The biomedical engineering major is one of 60 college students pursuing STEM degrees who were selected for the award.
University of Rochester undergraduate Madison Lang ’22, a biomedical engineering major from Fulton, New York, has been awarded a 2021 Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) award, known as an “Astronaut Scholarship.”
These scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduate students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) majors who are nominated in their sophomore or junior year by their college or university. In addition to high academic achievement, competitive applicants demonstrate passion and talent for scientific work along with a strong commitment to pursue research or technological advancements in their field following graduation.
“Rochester’s deep store of potential applicants and the limit of two nominations make the competition among our students especially keen and the selection particularly difficult,” says Belinda Redden, director of the Student Fellowships Office. “We are proud that Madison Lang will be representing the University at this summer’s Innovators Week, where an astronaut will present her with the scholarship,” she says.
ASF was created in 1984 by, among others, the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts and Betty Grissom, widow of the seventh astronaut, Virgil (Gus) Grissom. The foundation’s mission is to ensure the United States remains a global leader in science and technology.
This year, ASF selected 60 college students from 44 participating US colleges to receive the award, which includes up to $15,000 in scholarship funding for each honoree as well as opportunities to expand their professional network to include astronauts, alumni, and industry leaders. The 2021 recipients will be honored at a gala in Orlando, Florida, in August.
After graduating from the University, Lang plans to attend graduate school for biomedical engineering. Her interests in the field include orthopedics, rehabilitation, and medical devices and technology. As a member of the University’s chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society, she has helped mentor fellow biomedical engineering students. Since last summer, Lang has been conducting research in professor Amy Lerner’s computational biomechanics lab, where she is currently working full time.
