Abby Thurm '20

Abby Thurm '20, who earned her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry, is a finalist for a prestigious graduate fellowship from the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation. Hertz Fellows receive up to five years of funding, with the freedom to pursue innovative projects wherever they may lead.

Thurm was selected from over 760 talented applicants from across the nation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. She joins a group of 42 finalists who will participate in a final round of interviews with two members of our selection committee. In May, the Foundation will announce the recipients of the 2023 Hertz Fellowship.

In selecting a Hertz Fellow, the committee will identify the most extraordinary candidates who are best positioned to become leaders in their field developing solutions that address the most pressing challenges facing society from reducing carbon emissions through new technologies to securing software systems from cyber-attacks to creating more effective therapies to treat cancer.

Over the foundation's 60-year history of awarding fellowships, over 1,200 Hertz Fellows have established a remarkable track record of accomplishments. Their ranks include two Nobel laureates; recipients of 10 Breakthrough Prize and three MacArthur Foundation "genius awards"; and winners of the Turing Award, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Technology and the National Medal of Science. In addition, 50 are members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and 34 are fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hertz Fellows hold over 3,000 patents, have founded more than 375 companies and created hundreds of thousands of science and technology jobs.