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The Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) Doctoral Fellows program is an integrated, collaborative program that connects academic rigor to real-world practicality for students interested in pursuing Ph.D. degrees in STEM and related disciplines.

The program is limited to no more than 100 active fellows and is open to domestic and international students. Each doctoral fellow receives a Graduate Research Assistantship position on campus, a fellowship (paid out semesterly), and tuition remission for required coursework for up to four years.

Learn more and apply

Applications for the 2027 award cycle are due January 5, 2027. 

Apply now

Exclusive Opportunities

Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows engage in a number of special opportunities, including:

  • The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows welcome and kickoff at the start of each semester.
  • Presenting research at the annual Kummer Day event and at the Graduate Research Showcase.
  • $1,500 per year in professional development funds to be used for conference travel, membership dues, or journal fees.
  • Attendance at industry site visits to learn and observe firsthand cutting-edge research and development of products.
  • Participation in competitions, seminars, and lectures focused on learning and implementing entrepreneurship concepts.
  • Serving as mentors to S&T undergraduate Kummer Vanguard Scholars.
  • The Kummer Doctoral Achievement Award and medal for fellows who complete their Ph.D. in 4 years

Portrait of student wearing black and white patterned blazer over a white blouse.

The Kummer I&E doctoral fellowship goes well beyond defraying educational expenses. The program’s belief in my vision rekindled my inner spirit, boosted my motivation and gave me the opportunity to grow.”

— Niloofar Zendehdel
Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow and doctoral student in mechanical engineering

Requirements to Maintain Eligibility

To remain eligible as a Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow, students are required to: 

  • Maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA.
  • Be enrolled with full-time graduate student status on the Missouri S&T campus.
  • Complete department Ph.D. requirements in compliance with the program timeline.
  • Actively participate in the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows program meetings, presentations and activities.
  • Prepare an annual progress report to be reviewed by the Kummer Student Programs office.

 

 Program Participation Requirements

  • Attend the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Orientation held the first week of classes in the fall and spring semesters.
  • Presentations of research at Kummer Day, the Graduate Research Showcase, and Kummer Institute Foundation Board Meetings.
  • Kummer Institute-related public events such as groundbreakings and dedications.
  • Participate in site visits that provide a unique opportunity to connect personally with entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
  • Mentor S&T undergraduate Kummer Vanguard Scholars and collaborating on joint poster presentations to be showcased at the Kummer I&E Fellows and Kummer Scholars poster competition day.

Alireza Fallahi
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: David Bayless

Amirhossein Habibi
Major: Engineering Management
Advisor: Mehdi Ferdowsi

Avery Lyons
Major: Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Phillip Mulligan

Bahaa Chammout
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Islam El-adaway

Bahar Uddin
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Frank Liou

Clark Nguyen
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor: Mario Buchely

Collin Gentry
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Advisor: Henry Pernicka

Daniel Szanto
Major: Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Daryl Beetner

Daniel Cortazar
Major: Chemistry
Advisor: Pablo Sobrado

Elham Babaee
Major: Engineering Management
Advisor: Casey Canfield

Ehsan Asheghianamiri
Major: Civil Engineering
Advisor: Hongyan Ma

Eliana Stanislawski
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Jonghyun Park

Evan Barth
Major: Metallurgical Engineering
Advisor: Laura Bartlett

Gracie Boyer
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Jonghyun Park

Isaac Pope
Major: Geology and Geophysics
Advisor: Jeremy Maurer

Isaac Adama
Major: Civil Engineering
Advisor: Genda Chen

Jacob Hauck
Major: Mathematics
Advisor: Yanzhi Zhang

Jie Shi
Major: Civil Engineering
Advisor: Hongyan Ma

Jordan Hartfield
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Zhi Liang

Joseph Walton
Major: Engineering Management
Advisor: Gabriel Nicolosi

Khosro Ghorbani Zadeh
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: Yun Seong Song

Kwame Atta Frimpong
Major: Geological Engineering
Advisor: Katherine Grote

Larry Liu
Major: Explosives Engineering
Advisor: Catherine Johnson

Logan Banker
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Advisor: Smriti Nandan Paul

Logan Elliott
Major: Biological Sciences
Advisor: Andrea Scharf

Lucas Greiner
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor: Charmayne Lonergan

Mahnaz Asgari Sooran
Major: Engineering Management
Advisor: Venkata Allada

Marshall Stoner
Major: Chemistry
Advisor: Pablo Sobrado

Mary Fakunle
Major: Chemistry
Advisor: Michael Eze

Maryam Sharifi Paroushi
Major: Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Baojun Bai

Matik Heskin
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Advisor: K Chandrashekhara

Mohamed Kawde
Major: Civil Engineering
Advisor: Mohamed ElGawady

Mohammad Afsharmovahed
Major: Civil Engineering
Advisor: Genda Chen

Mohammed Sleiman
Major: Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Rui Bo

Nathan Roberts
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Advisor: Xiaosong Du

Nathan Tibbetts
Major: Computer Science
Advisor: Satish Puri

Nazish Khalid
Major: Electrical Engineering
Advisor: Donald Wunsch

Nieb Hasan Neom
Major: Computer Science
Advisor: Md Arifuzzaman

Nuzaer Omar
Major: Computer Science
Advisor: Sanjay Madria

Ritwik Raj Saxena
Major: Computer Science
Advisor: Sanjay Madria

Samiksha Aryal
Major: Systems Engineering
Advisor: Abhijit Gosavi

Shane Cairns
Major: Computer Science
Advisor: Donald Wunsch

Shweta Tiwari
Major: Chemistry
Advisor: Michael Eze

Sophie Rodriguez
Major: Applied Psychology
Advisor: Daniel Shank

Ugochukwu Ewuzie
Major: Chemical Engineering
Advisor: Monday Okoronkwo

Wenting Feng
Major: Mining Engineering
Advisor: Guang Xu

Yafang Hei
Major: Mathematics
Advisor: Xiaoming He

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