A University of Wisconsin senior recently received a $250,000 Hertz Fellowship to pursue graduate studies in the field of applied physical science.
Out of a pool of 600 students, Daniel Lecoanet was one of the 15 students chosen to receive the award from the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation.
Following a fairly involved application process, which included two interviews consisting of a discussion of scientific interests and a series of technical questions, the recipients were notified two weeks ago, Lecoanet said.
“I’m happy and honored that some people thought I was smart enough to deserve this,” he said.
He added the fellowship will fund five years of attendance at any graduate school in the country, as well as provide recipients with a $31,000 per year stipend.
While he is still in the process of deciding which graduate school he will attend, he intends to pursue theoretical physics with a focus on fluid dynamics and plasma physics.
One advantage of receiving the fellowship is not having to worry about funding when deciding where to attend and which professionals to perform research work with, he said.
Daniel was also awarded the Churchill Scholarship earlier this year, which grants him the opportunity to attend Cambridge University for one year of post baccalaureate study.
Students who received both the Hertz Fellowship and the Churchill Scholarship are able to defer the fellowship funds for one year in order to take full advantage of both awards, he said.
He credits his advisor, physics professor Ellen Zweibel, with being an essential contributor to his successes due to the vast amount of work she performed to find him application opportunities and to aid him throughout the process.
Zweibel, who has been Lecoanet’s research partner for over three years, said being an advisor and professor at UW is all about working and connecting with the students.
“Daniel was born a terrific researcher and has made the most of his opportunity at UW,” she said.
She added he is a person with tremendous academic ability who will serve as a great ambassador for UW in the years to come.
