Emma Alstott Awarded Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
May 8, 2026
Please join us in congratulating Horticulture and Global Resource Systems senior Emma Alstott. Emma has been awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) in Life Sciences-Microbiology. This fellowship is one of the most prestigious and competitive awards available to early-career scientists in the United States. It recognizes not only academic excellence but also strong potential for impactful, innovative research and leadership in science.
The NSF GRFP, established in 1952, supports students who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Through this program, fellows pursuing a full-time, research-based master’s or doctoral degrees receive five years of support, including three years of financial support including stipend and tuition.
“As an NSF GRFP fellow, I am excited to join the Agricultural Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of New Hampshire, where I will work with Dr. Xiaochen Yuan, assistant professor of plant pathology” Alstott said. “My research will focus on fire blight, a bacterial disease that affects apples and pears. I hope to build a career focused on understanding the pathogenicity of emerging, infectious plant pathogens that threaten food security.”