Aledo native awarded NSF grant

Aledo native Samuel Wilhelm has received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Wilhelm is a Ph.D. student studying ecology and evolutionary biology at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research focuses on documenting the diversity of wild bees in Tennessee and the ecological factors that are important for their conservation.

Wilhelm is one of seven students at the university chosen for the honor.

“I am honored to receive the NSF-GRFP, an award that will allow me to comfortably expand my research agenda as a graduate student,” Wilhelm said. “This award will be foundational for my career as a scientist studying the ecology and conservation of wild bees. I am thrilled that through this award I can take on new projects and further contribute to investigating the many unknowns that pervade our understanding of wild bee biology.”

Wilhelm said he is thankful for his mentor, Laura Russo, assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program ensures the quality, vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual stipend of $37,000 along with a $16,000 allowance for tuition and fees paid to the institution.