Millennium Scholars credit program for highlighting path to doctoral degrees

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Matias Moreno is a third-year undergraduate student majoring in materials science and engineering in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS). His goal, he said, is to earn a doctoral degree in the field and contribute to sustainable energy technologies that improve access and infrastructure for resource-limited communities.

He said the Millennium Scholars Program (MSP) at Penn State is quickly elevating him towards that goal.

Moreno is one of 16 Millennium Scholars currently enrolled in EMS. The program is dedicated to expanding opportunities for academically talented students from under-resourced communities while opening doors for these students to become leaders in their chosen field. EMS has produced 21 MSP graduates to date.

This year, for GivingTuesday, the college is aiming to raise funding for five additional Millennium Scholars, largely through matching gifts. Anthony Hutchinson, senior vice president of industry and government relations at VantageScore, and his wife, Rhona Hutchinson, are matching $5,000 in gifts from other supporters. An anonymous donor is also matching $10,000, bringing the total 1:1 match to $15,000.

“The idea of helping intellectually hungry students from underrepresented populations such as minority communities and women further their education at Penn State is extremely appealing to me,” Hutchinson said. “The Penn State experience was transformative for me, and I am eager to share that with others. The Millennium Scholars Program is the best way for me to ensure I am sharing that transformative experience with students who, I believe, require the most help, both financially and through encouragement.”

MSP offers students financial support, but it also provides mentoring and avenues for engaging in research. That’s something Moreno took advantage of. He’s an undergraduate researcher at Penn State with experience in 2-D materials and chemistry labs at Penn State. He also interned at labs related to solar energy conversion at the University of Michigan and Berkeley National Lab, and is an undergraduate research mentor and education abroad peer adviser at Penn State.

“What I like most about being a Millennium Scholar is the way the program pushes me to grow while giving me the support I need to actually take on meaningful opportunities,” Moreno said. “It’s what allowed me to study sustainability in Belize, where I worked with local groups to design materials that support coastal communities, and later study at the National University of Singapore, where I saw how sustainability is integrated into everyday life and large-scale infrastructure.”

Moreno said those experiences showed him how research can directly impact communities with limited resources. He has personal roots in Bolivian and Mexican communities and is motivated by the limited access to clean energy he saw there.

“My long-term goal is to earn a Ph.D. in material science and engineering and develop cost-effective energy materials for low-income and rural communities,” Moreno said. “The Millennium Scholars Program has been central to this goal, not just through opportunities but through the community itself. It motivates me to mentor younger scholars, support students through my advising roles and help others see the impact they can make in STEM that MSP helped guide me to.”

Eva SinhaRoy also credits MSP with putting her on a path to success. She’s a second-year student double-majoring in geobiology, in EMS, and environmental resource management, in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Already, she’s joined a lab, participated in a summer research experience and attended a national conference.

SinhaRoy works in the Coastal Geomorphology Lab at Penn State, researching how vegetation shapes landscapes.

“My time here at Penn State and within EMS has been truly transformative,” SinhaRoy said. “I have learned so much and found such a supportive community within the college that I am so grateful for. None of that would have been possible without the financial support from the Millennium Scholars Program.”

The college first participated in the program in 2016, welcoming Ana Isabel de la Fuente Duran, who earned her degree in materials science and engineering in 2020. She just completed her doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stanford University — where she’s now a postdoctoral scholar — and credits MSP with helping her get there.

De la Fuente Duran also works on the energy transition, exploring battery storage and other chemical energy storage processes. She said she wants to be a part of a solution that brings to all communities low-cost energy that’s sustainable.

She said she knew little about what earning a doctoral degree meant before joining MSP, adding that the program offered mentorship, research and travel opportunities and the financial means to succeed.

“The Millennium Scholars Program sets you up for success by exposing you to research and what it takes to earn a Ph.D.,” de la Fuente Duran said. “Like most undergraduates, I had no idea what that meant. The program facilitated those experiences. And, once I got started on that path, I knew that was the right path for me. It was engaging and challenging yet fulfilling.”

To learn more, visit our GivingTuesday website.

Gifts during GivingTuesday advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.