Fellowships provide graduate students with critical financial support as they pursue advanced degrees. In the case of the Bird Stewart Lightfoot (BSL) Wisconsin Distinguished Fellowship, a fund established as a permanent endowment for graduate students, those students are linked to three of the most prestigious names in the field of chemical engineering. R. Byron (Bob) Bird, Warren Stewart and Edwin Lightfoot are co-authors of the landmark textbook Transport Phenomena, and individually are research giants—but they also have made significant contributions in teaching and service.

The chemical and biological engineering department provides fellowships, such as the BSL, that support graduate students throughout their first semester, at the end of which they join a faculty member’s lab group and receive funding through research grants of that faculty.

For many students, including alumnus Jeffrey Herron, who received the BSL Fellowship in fall 2008, having financial support in the first few daunting months of graduate school is crucial. “Because I had funding for a year from the department, I had time to explore what options were available, meet with faculty and their students, and see what kind of work I would be taking on,” he says. “Having that time, and not going in blind, helped me make a better decision for my research interests. Having that flexibility in funding is important in having a successful graduate career.”