W&L Alumni and Student Awarded NSF Fellowships Oriana Gutierrez ’24, Connor Lafo ’26 and Gabrielle Ursin ’25 have received pre-doctoral graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation to support their research.

By Emily Innes Stanley
May 1, 2026

Two Washington and Lee University alumni and one graduating senior have received pre-doctoral graduate research fellowships from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The NSF’s graduate research fellowship (GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students across the United States pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. One of the nation’s most prestigious fellowship programs, the award provides three years of financial support over five years. The NSF awarded 2,500 fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year, selected from nearly 14,000 applicants nationwide.

This year’s W&L recipients include:

• Oriana Gutierrez ’24 to study ecology at the University of Alabama.
• Connor Lafo ’26 to study molecular biology at the University of Michigan.
• Gabrielle Ursin ’25 to study geoscience and tectonics at Harvard University.

Katalyn Denby ’26 (geomorphology) and Cooper Lazo ’25 (evolutionary biology) both received honorable mentions from the NSF.

Oriana Guiterrez ’24
Guiterrez, who majored in biochemistry at W&L, plans to pursue a master’s degree in ecology. Her research interests include understanding the trophic interactions among plants, insect pests and their natural enemies to inform the development of sustainable pest management strategies. With the NSF fellowship, she will focus her research on how different temperature regimes interact with diet to influence interactions between herbivorous insects and parasitoids (parasitic wasps) from an eco-immunological perspective.

“This award makes me feel validated in my decision to pursue a career involving research, and is the encouragement I needed,” said Guiterrez, who is from the West Kendall and Hammocks suburbs of Miami, Florida. “My journey into a research career has been somewhat rocky, but returning to academia, connecting with professors about graduate school opportunities and working alongside other researchers in the southeastern U.S. have revitalized my interest in research.”

Guiterrez’s passion for ecology began with an internship in Zoo Miami’s nutrition department, which presented an opportunity to understand the applications of ecological research. She discovered her interest in plant-insect interactions through her time working with bumblebees, microbes and flowers at the rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory during a summer internship in 2024, and from there further immersed herself in the fields of applied entomology and chemical ecology by taking an introductory entomology course at the University of Florida and through her internship with the chemistry unit at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in 2025.

Through these experiences, Guiterrez realized her growing interest in — and the ecological benefits of — developing sustainable alternatives to conventional pesticide regimes in agriculture. After her graduate studies, she plans to work in the pesticide industry or in academic extension programs where research directly informs field practices.

At W&L, Guiterrez served as co-speaker chair of Hillel during her junior and senior years, and was a member of the Chanoyu Tea Society, the pre-health club and the Student Environmental Action League.

Connor Lafo ’26
Lafo, a biology and East Asian languages double major, will use the NSF fellowship to attend the University of Michigan’s Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Ph.D. program. His research focuses on molecular and cellular biology, specifically the interactions between cellular components and how these give rise to a living cell. His NSF grant proposal was about determining the molecular basis behind cellular compartments that a specific group of plants form to allow for more efficient photosynthesis.

“I am deeply honored to have received this award,” said the North Port, Florida native. “It feels like a testament to the hard work that I, and my professors and advisers, have put into my development as a student and scientist.”

At W&L, Lafo worked frequently with Bill Hamilton, the John T. Perry Jr. Professor in Research Science, and conducted research on Yellowstone grassland ecology, plant synthetic biology and yeast mitochondrial protein import. He is a member of the Campus Kitchen leadership team, a head Peer Tutor and served as the finance chair for the 2025 Science, Society and the Arts (SSA) conference.

Gabrielle Ursin ’25
An earth and environmental geoscience and philosophy double major at W&L, Ursin is currently pursuing her Ph.D.  at Harvard University, where she works in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences’ Structural Geology and Earth Resources Lab, led by John Shaw, senior vice provost for research, the Harry C. Dudley Professor of Structural and Economic Geology and professor of environmental science and engineering.

At Harvard, Ursin is currently developing three-dimensional structural models and conducting an earthquake hazards assessment of the Los Angeles Basin. This project combines Ursin’s passion for data-rich tectonics research with her desire to use the study of earth science to improve quality of life. Her research will join a larger initiative in the state of California to better understand earthquake potential and inform community development and infrastructure.

“This recognition is deeply motivating as I work toward a career in academia,” said the Byram, New Jersey native, who is one of only two 2026 recipients of the NSF fellowship in the field of tectonics. “I am humbled and feel a sense of responsibility to carry out research that I hope will ultimately contribute to a safer society and better understanding of the natural world.”

Ursin is also grateful “for the family, friends and mentors whose support has made this achievement possible,” and credits the professors at W&L with pushing her to become a better researcher and interdisciplinary thinker, qualities which have helped her navigate her doctoral program.

“The W&L geoscience department became my family during my four years in Lexington, and the support and community I experienced fostered my intellectual development and confidence in a rare way,” Ursin said. “Specifically, Jeff Rahl (professor of earth and environmental geoscience) and his passion for teaching and research, as well as the impact of his mentorship on my academic path, has inspired me to give back to the next generation of earth science students in similar ways.”

At W&L, Ursin conducted undergraduate research in the tectonics lab with Rahl, the surficial processes lab with David Harbor, professor of earth and environmental geoscience, and with Alison Bell, professor of anthropology. She was a teaching assistant for the Department of Earth and Environmental Geoscience for three semesters and served as academic chair for the 2025 SSA conference. Ursin was a member of the varsity women’s soccer team, W&L Student Consulting, Women in Technology and Science and Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Sigma Tau (philosophy honor society) and Sigma Gamma Epsilon (earth science honor society).

If you know a W&L member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.