Four Binghamton students win AVANGRID scholarship
Students from eight universities competed for just 10 scholarships. This was the first time four scholarships went to students from just one institution.
Every spring, students compete for AVANGRID’s Scholarships for Master’s Studies in the United States. They are prestigious awards, originally established by the Avangrid Foundation, given to only 10 students, and this year, four of the students are from Binghamton University.
The scholarships support talented students pursuing master’s degrees who are interested in any of the following subjects:
- Renewable energy
- Smart distribution networks
- Engineering
- Data science
- Cybersecurity
- Legal/compliance/regulation
- Business: international studies, human resources, communications, finance, treasury
- Information technology
This is the third year that Binghamton University students have been eligible for the scholarship. Only eight universities, including Cornell University and MIT, can submit candidates for the U.S. scholarship program. Two Binghamton students received the scholarship in both 2016 and 2017.
Binghamton University nominated four students for the 2018 and all four received scholarships.
The students
Kasey Hill ’18 completed her BS in industrial and systems engineering with a cumulative GPA of 3.64. Unlike the other students receiving the award, Hill will be pursuing her master’s degree in business administration as part of the combined Watson School and School of Management 4+1 Accelerated Program.
Hill interned with Walmart in logistics engineering in 2017 and as a continuous improvement intern in 2016. She also worked as an industrial engineering intern in 2017 for the Walt Disney Company.
During her time as an undergraduate, Hill was an instrumental part of the Binghamton Hyperloop team as the team’s logistics lead. She also worked as a residential assistant, served as the treasurer of Alpha Omega Epsilon Professional Engineering Sorority, been the vice president for the Professional Fraternity Council and president of the APICS Supply Chain Operations Management Club.
In her spare time, she has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and was a quarterback for the Co-Recreational Football League.
Elijah Swift ’18 earned a cumulative GPA of 3.77 for his BS in computer engineering with a minor in mathematics. He will be completing a master’s in electrical and computer engineering as part of the 4+1 Accelerated Program, with a concentration in information assurance.
Swift has designed two game apps for iOS and Android, built an ARM processor, worked on the mine-detecting rover project at Binghamton University, been a cadet in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Advanced Course in Engineering, and is currently working with Lockheed Martin’s LittleBits STEM Activity Project to encourage children to become more interested in the STEM fields.
Swift has also worked as an undergraduate course assistant, a resident assistant and a math tutor at Binghamton University.
David Bremer ’18 graduated summa cum laude for his BS in mechanical engineering and will be completing his master’s degree in 2019 as part of the 4+1 Accelerated Program.
He’s a member of the Binghamton University Scholars Program, Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honor Society), Pi Tau Sigma (International Honor Society for Mechanical Engineers) and has made the Watson School’s Dean’s List every semester with an impressive cumulative GPA of 3.893.
Bremer was part of the Binghamton Hyperloop team during his senior year, worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems (ES2) in 2017, and worked on a project for the University parking system in 2015.
He also volunteered his time at the Binghamton University Center for Civic Engagement creating video tutorials to promote computer-use literacy, worked as an admissions tour guide and interned at the Kopernik Observatory and Science Center from 2012-2014.
Jason Ephraim ’18 completed his BS with a cumulative GPA of 3.63 in electrical engineering. He is joining the 4+1 Accelerated Program to complete his master’s degree by 2019.
Ephraim received a National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Scholarship in 2018, and was a member of Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE Honor Society) and Alpha Sigma Pi (National Society of Leadership and Success).
He interned at the Harris Corporation, has worked as an undergraduate research assistant to Associate Professor Sean Choi working on micro-sized microbial fuel cells, completed an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) on flexible electronics at Rochester Institute of Technology and worked with Visiting Assistant Professor Zhanpeng Jin on an independent research project focused on creating a wearable, Bluetooth-integrated, heart disease monitor.
Ephraim is also interested in robotics and has worked on a metal-detection robot, a line-following robot
AVANGRID has provided these students with a generous scholarship to cover their tuition and a $25,200 stipend for housing and living assistance through the year.
The scholarship will allow the students to focus on their studies and their research interests to see what comes next for them.
AVANGRID’s strong commitment to Binghamton University continues to help students through scholarships, a legacy of active volunteers – including both Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science founder, the late James Carrigg, LHD ’12, and alumnus Robert “Bob” Kump ’83, President and CEO of Avangrid Networks, who is a member of the Watson Advisory Board – and support for senior capstone projects, such as the new solar-powered charging station. The charging station is in the center of campus on the Lois B. DeFleur Walkway and was built by senior engineering students as a place for students to charge cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices using clean energy.