Alumnus Receives NSF Fellowship

July 6, 2016

Derrick Jones, a 2015 graduate from the Department of Mathematics, Computer and Information Science was recently highlighted for receiving one of the nation’s most prestigious scholarships for his graduate studies at Mississippi State University. 

Among 2,000 National Science Foundation fellows selected this year from nearly 17,000 applicants, Jones will receive three years of financial support, including a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 annual cost-of-education allowance.

During his doctoral studies at MSU, Jones plans to use applied mathematics research to investigate and model the damage produced by lightning strikes on composite materials. The research can further assist in the development of safe and reliable composite aircrafts, he said.

Jones said he is grateful for the “esteemed honor” from the NSF, as it provides him with the opportunity to represent MSU, his home region of the Mississippi Delta and Mississippi Valley State University, where he completed his bachelor’s in mathematics.

“Representing these schools on a national level drives me to be the best that I can be with the opportunity at hand,” he said.