Nakamura awarded NDSEG fellowship

Staff Writer

May 15, 2017

Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidate Nathan Nakamura has been selected to receive the prestigious National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship award.

This honor is extended by the Department of Defense (DoD) to students who pursue doctoral degrees in one of fifteen science and engineering disciplines, ranging from civil engineering to oceanography. The fellowship lasts for four years and is valued at over half a million dollars.

Headshot of Nathan Nakamura

Source: Department of Mechanical Engineering

Nakamura studies with B. Reeja Jayan, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering. His work has resulted in the discovery of a groundbreaking method of crystallizing ceramic materials as well as realizing extraordinary mechanical and electronic properties at fifty percent reduced temperatures when compared with more widely used current methods.

“Nathan thinks of his doctoral studies as a process of continuous reinvention, improvement, and life-long learning,” Jayan says of Nakamura. “He is a natural at creatively using his skills as a mechanical engineer to solve countless problems that arise doing materials engineering.”

Nathan thinks of his doctoral studies as a process of continuous reinvention, improvement, and life-long learning.

Reeja Jayan, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

Nakamura recognizes the fellowship as a chance to not only collaborate with other NDSEG fellows, but also to learn from DoD scientists. “The NDSEG…provides access to internship opportunities at various national laboratories,” he says, “which would be an excellent chance to work with and learn from experienced DoD researchers.”

Through this fellowship, the DoD hopes to increase the number of U.S. citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance.