Fellowships

The Mortar Board National Foundation Fellowship is the Society’s premier fellowship award and has been generously funded by the Mortar Board National Foundation since 1942. Made possible through the generosity of Mortar Board members and alumni over more than eight decades, this fellowship reflects a longstanding commitment to supporting exceptional members pursuing advanced study.

For the 2026–2027 cycle, there are two recipients:

• Ava Heintzelman (University of Montana, 2024). Ava is pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of Montana School of Public and Community Health.
• Shelby Morlock (Texas Tech University, 2023). Shelby is attending Texas Tech Law School, working toward a Juris Doctor (J.D.) with a focus in Criminal Law.

The Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellowship honors Diane Selby, former Executive Director of Mortar Board, whose dedicated service, leadership, and continued commitment as an alumna have strengthened the Society and its members.

For the 2026-2027 cycle, there are two recipients:

• Lauren Ellis (University of Washington, 2024). Lauren will be attending the University of Madison, Wisconsin to pursue her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering.
• Chanasei Ziemann (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023). Chanasei is pursuing a Master’s in Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology with a concentration in Biology Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Ellen North Dunlap Fellowship was established and continues to be funded by Ellen North Dunlap’s daughter, Shirley Bowser. A respected community leader, philanthropist, business leader, and former president of both the The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Board of Directors, Bowser has generously supported Mortar Board’s fellowship program for many years through this annual fellowship award.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Jennifer Lundgren (San Diego State University, 2023). Jennifer is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the University of California Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine.

The Purdue University Barbara Cook Fellowship is named after a long-time former Purdue chapter advisor and Dean of Students. Barbara Cook served in several Mortar Board National Leadership roles, including contributing to the development of the National Foundation. The Barbara Cook chapter at Purdue has funded this fellowship in her honor since 1997, continuing her legacy of service and support for Mortar Board members.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Olivia Beckett (The Ohio State University, 2024). Olivia is a second-year law student pursuing a Juris Doctor (JD) at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

The Ramier + Katherine Wills Coleman Fellowship  honors two influential Mortar Board leaders whose vision, leadership, and generosity helped shape the Society’s future. Mary Elizabeth Hanger Ramier served for many years as Mortar Board’s attorney, guiding the Society’s incorporation, establishing the trust agreement for the National Foundation, and providing a generous gift to support graduate fellowships. Katherine Wills Coleman served as National President during World War II, providing steadfast leadership and advocating for Mortar Board’s recognition among national higher education organizations.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Minxing (Mike) Liu (Wake Forest University, 2025). Mike is pursuing a Master’s in Quantitative Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Ruth Weimer Mount Fellowship honors Ruth Weimer Mount, a former Mortar Board National President and the first Dean of Students at The Ohio State University. A pioneering leader in student affairs, she dedicated her career to supporting students and advancing higher education. The fellowship celebrates her enduring legacy of scholarship, leadership, and service.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Samuel Buss (University of Nebraska–Kearney, 2023). Samuel is pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy.

The Vivian Townsend Bish Fellowship honors Vivian Townsend Bish, who was tapped into Mortar Board at Ohio State in 1919, but was never initiated as she was called away from school due to World War I. Her daughter’s Betty (initiated in 1945) and Ann (initiated in 1950), both became members of Ohio State’s chapter and carried forward the family’s Mortar Board legacy. In 2019, exactly 100 years after she was first tapped, the National Council posthumously awarded Vivian an Honorary Membership.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Dillon Cook (The University of Alabama, 2024). Dillon is pursuing a Master’s in School Counseling and Workforce Education at the University of Georgia.

The Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellowship honors the Washington State chapter classes of 1945–1950 and Zelma Patchin, former Dean of Women at Oklahoma State University. Patchin was a dedicated advocate for equality, opportunity, and respect for women, and her leadership left a lasting impact on students and the university community.

The 2026-2027 recipient is:

• Jason Packard (Purdue University, 2024). Jason is pursuing a Master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Yale University.

In addition to this year’s fellowship award recipients, the Mortar Board National Foundation recognized four applicants with Honorable Mention distinction. These individuals were selected from an exceptionally competitive applicant pool and were recognized for the outstanding quality of their applications and demonstrated commitment to scholarship, leadership, and service. In 2026, each of the honorable mention recipients received a $1000 award.

The 2026-2027 members who received Honorable Mention distinction are:

• Katherine Gray (The University of Alabama, 2025). Katherine will be attending The University of Alabama School of Law to pursue her Juris Doctor (JD).
• Dev Mehta (University of South Alabama, 2024). Dev is pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) at The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine.
• Lily Nichols (College of Charleston, 2025). Lily is pursuing a Juris Doctor (JD) at Wake Forest University School of Law.
• Mishaal Omer (Case Western Reserve University, 2023). Mishaal is pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine with a concentration in the Humanities Pathway.

Mortar Board members of any age may apply for a Mortar Board Fellowship for postbaccalaureate degrees in any field. Past recipients are ineligible.

Yes, provided you have not previously received a Mortar Board Fellowship, will be continuing graduate studies in the next academic year and otherwise meet all eligibility criteria.

Yes.  You may use a Mortar Board Fellowship for graduate studies at any accredited institution of higher learning.

The Mortar Board Fellowship Selection Committee provides a streamlined, yet thought-provoking application process that allows each member who applies the chance to showcase their accomplishments and plans.

The committee considers applicants’ academic record, faculty recommendations, goals and objectives, and contribution and commitment to Mortar Board. The fellowship is for one academic year, and the amount awarded is sent directly to the Mortar Board Fellow.

