George G. & Betsy H. Laties Graduate Fellowship

June 4, 2026

Congratulations!

Rutian Wu, Daniele De Grossi Mazzorin, and Jacob Fischer have been selected to receive the George G. & Betsy H. Laties Graduate Fellowship. Rutian and Daniele each received $40,000, and Jacob received $19,000 this academic year. The fellowship supports Bioscience graduate students in their 2nd or 3rd year, and MCDB M.S. students in their first year, specializing in molecular plant biology.

Rutian, a PhD student in the GPB home area of Gene Regulation, Epigenomics & Transcriptomics in the Jacobsen lab, studies plant epigenetics and DNA methylation in Arabidopsis. He is honored by the award, which will support his research, help expand his technical skills, and enable greater engagement with the scientific community.

Daniele, a PhD student in the GPB home area of Cell and Developmental Biology in the Van Norman lab, is deeply appreciative of the recognition. The fellowship will allow him to focus on research exploring cell communication and root development inArabidopsis.

Jacob, an M.S. student in MCDB working with Dr. Jeff Long, is grateful for the fellowship supporting his second year. The award allows him to focus fully on his research on epigenetic regulation of stem cell identity, while also investing meaningfully in undergraduate mentorship.