Contact: Bob Ratliff
Whitney J. Townsend
A Mississippi State graduate student in computer engineering is a 2002 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
Whitney J. Townsend of Fayetteville, Ark., is receiving an award totaling $96,000, including $21,500 annually for three years of graduate study, plus up to $10,500 a year for tuition and fees.
A 1981 Harrison High School graduate now completing a master's degree in computer engineering, she is the daughter of Judith Townsend and the late Richard Townsend. Two years ago, she received a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, in computer systems engineering from the University of Arkansas.
After MSU graduation in May, she will use the fellowship to pursue a doctorate in computer engineering at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Computer-aided design and computer arithmetic are her primary research interests. At MSU, projects she carried out under the direction of associate professor Mitchell Thornton have resulted in four published research reports.
Townsend is among more than 6,000 students who applied this year for the 900 NSF awards. Selections are based on academic achievement, Graduate Record Exam scores and the applicant's research proposal.