SHS grad receives prestigious research fellowship
—Photo courtesy NANCY HEENEY Dustin Heeney hard at work in the lab.
SANDPOINT -- 2008 Sandpoint High School graduate Dustin Heeney recently received a National Science Foundation research fellowship.
Heeney earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Boise State University in 2013. He is currently a doctoral student in microbiology at the University of California at Davis, where he received the Henry H. Jastrow research award for 2015-2016, according to Heeney's LinkedIn biography.
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports graduate students seeking science, technology, engineering and mathematics master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions, according to its website.
"These awards are provided to individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements, and they are investments that will help propel this country's future innovations and economic growth," according to a March 29, 2016, NSF news release.
Heeney is one of 2,000 students selected out of about 17,000 applicants. This is a highly selective grant and will allow Heeney to focus solely on research for the reminder of his doctoral studies, said Nancy Heeney.
NSF research fellows receive an annual stipend of $34,000 for three years plus $12,000 to cover tuition and fees, according to the organization.