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Two 51�������� students awarded prestigious NSF fellowships

Oct. 3, 2025

Two 51�������� graduate students are among the 1,500 recipients of the 2025-2026 .

Willa Johnson and Xochitl Muñoz will each receive three years of financial support, including a $37,000 annual stipend and funds to cover tuition and fees, in addition to professional development opportunities.

Johnson is pursuing a master’s degree in marine biology in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Their research focuses on concentrations of microplastics in wild-caught marine fish in Southeast Alaska and how these contaminants may move through fish tissues and up the food chain — an important issue for coastal communities that depend on healthy oceans and local fisheries.

Originally from Seattle, Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., and has lived in Sitka since 2019. They previously worked as a fisheries biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and as a communications specialist with 51��������’s Rural Alaska Students in One Health Research program.

Johnson described the application process as one of the most challenging academic tasks they’ve faced. “Since I was not in school yet, the first major hurdle for me was figuring out what my proposed research project would be,” they said. Johnson overcame this hurdle by building on past experience and designing a project rooted in community interest. Johnson added that they “spent considerable time reading relevant articles and talking to coworkers, mentors and community members so I could design a robust and relevant research project.”

"I was very surprised and excited when I found out," Johnson said of receiving the fellowship. "I'm so thrilled to have the opportunity to stay in Alaska for my master’s." They largely credit their successful application to support provided from the CFOS NSF-GRFP Workshop, mentorship, and community feedback.

Muñoz is a master’s student in paleontology. Their research focuses on small theropod dinosaurs from the Prince Creek Formation on Alaska’s North Slope, which preserves some of the northernmost dinosaurs ever discovered. Muñoz’s project builds on their earlier work studying ancient Arctic mammals from the same region, offering new insight into the ecosystems that once surrounded these Arctic dinosaurs.

Originally from California, Muñoz received a Bachelor of Science in Geoscience with a concentration in paleontology from 51�������� in May. In 2024, they received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a national scholarship awarded to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

“I was incredibly excited when I found out I received the GRFP! I was not expecting to get it and was a bit worried it wouldn't be awarded at all, so it was definitely a welcome surprise,” Muñoz said. They described the most difficult part of the application as simply getting started.

Experience with other competitive applications, including URSA grants and the Goldwater Scholarship, helped sharpen their skills, along with the support of a strong mentorship network. Muñoz credits “mentors Dr. Sarah Fowell and Dr. Jaelyn Eberle, my spouse Daniela Barrera Guevara, my friend and lab mate Benjamin Cragun, and most notably my advisor Dr. Patrick Druckenmiller.”

Both students encouraged students with non-traditional backgrounds to apply to the NSF-GRFP.

"Folks from underrepresented backgrounds or folks who have taken non-traditional paths to grad school have so much amazing life experience that will make them successful in STEM fields," Johnson explained.

Muñoz recommends students who aren’t eligible to apply for the NSF-GRFP to practice grant writing by applying to other grants because it an incredibly useful skill to have. For those students who are eligible, they recommend finding peers and mentors who provide meaningful feedback. For students from underrepresented or non-traditional backgrounds, Muñoz encourages them to embrace their unique experiences and strengths. With all the uncertainty of federal funding sources such as the NSF-GRFP, they acknowledge that “even though this year's application cycle will definitely look different from my own, I would still encourage one to lean into that strength if possible and know that you are making your field better by being in it.“

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is the country’s oldest fellowship program directly supporting students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, including STEM education. Started in 1952, the program has funded over 75,000 fellowships. More than 40 fellows have gone on to become Nobel laureates, and more than 450 have become members of the National Academy of Sciences.

For more information, contact Alexis Walker at amwalker8@alaska.edu or 907-474-7464.