Abigail Chobany, a master's student in the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering, has been recognized as an Honorable Mention for the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP).

Originally from a small town in Pennsylvania, Chobany first pursued a career in teaching after earning her bachelor’s degree in secondary education: Earth and space science from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She taught high school science for two years and found herself questioning whether that environment was the right fit for her long term.

“I thought my passion was definitely science education, and I thought I would be a teacher, and it would be a done deal,” Chobany said. “But when I got into it, I just didn’t feel like I was teaching the kind of science I was excited about.”

Chobany began exploring graduate programs in geology and was connected to Stacia Gordon, Ph.D., at the University through a former undergraduate professor.

“[Gordon] was doing exactly the kind of work I wanted to be involved in,” she said. “She studies petrology, which blends geology and chemistry. We can get a rock sample and look at it at the microscopic level, and it's telling us about this giant mountain building event. I think it’s so amazing that we can do that.”

Chobany’s NSF GRFP proposal focuses on determining the location, origin and timing of metamorphism of deep to mid-crustal rocks in Tibet. Specifically, her research looks at how rocks deep in the crust changed before, during and after India collided with Eurasia.

One of the most helpful resources during Chobany's application process was the NSF GRFP writing workshop hosted by the Office of Undergraduate (and Graduate) Fellowships. Led by Jenna Altherr Flores, Ph.D., the workshop helped Chobany and other students navigate the proposal and personal statement requirements.

“That workshop was awesome,” Chobany said. “It helped jumpstart the whole process and made it way less scary. Reading other students’ drafts and having them read mine was the best part.”

Gordon, Ph.D., also played a key role in Chobany’s application process, reading every draft and providing constructive feedback. “She would never just say ‘fix this.’ She always asked questions like, ‘Why do you want to put this here?’ It made me think more critically about how I was telling my story,” Chobany said.

Through the experience, she learned valuable lessons about flexibility in research. “I think mainly I'm a very organized person, and I like making things to a schedule, and I like keeping to that schedule,” she said. “But what I learned in doing the GRFP, and kind of after, is that it's not always going to go exactly to that schedule. Things happen and you can change things around depending on your data.”

Currently, Chobany is setting monthly goals as she progresses through her program. With fieldwork completed, she aims to finish collecting data by the end of summer and then shift her focus to writing, analysis and presenting her findings.

To students considering applying for competitive fellowships like the NSF GRFP, Chobany encourages them to seek out resources — even if it feels intimidating.

“Just go to the workshops. Get the help. Even if it feels intimidating at first, it’s worth it,” she said.