Lynleigh “L” Thompson ’25 did not want to be a chemist when she was growing up. That all changed when, as a freshman on a pre-med track, she took her first organic chemistry class. This May, as she graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree, she earned a top honor in the field of chemistry: one of the National Science Foundation’s most competitive graduate fellowships.
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and supports graduate students pursuing full-time, research-based master’s and doctoral degrees with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Fellows receive three years of support over five years. For each year of support, the NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and a $16,000 allowance to the institution the fellow is attending.
Thompson will pursue a doctorate in chemistry at Harvard University, starting this fall.
“This fellowship is an amazing opportunity,” said Garrett-Robb-Guy Professor of Chemistry Jonathan Scheerer. “They’re quite challenging to get.”
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program is one of the NSF’s oldest programs, launched in 1952 to recruit and support individuals who demonstrate the potential to make significant contributions to STEM. Each year, the program receives nearly 14,000 applications, with some recipients later being honored as Nobel laureates and National Academies members.
For Thompson, the reality of the NSF fellowship is still processing.
“I was beyond shocked,” she said. “There was never a point in this process where I actually thought I was going to be competitive for this.”
Thompson initially used the application to improve her writing skills. Students are asked to submit an original research idea in addition to a personal statement about their interest in attending graduate school, what they plan to do after graduation and why they would be a strong fit for the fellowship. For hers, Thompson took inspiration from her research on 1,4-oxazinones, or complex compounds, as the basis of her application.
The complicated nature of chemistry is what hooked Thompson on the field in the first place – being pushed outside her comfort zone and making new discoveries is what has driven her to continue her education.
“I really like the process of making things that have never been made before, even if it’s just a molecule that’s just an intermediate and long synthesis,” she said. “I think that over the past two years, I have learned so much – and I still have a long way to go – but I’ve really enjoyed the process of getting better.”
Thompson credits various faculty and students at William & Mary for helping her continue her passion for chemistry. It was her organic chemistry professor, Jonathan Scheerer, who encouraged Thompson to apply for the fellowship in the first place. After taking his organic chemistry class, Thompson joked that the class “kind of changed my whole life trajectory.”
For Scheerer, seeing Thompson succeed has been nothing short of gratifying.
“She’s an extraordinary student, and I was really excited to support her in everything she was going after,” he said. “Earning this fellowship is a testament for her and all of her potential in the future.”
This year’s applicant pool was even more competitive than the last, as a result of program funding being decreased. Regardless, Scheerer thought Thompson had what it takes to still apply. The two worked together on a research paper that was public back in 2024 focusing on the complex pyridine products with 1,4-oxazinones as intermediates.
“That’s really what we try to work on in organic synthesis. How do you make certain structures? Why would you want to make certain structures?” Scheerer said.
Thompson also credits a large part of her research to former lab mates and being able to watch them apply for graduate school and fellowships, hearing candidly how the process works and what to expect when she filled out her own applications.
“I’m definitely where I am now because of the support I had from William & Mary,” she said.
William Oster, Communications Specialist