The future of scientific innovation got a boost this fall, as the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) recognized 38 outstanding University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate students with Fiddler Innovation Fellowships. These awards, supported by a $2 million endowment, celebrate students pushing the boundaries of research across diverse fields – from environmental sustainability and agriculture to music and astronomy – through programs like Students Pushing Innovation and NCSA’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates. Recognizing the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration, the fellowships empower the next generation of researchers to leverage advanced computing tools and translate complex ideas into impactful solutions, ensuring continued progress in critical areas of study.
Fellowship Awards Support Student Innovation
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) recently awarded Fiddler Innovation Fellowships to 38 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and NCSA graduate students, recognizing their impactful contributions to interdisciplinary research. Funded by a $2 million endowment from Jerry Fiddler and Melissa Alden, the fellowships support students involved in programs like Students Pushing Innovation (SPIN), Research Experiences for Undergraduates, and Design for America, as well as those collaborating with NCSA-affiliated faculty. Awardees are tackling diverse challenges—from environmental sustainability and astronomy to personalized nutrition and music—and demonstrating the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration. For example, students like Fiona Campbell, Kai Karadi, and Torrie Blasko combined expertise in information sciences, computer science, and food science to develop “Visual Nutrition,” an AI-powered mobile application. Similarly, SPIN participant Emma Maxwell leveraged her internship experience to create a project quantifying the impact of scientific documentaries using natural language processing, both projects exemplifying how the fellowships nurture student innovation and resourcefulness.
NCSA Programs Foster Research Contributions
NCSA programs are demonstrably fostering significant research contributions through hands-on experiences and interdisciplinary collaboration. Recently, 38 University of Illinois and NCSA graduate students received Fiddler Innovation Fellowships, recognizing their outstanding work within programs like Students Pushing Innovation (SPIN) and the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. These awards, supported by a $2 million endowment, highlight projects spanning diverse fields—from environmental sustainability and astronomy to personalized nutrition and music—demonstrating the breadth of NCSA’s impact. Notably, students like Emma Maxwell leveraged SPIN to develop a project quantifying the impact of scientific documentaries using natural language processing, while a team from varied disciplines – information sciences, computer science, and food science – collaborated through the Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation to create the AI-powered “Visual Nutrition” mobile application. These examples underscore how NCSA’s initiatives not only advance research but also cultivate crucial skills in communication, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary thinking among the next generation of innovators.
Interdisciplinary Projects Drive Key Outcomes
Interdisciplinary collaboration is proving central to impactful research at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, as evidenced by the recent awarding of 38 Fiddler Innovation Fellowships. These fellowships, funded by a $2 million endowment, recognize graduate students whose work bridges traditional academic boundaries. Awardees are drawn from programs like Students Pushing Innovation (SPIN) and NCSA’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates, tackling challenges in diverse fields from environmental sustainability to astronomy. Notably, projects like the mobile application “Visual Nutrition” demonstrate the power of combined expertise; the app’s development required collaboration between students in Information Sciences, Computer Science, and Food Science & Human Nutrition. This cross-disciplinary approach not only broadened the scope of the project, but also fostered innovation—according to one student, it pushed participants to think beyond individual skillsets and create a truly user-centered application. These successes underscore how intentionally fostering interdisciplinary work is driving key outcomes and recognizing the next generation of innovative researchers.
