Alumnus Tomcho wins NSF graduate fellowship

University of North Georgia (UNG) alumnus Atticus Tomcho has been selected as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipient.

A December 2023 graduate with a degree in biology, the Dahlonega, Georgia, resident will pursue a master's degree in geography and paleobiology at the University of Georgia.

"I wanted to continue the research I have been doing in my undergraduate years," Tomcho said.

The GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship consists of three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution.

Tomcho gained research experience with Jessy Patterson, lecturer of biology, examining the effect of artificial lighting on African mammal behavior through a Faculty Undergraduate Summer Engagement project in 2023. They also studied the effects of partial timber harvests on the vertebrate wildlife community at Hurricane Creek Research Site and in another project compared bait type efficacy for monitoring wildlife on camera traps.

Tomcho; fellow student McKenna Johnson; Jessy Patterson; and Dr. Erin Barding, professor of biology, won an award for their presentation on the timber harvest research at the Georgia Chapter of The Wildlife Society annual meeting in March 2023.

"I'm really excited about this opportunity for Atticus to continue doing research in graduate school with the GRFP funding," Jessy Patterson said. "Getting this NSF fellowship is life-changing, and I'm excited to see everything he accomplishes in the future."

The recent UNG graduate also conducted paleobiology research with Dr. David Patterson, associate professor of biology, during his time as a student. Their work focused primarily on a fossil alligator enamel isotope project to examine things like fluctuating sea levels during the past 60,000 years on the Georgia coast. 

Tomcho teamed up with fellow student Mary Dickens and David Patterson to earn the best poster award in the Earth Sciences section of the 100th annual Georgia Academy of Science Conference, also in March 2023.

"Atticus was an extremely hard worker and made sure that he understood every aspect of the project. He was, and still is, fantastic in the field and willing to deal with harsh conditions in search of fossils and new geological data," David Patterson said. "I'm looking forward to continuing to collaborate with him on similar projects as he starts his graduate program at the University of Georgia."

Tomcho said David Patterson and Dr. Anastasia Lin, director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, helped him realize the GRFP could be a possibility for him.

"The NSF is one of the top graduate awards a promising future scientist can receive," Lin said. "Through his undergraduate research, awards and presentations, Atticus has demonstrated he is well on his way to becoming a world-class paleobiologist who will help us learn more about our future through investigating the Earth's past."

Students interested in learning more about the NSF GRFP or other national scholarships can contact the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office at ncs@ung.edu or send an email to david.patterson@ung.edu.