Cadets Selected as National Science Foundation Fellows

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) chose six cadets to pursue degrees following graduation in May. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees at accredited United States institutions.

“Congratulations to our newest NSF Fellows! These scholars join a long line of leaders dedicated to applied research for the Army and Nation,” said U.S. Military Academy Dean of the Academic Board Brig. Gen. Shane Reeves “This tremendous accomplishment is the culmination of years of hard work, and we couldn’t be prouder of our scholars, their research programs, and mentors.”

About the Fellows

Cadet Ty Homan is a mechanical engineering major from Appleton, Wis. After engaging with a research project early in his cadet career, Homan was captivated by the physics of complex fluid flow. He has since conducted five independent research projects that involve leveraging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques to study contaminant dispersion within the urban atmosphere. This work has led to multiple publications and conference presentations, along with a second place finish in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Young Engineer Paper contest. Most recently, Homan used funding from a Stamps Scholarship to organize a project with experts at Stanford University and Sandia National Labs that focused on applying MRI data to improve computational fluid models. Dedicated to sharing with others, Homan is also vice-president of Phi Kappa Phi and volunteers as an academic tutor. He currently serves as the Brigade Development System Officer, responsible for working with Academy leadership to improve West Point’s 47-month cadet development program. Homan plans to use the NSF Fellowship to fund a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Stanford University, where he will pursue fluid mechanics research with broad impacts for sustainable energy, human health, and national security.

Cadet Ryan Kreiser is a chemistry major from Ardmore, Pa. Since 2019, he has worked under Dr. Ryan Limbocker, studying molecular countermeasures against protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Kreiser has published six times with the group and has assisted with training the next generation of cadet scientists as a leader in the lab. For his work, Kreiser is a recipient of the Stamps Scholarship, Goldwater Scholarship, and Purdue Military Research Institute fellowship. Outside of research, Kreiser is a platoon leader in Company G-2, the executive officer of the U.S. Military Academy’s Scoutmasters’ Council, and the cadet in charge of the Protestant Cadet Chapel Choir. Upon graduation, he will pursue a Master of Science in biological sciences at Purdue University, studying the molecular structure of misfolded tau protein using cryogenic electron microscopy to develop treatments for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease affecting many Army veterans, before serving in the Medical Service Corps.

Cadet Emma Sophia San Martin is a mechanical engineering major with a minor in aeronautics, was born in Chile and raised in Ossining, N.Y. San Martin has served as a spirit sergeant, regimental operations officer, company commander, battalion executive officer, and serving as her company’s academic officer. She is as a longtime pianist, enjoys writing music, and singing with the West Point Glee Club. She has published a scholarly article on soldier postural control to the American Society of Biomechanics, as well as a paper on twisted rotor blade aeromechanics to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). San Martin has also developed a carburetor heater for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which is U.S. patent pending. Her most recent study, examining the role of rotor spacing in quadrotor UAV vortex-interference performance degradation, has been accepted for publication by ASME next year, and serves as the foundation for her future intended research under the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. For her capstone project, she is currently developing a wind tunnel for testing operational UAVs in complex urban wind profiles.  Having previously received the Marshall Scholarship, Emma will study advanced aerospace topics in the UK for the next two years before entering service as a Military Intelligence officer. She plans to use the NSF fellowship to pursue a doctorate in aerospace engineering later in her career.  Her research interests include computational modeling of fluid-structure interactions and its application to flight dynamics and human-centered aircraft structure design. 

Cadet Gillian Schiffer is a civil engineering major from Arlington, Va., and a member of the Army Women’s Soccer Team. She graduated from Yorktown High School and joined Company E-3 at West Point. Schiffer served as a platoon sergeant, Cadet Basic Training company commander, and company staff officer. Schiffer’s research is focused on topology optimization and its application to the design of protective structures exposed to buried explosives. Currently, she serves as the project leader of the Underbody Blast Design Capstone, where the team works with the Army Research Laboratory to design, 3-D print, and blast test protective panels for the underbody of combat vehicles. Schiffer earned the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence, Pentathlete Award, Master of the Sword Awards, and was recognized as the best company commander during Cadet Basic Training I. Upon graduation, Schiffer will commission as an engineer officer and will continue her study of topology optimization at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall.

Cadet Alexa Zammit is a chemical engineering major from Princeton, N. J. Zammit’s research consists of nanomaterial synthesis in creating lightweight, porous, and conductive biomaterials for biosensor and energy-storage applications. The synthesis method she uses optimizes specific surface area, pore geometry, and metal nanostructure size to achieve these potential applications. Currently, Zammit is the battalion commander for 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment and is a member of Company A-2’s Sandhurst Military Skills Team. She is also on the Competitive Flying Team, Cadet Media Group, and the President of the West Point Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Zammit branched Aviation and will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she will pursue a Master of Science in materials science and engineering.

Cadet Felita Zhang is a life science major from San Jose, Calif. She is a Truman, Goldwater, and Stamps Scholar. Zhang has been conducting research at Col. John Burpo’s Multifunctional Materials Laboratory since her plebe year. She has also engaged in extensive collaboration with the Harvard University Disease Biophysics Group under the supervision of Dr. Kit Parker. Zhang’s research involves bridging biotic-abiotic interface for applications to regenerative medicine, such as creating conductive biofibers for nerve connection in prosthetics and developing biocompatible artificial heart valves. Zhang and her team won the 2021 U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Warfighter Innovation Science and Engineering Challenge for synthesizing capacitive fibers for energy storage to reduce soldier load. She has been published in the journal, Matter, and is awaiting publication in the journals ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Biomaterials, and Crystals. In addition to her academic endeavors, Zhang serves as President of the Corbin Forum. She intends to pursue a graduate degree in bioengineering and attend Harvard Medical School after graduation in hopes of becoming a physician-scientist to bring research from the laboratory bench to clinic.

2nd Lt. Nathan Batta, class of 2021, majored in mechanical engineering and entered the Army Aviation branch after graduation. His capstone project focused on Drone Assisted Targeting. Batta performed cutting edge research on visual inertial odometry to allow drones to maintain an estimate of its position relative to the combat vehicle with greater accuracy then GPS using only onboard cameras to simulate a GPS-denied environment. Batta plans to work in the Virginia Cooperative Autonomous Robots Lab at the University of Virginia beginning this fall. His research plan is to investigate and apply novel aerial search patterns on autonomous drones.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers. The reputation of the GRFP follows recipients and helps them become life-long leaders that contribute significantly to both scientific innovation and teaching.

About West Point 

The U. S. Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, co-educational, federal, liberal arts college located 50 miles north of New York City. It was founded in 1802 as America's first college of engineering and continues today as the world’s premier leader-development institution, consistently ranked among top colleges in the country. Its mission remains constant—to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the U. S. Army. For more information, go to www.westpoint.edu.