Three UF Chemistry Undergrads Win NSF GRFP Awards
May 12, 2026
We are excited to announce that Connor Ambrose, Bella Cherin, and Connor Ambrose won the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Awards. Two additional students, Camille Green and Emma George won Honorable Mentions. Congrats to each of you!
From https://www.nsfgrfp.org/: “The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and strength of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. Since 1952, the program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, including STEM education. NSF GRFP was established to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions in STEM, including STEM education. NSF encourages applications from the full spectrum of talent that the U.S. has to offer.”
Connor Ambrose (left) received his B.S. in Chemistry and Data Science from UF and will be pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Utah in the fall. His research focuses on understanding and controlling selectivity in electroorganic synthesis using computational tools. Throughout his undergraduate studies, he worked with Dr. Mingjie Liu to parameterize and optimize chemical syntheses as well as develop graphical interfaces for their group’s flow matching-based molecular generation tools. His doctoral studies with Dr. Long Luo will center on using finite element and finite difference simulations to predict and optimize electrochemical systems, particularly those involving alternating current.
Bella Chein (middle) received her B.S. in Chemistry from UF in 2025 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her research with Dr. Sam Pazicni is currently focused on understanding how students think about and reason through spatial tasking chemistry, like molecular geometry and molecular symmetry.
Leah Kessler (right) is graduating with a B.S in chemistry and a minor in physics from the University of Florida and will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Chemistry at CU Boulder in the Fall. While taking physical chemistry, she became interested in the application of quantum mechanics to describe molecules and joined the lab of Professor John Stanton in the spring of her sophomore year. In the Stanton group, she used high-accuracy coupled-cluster calculations to simulate the spectra of small molecules and cations. In graduate school, she is looking to pivot to experimental physical chemistry research. Outside of academics, she is involved as the president of the Chemistry Club and is passionate about sharing chemistry with others in approachable ways. In her free time, Leah enjoys drawing, painting her nails, and playing video games.