Two students from Montana State University have been awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, according to an April 28 announcement. Derek Jollie and Heath Caldwell were selected among nearly 14,000 applicants nationwide for the highly competitive fellowships.
The fellowships provide significant financial support for graduate studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. Each fellowship spans five years and includes three years of funding with a $37,000 annual stipend and a $16,000 education allowance for tuition and fees.
Jollie will graduate in May with degrees in physics and mathematical sciences. He plans to begin doctoral studies at UCLA this fall after participating in research there over the past two summers. His mentor at UCLA, professor Hayden Schaeffer, said: “Derek is among the strongest undergraduate students I’ve worked with. His academic work and research show solid curiosity and discipline, along with a thoughtful approach to his studies. The department looks forward to having Derek join the program in the fall.” Jollie credits his MSU adviser Scott McCalla for supporting his development as a researcher: “Dr. McCalla has been an amazing mentor,” Jollie said. “He’s there to talk to when some weird thing arises in research, and he usually lets me work it out on my own. That prepares me for a lot of the struggles to come.”
Caldwell graduated from MSU in 2025 with degrees in earth sciences and biological sciences and is now pursuing a Ph.D. at North Carolina State University focusing on vertebrate paleontology. Reflecting on his experiences at MSU that contributed to his successful fellowship application, Caldwell said: “Because the application process was at the start of my Ph.D., my personal statement about research I’d done was pretty much my undergraduate research at MSU and my volunteer work,” he said. “I owe a lot of thanks to MSU.” David Varricchio, professor of paleontology at MSU who continues collaborating with Caldwell on dinosaur research projects, said: “Heath was a great undergraduate student, and he is an excellent writer and scholar. His award from the NSF is well-deserved – they gave it to the right person.”
Montana State University leads statewide research funding efforts with annual expenditures exceeding $288 million according to its official website. The university contributes through outreach programs aimed at improving lives and environments according to its official website. It ranks among the top five percent of global universities per assessments by international organizations according to its official website.
MSU enrolls about 17,165 students split evenly between residents and nonresidents according to its official website. As Montana’s land-grant university focused on education, community outreach, and addressing state challenges according to its official website, it extends influence across Montana as well as beyond state borders according to its official website.