When FAMU student Velencia Witherspoon was told she was selected as the recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), she ran up and down the hallways of the FAMU-Florida State University College of Engineering building while doing her “happy dance.”This is the most prestigious award a graduate can receive to pursue his or her doctorate in the sciences and engineering. As a recipient, Witherspoon will receive a $30,000 annual stipend, a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance and international research and professional development opportunities.
“I was really excited; it was elating,” said Witherspoon, a Jacksonville native. “I didn’t think life could get any better. I had just got accepted into the University of California-Berkley. It was really competitive. I was up against people from Georgia Tech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I did my happy dance and then I had to go back to working on my design project but it lasted about 20 minutes.”
Witherspoon, who has a 3.91 grade point average, is a Life-Gets-Better scholar. She is scheduled to graduate on April 30 with a degree in chemical engineering. Her research proposal focused on highly functionalized polymer membranes for fuel cell application.
“I think that FAMU taught me how to speak, how to market myself and what about me makes me so different,” said Witherspoon, who was a freshman senator in FAMU’s Student Government Association. “The university also taught me to manage my time and gave me the willingness to risk it all. I don’t think about the risk of losing—I just try! The mentoring has been great. The older students and FAMU professors take it upon themselves to push you. FAMU has given me a lot of opportunities.”