Dr. Karen Klomparens Endowment in Support of Graduate Fellowships

The Dr. Karen Klomparens Endowment in Support of Graduate Fellowships was seeded by Dr. Stephanie and Edward (Ned) Watts in honor of Dr. Karen Klomparens.  With her graduate students, Dr. Klomparens, a Professor of Plant Biology and former Director of MSU’s Center for Advanced Microscopy, published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and three books on the topic of ultrastructural development of sporulating structures in fungi. Prior to becoming Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Welfare in 1994, Dr. Klomparens was on a Fulbright-supported sabbatical at Cambridge University. With great compassion and energy, Dr. Klomparens’ passions as a Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost of Graduate Education focused on improving completion issues for doctoral students, interdisciplinary graduate education, and inclusive excellence. Klomparens and her colleagues developed a FIPSE (U.S. Department of Education) and Hewlett Foundation-supported program on “Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts between Graduate Students and Faculty.” The program has been used in a variety of settings inside and outside of academia. Klomparens also served a 2-year term as the Chair of the Big Ten (CIC) graduate deans group and served on the CGS Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the AGS Executive Committee, and the GRE Board of Directors.  

 As Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost for Graduate Education at Michigan State University from 1997 until 2014, Dr. Klomparens demonstrated an unwavering commitment to graduate education at the university. Her commitment to diverse groups of graduate students of all disciplines and at all stages, as well as the mentorship that she provided to countless faculty members, will not be forgotten.  This endowment, Stephanie and Ned Watts highlight, “is in honor of an incredible woman, scientist, scholar and leader.”  

Award Information  

Terms of Award

Dr. Karen Klomparens Fellowship recipient(s) will receive a one-time fellowship award in the spring semester.  The number of awards made in a given year and the amount of the awards will be based upon available expendable amounts in that year.

Eligibility: 

Recipients must be enrolled in a doctoral program (or the equivalent) at MSU in any discipline and have completed their comprehensive examinations (with date recorded in SIS) and must have successfully defended their dissertation proposals. Previous recipients are not eligible to apply.

The Graduate School will contact your major advisor and ask for a letter of support. Applicants are asked to submit their application with enough time to allow the major professor/advisor to submit their letter of support. Applications without a letter of support will not be reviewed. 

Each fellowship recipient is required to express acceptance and appreciation of the award in writing within two weeks of notification of the award.  

For further information pertaining to this fellowship, please contact tgsawards@grd.msu.edu.    

To apply fill out and submit this form.

2024 Recipients

Delon, Alexa
Karki, Jeevan
Lopezvillegas, Alejandra
Osborne-Garth, Kelsey
Zhumatay, Bakhyt

2023 Recipients

Alyssa Tarrant
Carli Rosati
Johnathan Hill
Rachel Harris

Due Date: 
10/04/2024
Funding Amount: 
$2,500
Semester Due: 
Fall Semester