by Tammy Parrett and Taylor Bryant
University of West Georgia Advanced Academy alum Cole Simpson has received a Fulbright Scholarship to attend École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland and a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship.
“I am very gratified to have received these two prestigious awards this year,” says Cole. “I intend to make the most of them and ensure that I earn the funding that they grant me.”
The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most respected awards programs worldwide, operating in over 155 countries. The Fulbright Scholarship is a highly competitive program that provides grants to students, teachers, artists, professionals and scientists for international educational exchange programs.
The Bowdon, Georgia native also received a graduate fellowship from the National Science Foundation, the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind. NSF is designed to promote the success of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields who are pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at accredited universities in the United States.
NSF Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $32,000 as well as $12,000 to cover the cost of tuition and fees. They also benefit from opportunities for international research and professional development and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution they choose. Past fellows include numerous Nobel Prize winners, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Google founder Sergey Brin and Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt.
Cole, who graduated from Bowdon High School and UWG’s Advanced Academy in 2009, will study at EPFL for the 2014-2015 academic year, and then he will utilize the NSF fellowship and begin studying for a Ph.D. in fall of 2015.