Two letters of recommendation must be from faculty or other persons who can speak with authority about your ability to do graduate work in your chosen field and about your personal qualities and achievement. It will be helpful if one of your recommenders could write about your out-of-classroom experiences related to your degree objective and to your leadership and service on campus and in the community.

Applicants are required to provide current, official or unofficial transcript as part of the application process. Many institutions will provide a secure portal for you to access your unofficial transcript to send to organizations that you designate.

If you previously applied, but did not receive a Mortar Board Fellowship and you are still otherwise eligible, you may apply again. You will need to complete a new application form and submit two current recommendations. If your transcripts from the previous application are not changed, you may email fellowships@mortarboard.org prior to March 15 and ask that those same transcripts be used.  If those transcripts have changed due to additional studies or institutions, please submit your current transcripts.

For all other questions, and more in-depth explanations to previous questions, please refer to our Fellowship FAQ document.

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellows – Carson Kim (Auburn University, 2024), Mohammed Ghufran Murtuza (Texas Tech University, 2024)

Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellow – Anita D. Nguyen (The University of South Alabama, 2023)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Emily Plotnik (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023)

Mortar Board Fellows – Toluwa Aduloju (Xavier University, 2023), Kathryn Huang (University of Southern California, 2022)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow – Lydia Storm (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023)

Ramier/Katherine WIlls Coleman Fellow – Nick Schemmel (The University of Kansas, 2023)

Vivian Townsend Bish Fellow – Grace Beauchamp (The University of Alabama, 2022)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellows – McCaleb Hart (Texas Tech University, 2021), Sophia Bustamante Eguiguren (University of Richmond, 2019)

Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellow – Jessica Chen (University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Rani Bawa (The Ohio State University, 2020)

Mortar Board Fellows – Johnny Dinh Phan (University of Kansas, 2021), Abby Mock (University of South Alabama, 2022), Caitlyn Kant (Illinois State University, 2021)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow – Hannah Harrison (University of Nebraska-Kearney, 2022)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Kristen Welsh (Case Western Reserve University, 2022)

Ramier + Katherine Wills Coleman Fellow – Amber Bormann (Southern Methodist University, 2022)

Mortar Board Fellow – Maici Craig (The University of Alabama, 2022)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Caleb Hendrickson (The University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2022)

Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellow – Kate Kouplen (Oklahoma State University, 2021)

Mortr Board Diane Selby Fellow – Anna Madding (Butler University, 2022)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Anne Mascia (University of South Alabama, 2021)

Mortar Board Fellow – Ivy Nguyen (University of South Alabama, 2021)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow – Brendan Wall (Illinois State University, 2018)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Kristen Welsh (Case Western Reserve University, 2022)

Washington State + Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State Fellow – Jason Baker (University of Nebraska at Kearney, 2020)

Ramier + Katherine Wills Coleman Fellow – Victoria Bui (University of Hawai’i at Manoa, 2017)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Sally Burkley (University of Mary Washington, 2021)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow – Cadence Ciesielski (Kansas State University, 2021)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Andrew Cochran (Ohio Northern University, 2019)

Mortar Board Fellow – Hannah Giannini (University of South Alabama, 2020)

Mortar Board Fellow – Sydney Popsuj (Agnes Scott College, 2018)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Sydney Wong (University of San Diego, 2019)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Hanna Bobinger (University of South Alabama, 2019)

Ramier-Coleman Fellow – Lauren Chambliss (The University of Alabama, 2020)

Mortar Board Fellow – Hannah Clipp (West Virginia University, 2015)

Zalma Patchin-Oklahoma State/Washington State Fellow – Katherine Gladhart-Hayes (University of Puget Sound, 2018)

Mortar Board Fellow – Rajvarun Grewal (University of California, Los Angeles, 2018)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Jill Kleinkauf (Chapman University, 2018)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Benjamin Shinogle (William Jewell College, 2016)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Sinibaldo Romero Arocha (North Dakota State University, 2013)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Olivia Bond (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2017)

Ruth Mount Fellow – Ian Ross (Westminster College, 2019)

Ramier-Coleman Fellow – Ronald Yang (University of California Los Angeles, 2018)

Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State/Washington State Fellow – Odalis Hernandez (University of Kansas, 2019)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Da Yeoun Moon (San Diego State University, 2019)

Mortar Board Fellow – Thomas Baldwin (Butler University, 2017)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Rachel Bowanko (The University of Vermont, 2018)

Barbara Cook Fellow – Trisha Chau (Oregon State University, 2015)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow – Eleanor Haglund (Carnegie Mellon University, 2015)

Mortar Board Fellow – Austin Hirsh (University of San Diego, 2017)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Kristy Kwon (University of Washington, 2017)

Ramier-Coleman Fellow – Latrel Powell (San Diego State University, 2018)

Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State/Washington State Fellow – Meaghan Waff (Rhodes College, 2016)

Mortar Board Fellow – Kimberly Golisch (University of Arizona, 2013)

Ruth Weimer Mount Fellow  – Tyler Harvey (Rhodes College, 2016)

Mortar Board Fellow – Charmagne Jones (San Diego State University, 2017)

Ellen North Dunlap Fellow – Stephanie Kha (The University of Arizona, 2014)

Mortar Board Diane Selby Fellow – Callie Lane  (University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2016)

Zelma Patchin-Oklahoma State/Washington State Fellow – Caitlin Taylor (The College of William and Mary, 2017)

Ramier-Coleman Fellow – Sophia Wix (University of Southern California, 2017)