2024 ISF Graduate Fellowship. Wagner's research, with supervision by faculty mentor and ISF affiliate Jennifer Freeman, will focus on defining molecular mechanisms contributing to altered neurological synaptic plasticity resulting from developmental exposure to the heavy metal lead. His project involves modeling a genetic risk factor in Alzheimer's disease to assess the gene-environment interaction and determine the molecular and cellular features that accelerate Alzheimer's disease onset and progression due to lead neurotoxicity. Wagner's exceptional academic record and experience in neurotoxicity research have earned him this prestigious fellowship.

Wagner appreciates this opportunity, stating, "In my previous research, we focused on environmental interferences, and all of them are focused on creating a better and safer future for all of us. Thank you ISF - Purdue for the opportunity to be part of this team."

The ISF Graduate Fellowship provides recipients with funding and tuition remission for the 2023/2024 academic year. Additionally, each fellow will receive financial assistance to support their research projects and related travel. Fellows receive mentorship from ISF-associated faculty, will engage in ISF activities, and will be given opportunities to participate in strategic initiatives related to sustainability. 

ISF fosters and promotes research, partnerships and engagement in sustainability to address critical global challenges by providing viable research-based solutions. Supporting and training the next generation of researchers in sustainability is integral to ISF’s mission.  Through these graduate fellowships, ISF is able to further its mission in a highly impactful way.  ISF Director Matt Huber explained “We are building out to future, today.  The research these students will conduct helps to bring about the kind of future we want to see, vibrant, healthy and sustainable. The future that Purdue is uniquely suited to build.  It is greatly rewarding to support these students and their faculty advisors in this pursuit.” 

The ISF congratulates Miriam Stevens and Wagner Tamagno Sr. on receiving the 2023-2024 ISF Graduate Fellowships and looks forward to their contributions to advancing sustainability research at Purdue University.

For more information about ISF and its initiatives, please visit https://research.purdue.edu/isf/index.php.