We are thrilled to announce that two exceptional students from the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering have been selected for the 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). This highly competitive program supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees.
Congratulations to our incredible NSF GRFP awardees:
Steven Robles Blasini
Steven will graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a minor in mass communications. He conducted undergraduate research in the BEAT Cancer Lab under the guidance of Dr. Meghan Ferrall-Fairbanks, focusing on modeling how tumor-associated macrophages influence population-level dynamics in ovarian cancer. In the fall, Steven will join the prestigious joint Bioengineering Ph.D. program at UC Berkeley and UCSF. During his undergraduate career, he has been recognized as both a McNair Scholar and a Benacquisto Scholar, reflecting his academic excellence and commitment to research.
Joshua Ruley
Joshua is a fourth-year undergraduate student in biomedical engineering working in Dr. Ana Maria Porras’ lab. His research focuses on developing in vitro tools to study Visceral Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic protozoa. Joshua has presented his work at national conferences, including the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting, and was recognized with the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2023 UF SHPE Research Symposium. Upon graduation, he will begin his Ph.D. in Bioengineering at Georgia Tech in Dr. Joscelyn Mejias’ lab. Beyond the lab, Joshua has been a dedicated leader within UF’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, serving as Conference Planning Chair and Treasurer.
We are incredibly proud of Joshua and Steven for receiving this prestigious honor and can’t wait to see the impact they will make in the future of biomedical engineering!