MOMENTUM • VIRGINIA TECH MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 23
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Melanie Hook , a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in mechanical engineering , is the recipient of a 2021 graduate research fellowship from the National Science Foundation ( NSF ).
Hook submitted both a personal and a research statement for award consideration . As a member of the Terrestrial Robotics Engineering and Controls lab , she had already been part of projects with faculty member Alexander Leonessa , including a virtual reality simulation that enables testing of robotic exoskeletons . She chose this project as the focus of her research statement , proposing to further explore the possibilities of human-robot interaction .
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master ’ s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions . The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $ 34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $ 12,000 to the institution .
The Design , Research and Education for Additive Manufactuing Systems ( DREAMS ) lab has been named the # 4 university 3D printing lab by the online magazine All3DP . com .
The ranking is created based on input from academics , researchers , and industry experts who either contributed the list of top labs or helped evaluate the labs based on the available information .
All3DP is a Germany-based company providing the online magazine All3DP . com , viewed by more than 2 million users per month .