A Michigan State University Ph.D. student in the College of Engineering has been selected to receive the 2025 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Award for outstanding achievements in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
Michael Dittman is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the Laboratory for Electromagnetics and mm-Wave Antennas (LEmmA) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).
Under the supervision of ECE Professor Mauro Ettorre and Interim Dean and MSU Research Foundation Professor John Papapolymerou, Dittman’s research interests include antennas, RF electronics, analog electronics, solid-state physics, nuclear and particle physics, and detector systems.
“I am immensely thankful for the support and encouragement offered by my peers and mentors in my pursuit of the NDSEG Fellowship,” said Dittman. “I have always been passionate about working on cutting edge research and inspiring the next generation of scientists.”
During his fellowship, Dittman will continue his work in electromagnetics, specifically on viability of leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) and their dispersive behavior.
The three-year fellowship provides full tuition, a monthly stipend, travel funds for conferences and professional development, and health insurance. It is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the direction of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering.
“We are incredibly proud of Michael and honored by this acknowledgement of his talent and future in the field,” Ettorre said. “He will benefit greatly from the support provided through the NDSEG Fellowship, and the field of electrical engineering most certainly will be enhanced by his contributions.”
Nelson Alancastro Sepúlveda, professor and ECE department interim chairperson, said this recognition of Dittman’s talent and potential is indicative of the exceptional students and world-class faculty at MSU. “There is so much about Michael’s achievement to celebrate, and we are grateful for the opportunity to foster both his academic and professional success.”
The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship program was established in 1989 by direction of Congress to increase the number of US citizens receiving doctoral degrees in science and engineering (S&E) disciplines of military importance.
The highly competitive fellowship program has awarded nearly 4,700 fellowships from over 70,000 applications to US citizens and nationals since its inception in 1989. Selected fellows can choose the US Institution to attend for pursuit of their doctoral degree.
Written by Kelley Monterusso
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page