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🏛️MIT News AI
June 11, 2026
Tech

MIT affiliates win 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellowships

Overview

Four MIT affiliates were named 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellows, part of a national group of 19 doctoral students chosen for research in applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The winners are Annika Marschner in mechanical engineering, Alvin Q. Meng in inorganic chemistry, Zachary S.

Key Takeaways

  • Three MIT students and an incoming graduate student have won 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellowships.

    The fellowships in applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics recognize doctoral students who are pursuing solutions to the most pressing challenges in science and technology.

  • Previous image Next image The Hertz Foundation announced that it awarded 2026 fellowships to three current MIT students as well as an incoming graduate student.
  • In addition to funding, fellows receive lifelong access to Hertz Foundation programs including events, mentoring, and networking opportunities, with the over 1,300 fellows named since the fellowship was established in 1963.

    The connections forged among these individuals have sparked collaborative startups, research, and commercialization in a range of technology, science, and engineering fields.

  • Marschner's undergraduate thesis focused on improving the speed and dexterity of dynamic motions in bio-inspired robotic limbs.

    As a graduate student, she plans to continue her work on both hardware and control system design in biologically relevant settings, especially in the areas of assistive medical technology and surgical robotics.

  • He received undergraduate degrees in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Virginia, where he worked in the research group of Professor W.

Stats & Key Facts

  • #In addition to funding, fellows receive lifelong access to Hertz Foundation programs including events, mentoring, and networking opportunities, with the over 1,300 fellows named since the fellowship was established in 1963.

Three MIT students and an incoming graduate student have won 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellowships. The fellowships in applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics recognize doctoral students who are pursuing solutions to the most pressing challenges in science and technology. The fellowships in applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics recognize doctoral students who are pursuing solutions to the most pressing challenges in science and technology.

Division of Graduate and Undergraduate Education Publication Date : June 11, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact : Elizabeth Durant Email: edurant@mit.edu : Clockwise from top left: Annika Marschner, Alvin Meng, Matthew Wanta, and Zachary Siegel Credits : Photos courtesy of the Hertz Foundation. Previous image Next image The Hertz Foundation announced that it awarded 2026 fellowships to three current MIT students as well as an incoming graduate student. They are: Annika Marschner, Alvin Q.

The prestigious science and technology award provides each recipient with five years of financial support - a stipend and full tuition equivalent - which gives them an unusual measure of autonomy to pursue ground-breaking research in their graduate work. "What particularly impresses me about this cohort is their fearlessness in taking on new challenges and advancing the frontiers of science," says Philip Welkhoff, a Hertz Fellow and director of the malaria program at the Gates Foundation, who co-led the selection process. "Each has exhibited tremendous creativity, grit, and vision, and I cannot wait to see what each accomplishes with the freedom to innovate provided by the Hertz Fellowship."

For more details please read the original article at MIT News AI.

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Originally published by MIT News AI
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