UC Berkeley Grad Awarded $250,000 Fellowship

Two students planning to attend Stanford University and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley are winners of a $250,000 Hertz Foundation Fellowship, foundation officials said Thursday.

Steven Herbst, Yuri Lensky and UC Berkeley graduate Nicole Michenfelder-Schauser were among just 12 recipients this year.

Michenfelder-Schauser will pursue a doctor of philosophy degree in materials science at the University of California at Santa Barbara, according to foundation officials.

Steven Herbst will pursue a doctor of philosophy degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University. He earned an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Yuri Lensky will be attending Stanford to earn a doctor of philosophy degree in theoretical physics. He also graduated from MIT.

The aim of the fellowship is to promote scientific discovery to build a strong economy and ensure national security, foundation officials said.

The fellowship provides for mentoring and up to five years of financial support.

-Bay City News, images via Hertz Foundation website