External Award Recipients | RRSP

RRSP External Award Recipients

The Randall Research Scholars Program's students are consistently among the best students on campus, competing to win the Capstone's highest honors. More information can be found at theUA Office of External Scholarships and Fellowships website.

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Table of Contents: External Awards

#Boren Scholarship

#Gilman Scholarship

#Goldwater Scholarship

#Hollings Scholarship

#Marshall Scholarship

#NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

#Rhodes Scholarship

Boren Scholarship

Boren Awards are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. Applicants identify how their future study abroad programs or overseas projects, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security. Learn more

Aparna Bhooshanan

Computer Science

"Despite how many brilliant students they oversee, the RRSP directors, Dr. Gray and Ms. Batson, always manage to notice and celebrate each student's triumphs. Studying abroad in Taiwan for at least a year has been a dream of mine since high school, and this opportunity wouldn't have been possible without Dr. Gray and Ms. Batson's encouragement and guidance throughout the process. Numberless students' dreams are made possible by the tireless support from the Randall community."

Aparna Bhooshanan is a computer science major and Chinese minor from Madison, Alabama. She is a Critical Language Scholarship and Boren Scholarship winner and will spend Summer 2024 as well as the 2024-2025 academic year studying in Taiwan. In addition to being a Randall Research Scholar and Witt University Fellow, Aparna is the current President of UA's chapter of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. In the past two summers, Aparna has interned at Lockheed Martin as a software engineer and participated in an NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of North Texas, where she used natural language processing (a field that unites linguistics with machine learning) techniques to measure how China's reputation as a country has changed since the pandemic. She is currently leading a research project alongside UA's Dr. Yanyu Xiong and Dr. Xiang Zhang that employs AI methods to support Chinese heritage language speakers' language acquisition. This year, Aparna was named UA's Outstanding Sophomore. Additionally, she was recognized by the Modern Languages and Classics department for Excellence in Second-Year Chinese. Aparna aims to use her knowledge of Mandarin and natural language processing to contribute to the machine translation field and to develop methods to combat digital misinformation in different countries.

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Gilman Scholarship

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. Learn more

Bailey Berry

Chemical Engineering

"The Randall Research Scholars Program has made me who I am today. I cannot imagine my experience at the University of Alabama without it, from the incredible support we get from our directors, to the uplifting student community I am surrounded by. With the program behind me, I have been enabled to set and reach goals that I could not do without RRSP, and I will be forever grateful for my involvement in the program."

Bailey Berry is a chemical engineering major from Jackson, Mississippi. She researches in the Drug Research and Engineering for Advanced Medicine (DREAM) laboratory, working under Dr. Meenakshi Arora among other faculty. She investigates the application of polymeric nanoparticles in various drug delivery applications, recently evaluating the efficacy of methotrexate as a ligand. She has presented her research findings at various conferences, including the Southern Regional Conference of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Polymers for Advanced Technologies (PAT) Symposium. She has recently been awarded the Gilman Scholarship, Chemical Engineering Outstanding Sophomore, and RRSP Outstanding Sophomore. Outside of research, Bailey is involved in the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, she serves as treasurer for the Alabama chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and she previously served as a Student Government Association Senator representing the College of Engineering. She is currently working towards her Master's in chemical engineering through the Accelerated Master's Program, and hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in bioengineering after her time at UA.

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Goldwater Scholarship

A Goldwater Scholar is a student with a strong commitment to pursuing a STEM-based research career. They effectively display the potential for significant future contributions to research in their chosen field. Learn more

Jesse Park

Mechanical Engineering

Jesse Park is a Randall Research Scholar in the engineering entrepreneurship program pursuing a dual master’s degree in mechanical engineering through the Accelerated Master’s Program and an MBA through the STEM Path to MBA. He currently works with Dr. Keivan Davami to investigate the compressive mechanical behavior of additively manufactured mechanical metamaterials and characterize the nanomechanical properties of surface-engineered ceramics and single-crystal superalloys. Park plans to pursue a doctorate in mechanical engineering, focusing on metamaterial fabrication and laser-based surface engineering techniques. He aims to apply his specialized knowledge to lead his own research and development division within industry. Outside of research, Park is president of UA’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers, a club that designs low-cost, open-source solutions for people with disabilities. In this club, he has garnered various international recognitions for UA, mentored chapters at Stanford University and the University of Michigan, and hosted disability-centered design sprints within The Cube. He is also a member of UA’s Undergraduate Case Team and an ambassador for both the Honors College and Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering.

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Hollings Scholarship

NOAA's Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship recognizes outstanding students studying in NOAA mission fields, including oceanic and atmospheric science, marine biology, and environmental science. Learn more

Zachary Griffith

Chemical Engineering

"They say rising tides raise all ships, and this is certainly true of the Randall Research Scholars Program. I have never met a more motivated and collaborative group of 160 people. It's an excellent network of support that encourages everyone to reach for the stars, pushing everyone to reach their fullest potential. With the added strength of exceptional faculty resources, everyone succeeds in their own way in the RRSP."

