Congratulations to Recipients of the 2026 Graduate Pathway for Scholars Fellowship!

Graduate Pathways for Scholars Fellowship

Congratulations to Recipients of the 2026 Graduate Pathway for Scholars Fellowship

The University at Albany is proud to announce the newest awardees of the 2026 Graduate Pathway for Scholars (GPS) Fellowship. This GPS Fellowship is designed to support Ph.D. students in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry who desire an academic career.

Doctoral candidates Joey Tavarez (Biological Sciences) and Ibrahim Adelakun (Chemistry) have been selected as 2026 GPS Fellows while Department of Biological Sciences students Dylan Ehrbar and Asmer Aliyeva received Honorable Mention.  The 2026 GPS Fellows will be honored, and present short research talks at a program on January 29, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in UAlbany’s Life Science Research Building D’Ambra Auditorium.

The GPS program’s main goal is to support Ph.D. students in biology and chemistry with a focus on increasing opportunities for students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds. The program aims to build lasting connections with UAlbany and encourages Fellows to return to UAlbany as possible faculty members after completing their postdoctoral training. Along with a monetary award and the GPS Fellow title, Fellows also gain access to mentoring, professional development, and opportunities to share their research with faculty, staff, and peers.

The GPS program is currently being administered by Distinguished Biology Professor and senior advisor of the RNA Institute Marlene Belfort and Associate Professor of Biology Cara Pager. Fellows are chosen by a committee made up of faculty from the Departments of Chemistry, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, and Biology. 

Last year, the University recognized Biology Ph.D. candidates Michelle Urman as a 2025 GPS Fellow with Andrew Muñoz Gamba receiving Honorable Mention. To be eligible for the GPS Fellowship, graduate students must have advanced to PhD candidacy and in at least their fourth year of graduate study. Interested candidates are required to submit a GPS Fellow application with a letter of support from their thesis advisor and endorsed by their department chair.

Congratulations to all recipients of the Graduate Pathway for Scholars Fellowship!