UNH doctoral student among seven recently announced New England STAR Fellows

University of New Hampshire doctoral student Christopher Whitney recently won an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship that will see him receive $132,000 in funding to support his research.
 
"I was beyond excited to receive the email saying I had been awarded a STAR grant," Whitney, whose research focuses on the connection of beaver ponds and waterway nitrogen levels, said. "This funding will help us understand how beavers can reduce the buildup of nutrients in rivers, a key to protecting our natural resources, particularly in areas with the pressures of development."
 
Whitney is one of seven New England students and 52 students across the country to be selected for the STAR Fellowship Program. He is receiving the maximum funding available as a doctoral student, whereas the maximum for a master’s student is $88,000. All told, the EPA has awarded $6 million for this year’s fellows and over $65 million in total over the 20-year history of the program.
 
"Students who get the STAR awards will be doing innovative research while getting their advanced academic degrees," EPA New England Regional Administrator Curt Spalding said. "These fellows will help us move ahead in addressing issues of environmental and public health."