Zach is a Chemical Engineering and Chemistry dual major at the University of Alabama. He does research on fuel cells, a promising method of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in civilian vehicles. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and volunteering at conservation efforts for the black warrior watershed.

Jesse Park

Mechanical Engineering

"The Randall Research Scholars Program was one of the main reasons I came to UA - its history of excellence and focus on research makes it one of the nation’s most outstanding programs. However, what makes RRSP truly special is the close-knit family that forms from the nexus of individuals with amazing character and intellectual prowess."

Jesse Park is a mechanical engineering major from Burr Ridge, Illinois on the STEM Path to the MBA. He is currently working with Dr. Keivan Davami on analyzing the fracture toughness of gear teeth, in which he is utilizing nano-indentation and atomic force microscopy on laser-treated steel samples. His previous project in the Davami Research Group involved a dynamic analysis of additively manufactured tensegrity structures. He has also previously done research at Argonne National Laboratory, where his work involved measuring the capacitive deionization efficacy of electrochemical cells, as well as biorefinery simulation and techno-economic analysis. Outside of research, Jesse is part of the Alabama Astrobotics Mechanical Design Team, contributing towards UA’s consistent placement as national champions. He is also the President of UA’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers and the internal vice president of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. An Honors College Ambassador and Ambassador for the College of Engineering, Jesse also enjoys playing trumpet in the UA Jazz Ensemble.

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Marshall Scholarship

Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to fifty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at a UK institution in any field of study. Learn more

Jackson Foster

Religious Studies & History

"RRSP has supported my academic growth, developed in me a multidisciplinary mode of thinking, and provided opportunities integral to my success as a Marshall Scholar."

Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, UA senior Jackson Foster studies religion and history, with minors in the Blount and Randall Research scholars programs. Jackson has published extensively in early-modern English history—namely, on Tudor criminal law—and the global-critical philosophy of religion, where he uses machine learning to map inclusive futures for the field. He is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Crimson Historical Review, and he spent last year earning his bureaucratic stripes as an intern at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Before the covid-19 pandemic, Jackson was slated to plan and teach a class at the Tuscaloosa Juvenile Detention Center—carceral education and reform being long-standing passions of his. In his free time, Jackson plays tennis, soccer, and cricket, dyes his hair, listens to punk music, and paints. As a Marshall Scholar, he will pursue a master degree in medieval and early modern studies, then another in data science for the digital humanities, at Durham University.

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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is a National Science Foundation-wide program that provides Fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant research achievements in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. Learn more

Aidan Gesch

Aerospace Engineering

Aidan Gesch is a graduate of the Randall Research Scholar Program from Flower Mound, Texas. While pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama, he performed research under Dr. Denis Aslangil and Dr. Chongze Hu, accelerating fluid and phase-field simulation methods, respectively. Additionally, he conducted computational fluid dynamics research at the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology in Storrs, Connecticut and Bell Textron in Fort Worth, Texas. With the support of the NSF GRFP, he is completing his Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics under the direction of Dr. Hu with a research focus on the structure-property relationships of grain boundaries. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in the aerospace engineering industry.

Nico Kaple

Mechanical Engineering

Nico Kaple is a recent mechanical engineering graduate from Orland Park, Illinois. His undergraduate research experiences at The University of Alabama were focused on investigating and characterizing next-generation structural materials and their processing methods. In the summer of 2024, he interned at Kairos Power in Alameda, CA, where he designed and commissioned test instrumentation related to the development of a molten salt nuclear reactor. In the spring and summer of 2025, Nico studied abroad at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences in Esslingen, Germany and pursued mechanical engineering coursework taught entirely in the German language. He is currently a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines where he studies powder-blown directed energy deposition.

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Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (first awarded in 1902) international scholarship program, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Learn more

Nick Hayes

Applied Mathematics & German

"The Randall Research Scholars Program has been an invaluable source of encouragement and support throughout my tenure at the University of Alabama. This program has given me the necessary tools and professional development to not just succeed, but thrive in an interdisciplinary research environment. I am extremely grateful for the mentorship and guidance of the RRSP community, with special thanks to Mrs. Batson, Darren Evans-Young, Dr. Sharpe, and Dr. Gray."

Nicholas Hayes, Long Valley, NJ, is a senior at the University of Alabama, where he majors in Applied Mathematics and German. He also did an intensive course in Swahili language and culture in Tanzania as a Boren Scholar. An ultramarathoner, he was named the outstanding junior at the University of Alabama on the basis of scholarship, leadership and service. Nick edited an undergraduate science journal, interned at NOAA in fisheries science and has published in academic journals in politics and biology, and also published poetry, and translates between English and Swahili. Nick will do the MSC in Mathematical Science and the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics at Oxford.

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