The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation today announced 45 finalists for the 2022 Hertz Fellowships in applied science, mathematics and engineering.
Selected from more than 650 applicants and representing 17 universities, the finalists advance to a culminating round of interviews for one of the most competitive and coveted Ph.D. fellowships in the nation. The 2022 class of Hertz Fellows will be announced in May.
Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has granted fellowships empowering the nation’s most promising young minds in science and technology. Hertz Fellows receive five years of funding, valued up to $250,000, with the flexibility to pursue vital research that advances our security and economic vitality.
In addition to receiving financial support, Hertz Fellows join a multigenerational, intellectual community of peers, offering a unique engine for professional development and collaboration. Hertz Fellows have access to lifelong programming such as mentoring, events and networking, which have led to research collaborations, technology commercialization, and the creation of and investment in early-stage companies, among other opportunities.
“This year’s remarkable finalists have achieved success in both academic and research pursuits during a very challenging period,” said Derek Haseltine, director of the Hertz Fellowship Program. “Their ability to solve big problems with bold scientific approaches will no doubt have a lasting impact on our nation.”
The Hertz Foundation is dedicated to expanding and accelerating the U.S. pipeline of scientific and technical leadership. Through a rigorous and time-tested selection process, led by Hertz Fellow Philip Welkhoff, director of the malaria program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the fellowship selection committee seeks out candidates who show extraordinary potential to become great leaders in their fields and address the most pressing challenges facing the nation.
Over the foundation’s 59-year history of awarding fellowships, more than 1200 Hertz Fellows have established a remarkable track record of accomplishments. Their ranks include two Nobel laureates; recipients of eight Breakthrough Prizes and three MacArthur Foundation “genius awards”; and winners of the Turing Award, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Technology, and the National Medal of Science. In addition, 48 are members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and 32 are fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hertz Fellows hold over 3,000 patents, have founded more than 375 companies and have created hundreds of thousands of science and technology jobs.
2022 Hertz Fellowship Finalists
Finalists are listed with their most recent university affiliation and field of study.
Anna Alvarez
University of California, Santa Barbara
Mechanical Engineering
Vidal Arroyo
University of Oxford
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering
Galen Bundy Bascom
University of Colorado, Boulder
Aerospace Engineering
Roderick Bayliss III
University of California, Berkeley
Electrical Engineering
Elizabeth Bennewitz
University of Maryland, College Park
Physics
Nikhil Bhattasali
Stanford University
Computer Science
Joseph Bonavia
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mechanical Engineering
Cole Brabec
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Electrical Engineering
Jeffrey Brown II
Stanford University
Electrical Engineering
Alexander Cohen
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mathematics
Grady Daniels
Northeastern University
Computer Science, Statistics
Nicholas Diaco
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Materials Science
Louis Golowich
Harvard University
Computer Science
Wenjie Gong
Harvard University
Physics
Jonah Herzog-Arbeitman
Princeton University
Theoretical Physics
Charles Hultquist
Michigan State University
Physics and Chemistry
Adarsh Jeewajee
Stanford University
Computer Science
Leyla Kabuli
University of California, Berkeley
Electrical Engineering, Computational Imaging
Mason Kamb
University of Washington
Biophysics
Sandeep Kambhampati
Harvard University
Quantitative Biology
Nishaad Khedkar
Princeton University
Electrical Engineering
Nicholas Krasnow
Harvard University
Chemistry
Abigail Landers
Cornell University
Quantitative Biology
Niklas Lauffer
University of California, Berkeley
Computer Science
David Li
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering
John Li
Stanford University
Materials Science and Engineering
Daniel Longenecker
Princeton University
Physics
Anasuya Lyons
University of California, Berkeley
Physics
Alexander Morgan
University of Southern California
Electrical Engineering
Scott Moroch
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Physics
Rajiv Movva
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Computer Science and Engineering
Kabir Nagrecha
University of California, San Diego
Computer Science and Engineering
Vivek Nair
University of California, Berkeley
Computer Science
Anusha Nathan
Harvard University
Immunology, Quantitative Biology
Syamantak Payra
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Electrical Engineering
Willian Pinney III
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Biological Engineering
Parker Ruth
Stanford University
Computer Science and Engineering
Shuvom Sadhuka
Harvard University
Quantitative Biology, Computer Science
Shreya Shankar
University of California, Berkeley
Computer Science
Kye Shi
Harvey Mudd College
Theoretical Computer Science
Daniel Stein
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering
Jasmine Stone
Columbia University
Neuroscience
Emily Trimm
Stanford University
Biophysics
Franklyn Wang
Harvard University
Computer Science
Anonymous
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Physics
About the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation identifies the nation’s most promising innovators in science and technology and empowers them to pursue solutions to our toughest challenges. Launched in 1963, the Hertz Fellowship is the most exclusive fellowship program in the United States, fueling more than 1,200 leaders, disruptors and creators who apply their remarkable talents where they’re needed most — from the future of health care to the future health of our environment. Hertz Fellows hold 3,000+ patents, have founded 375+ companies, and have received 200+ major national and international awards, including two Nobel Prizes, eight Breakthrough Prizes, the National Medal of Technology, the Fields Medal and the Turing Award. Learn more at HertzFoundation.org.