The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation today announced 48 finalists for the 2021 Hertz Fellowship in applied science, mathematics, and engineering.

Selected from more than 900 applicants and representing 17 universities, the finalists advance to a culminating round of interviews for one of the most competitive and coveted fellowships in the nation. The 2021 class of Hertz Fellows will be announced in May.

Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation has granted fellowships empowering the nation’s most promising young minds in science and technology. Hertz Fellows receive five years of funding valued at up to $250,000, with the freedom to pursue innovative projects wherever they may lead. In addition to financial support, the foundation provides ongoing mentoring, symposia, and retreats to build a network of peers, providing fellows a forum to share ideas and explore opportunities throughout their careers.

“This year’s finalists possess the necessary creativity and desire to push the boundaries of applied science and technology,” said Derek Haseltine, director of the Hertz Fellowship Program. “We commend all applicants for their perseverance in spite of the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve shown incredible resiliency in adapting to changing academic and workforce dynamics.”

The Hertz Foundation is dedicated to advancing groundbreaking applied science with real-world benefits. Through its rigorous selection process, led by Hertz Fellow Philip Welkhoff of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hertz Fellowship selection committee seeks out extraordinary candidates who are best positioned to become leaders in their fields and address the most pressing challenges facing society.

Over the foundation’s 58-year history of awarding fellowships, its 1,242 Hertz Fellows have established a remarkable track record of accomplishments. Their ranks include two Nobel laureates; eight recipients of the Breakthrough Prize; and winners of the Turing Award, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Technology, and the National Medal of Science. In addition, 43 are members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and 29 are fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hertz Fellows hold over 3,000 patents, have founded more than 200 companies, and have created hundreds of thousands of science and technology jobs.

2021 Hertz Fellowship Finalists

Finalists are listed with their field of study and most recent university affiliation.

Gita Chu Abhiraman
Stanford University
Biophysics, Immunology

Anshul Adve
University of California, Los Angeles
Mathematics

Anna Victoria Alvarez
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Mechanical Engineering

Rahul Arun
California Institute of Technology
Aeronautics/Astronautics

Thiago Ross-White Bergamaschi
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Computer Science

Akhilan Boopathy
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Nina Mary Brown
Harvey Mudd College
Physics

Steven Cao
University of California, Berkeley
Computer Science and Engineering

Milena Sri Chakraverti-Wuerthwein
Princeton University
Biophysical Sciences

Kartik Chandra
Stanford University
Computer Science

Michael Zhu Chen
University of Oxford
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering

John Joseph Cherian
Stanford University
Statistics

Trinity Cookis
University of California, Berkeley
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering

Jared Quincy Davis
Stanford University
Computer Science

Peter Carl DeWeirdt
Hamilton College
Quantitative Biology

Charles Alexander Dove
University of California, Berkeley
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Jacob Florian
University of Michigan
Engineering

Emily Claire Geyman
Princeton University
Earth and Geological Sciences

John Elliott Heath
California Institute of Technology
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering

Jonah Herzog-Arbeitman
Cambridge University
Physics

Alexander Yi-Kai Hwang
Stanford University
Applied Physics

Joyce Blossom Kang
Harvard University
Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics

Nathanael Parker Kazmierczak
California Institute of Technology
Chemistry

Elizabeth Ann King
University of California, Berkeley
Chemistry

Rohith Chandra Kuditipudi
Stanford University
Computer Science and Engineering

John Tianci Li
Rice University
Nanotechnology, Materials Science, Materials Chemistry, Materials Physics

Allen Xu Liu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Computer Science

Daniel Dan Liu
Stanford University
Biology, Bioinformatics

Alec Lourenco
California Institute of Technology
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering

Arjun Srikanth Mani
Princeton University
Computer Science and Engineering

Alexander Miller
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Aerospace Engineering and Physics

Seunghyun Park
Seoul National University
Physics

Isabelle Phinney
Harvard University
Chemical Physics

Richard Sherwood Randall
Stanford University
Mechanical Engineering

Pavithran T. Ravindran
Princeton University
Quantitative Biology and Bioengineering

Leah Tang Roe
University of California, Berkeley
Chemistry

Rahul Sahay
University of California, Berkeley
Physics

Joshua Samba
Rice University
Chemical Engineering

Alexis Morgan Schneider
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Immunology

Aaditya K. Singh
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Computer Science

Samuel Aaron Solomon
California Institute of Technology
Medical Engineering

Mayuri Sridhar
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Farita Tasnim
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Physics

Katherine Ann Van Kirk
Harvard University
Physics

Karl Speas Westendorff
University of Virginia
Engineering

Turner Woody
Johns Hopkins University
Astrophysics

Olivia Zhou
Stanford University
Biophysics

Alexander Zlokapa
California Institute of Technology
Physics

About the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation

The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation identifies the nation’s most promising innovators in science and technology, and empowers them to pursue solutions to the world’s toughest challenges. Launched in 1963, the Hertz Fellowship is the most exclusive fellowship program in the United States, fueling more than 1,200 leaders, disruptors, and creators who apply their remarkable talent where it’s needed most—from improving human health to protecting the health of the planet. Hertz Fellows hold 3,000+ patents, have founded 200+ companies, and have received 200+ major national and international awards, including two Nobel Prizes, eight Breakthrough Prizes, the National Medal of Technology, the Fields Medal, and the Turing Award. Learn more at HertzFoundation.org.