Honors student awarded national space science scholarship

Hannah Lyons, a junior microbiology and cell science major at the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was recently awarded the Universities Space Research Association (USRA)’s Frederick A. Tarantino Memorial Scholarship Award for 2018.

The USRA, a nonprofit corporation chartered to advance space-related science, technology and engineering, gives annual awards to students with a career interest in the sciences or engineering with an emphasis on space research, space science education or aerospace. Lyons, a student in the UF Honors Program, was one of five recipients out of a pool of applicants from 55 universities.  The selection was based the students’ self-motivation in their research efforts, the clarity of their career objectives, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside the classroom.

The applications were reviewed by a panel of university faculty members in science and engineering disciplines from among the top tier universities.

The scholarships were established in the memory of individuals who have played a significant role in the fields of planetary science, astrophysics, and aerospace technology.

“We at USRA are extremely proud of the students who receive these awards,” said Dr. Jeffrey Isaacson, President and Chief Executive Officer, USRA. “They demonstrate not only outstanding scholarship, but an aptitude for basic and applied research that truly sets them apart. Finalists are selected on the basis of their leadership potential and initiative. We congratulate these talented students and wish them a brilliant future.”