Two Penn State undergraduates named Astronaut Scholars

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State undergraduates Charlie Colvin and Megan von Abo were named 2025 Astronaut Scholars, earning competitive national scholarships facilitated by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The scholarships, awarded to 74 students in across the United States this year, provide up to $15,000 toward education for undergraduate students pursuing careers in engineering, math, or natural or applied sciences research.

Both Colvin and von Abo have been deeply involved in undergraduate research at Penn State and demonstrated to the foundation their creativity, dedication to innovation, initiative and exceptional performance in their fields.  

Charlie Colvin 

Colvin, of Malvern, is a fourth-year Schreyer Scholar majoring in plant sciences, in the genetics and biotechnology option, and minoring in agronomy. He is the first Astronaut Scholar from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. 

“I’m proud to represent my field and hope this helps open the door for more students in agricultural and life sciences to be seen and celebrated in national STEM spaces, bringing greater visibility to the impactful research being done in our college,” he said. 

Colvin has worked in the Chopra Maize Genetics Lab, under Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics, since his first year at Penn State. He’s led and contributed to several research projects. One of his main projects looks at how natural compounds in corn, called flavonoids, help defend the plant against insect pests by changing the microbes in the insect’s gut to reduce larval growth and increase mortality. 

“The goal of this work is to lead to more sustainable ways to manage pests without relying on synthetic pesticides,” he said. 

Colvin has also been involved in other genetics projects that look at how certain mutations in corn affect gene activity across the genome. During a summer internship at the University of Florida, he worked on applying machine learning to drone imagery to predict corn yield and nitrogen levels. He said it helped connect his lab experience to real-world applications, which could help farmers use water and fertilizer more efficiently. This summer, Colvin will continue his research through a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded internship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he’ll study the genetics behind traits in corn and sorghum like yield and stress tolerance.  

“Undergraduate research has been the most influential part of my college experience,” Colvin said. “It’s helped me figure out what I enjoy most, solving meaningful biological problems through genetics, and confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in research. It also gave me the opportunity to work closely with mentors and peers who challenged me to think critically, communicate effectively and take ownership of my work, developing skills that go far beyond what’s taught in the classroom.” 

Colvin said he plans to pursue a doctorate in plant genetics, with a focus on developing crop varieties that are more pest-resistant, require fewer inputs and are better adapted to climate stress.  

“Long-term, I hope to lead research that advances sustainable agriculture by supporting both farmers and ecosystems, while also maintaining the high levels of production needed to feed a growing global population,” he said. “I’m especially interested in bridging molecular biology with practical applications that improve both productivity and environmental outcomes.” 

Colvin said he has enjoyed mentoring other students in the lab, showcasing plant science research at Ag Progress Days, volunteering with the Science U Biotechnology Mini Summer School and serving as a panelist for the Spark Program. 

Megan von Abo  

Von Abo, of Lansdale, is a fourth-year student enrolled in the biotechnology integrated undergraduate-graduate degree program, in the Eberly College of Science, and pursuing minors in neuroscience and entrepreneurship and innovation (ENTI). She is also a Schreyer Scholar. Earlier this year, von Abo also earned a Goldwater Scholarship. 

“The Astronaut Scholarship acts as a reminder of and point of celebration for how much I have dedicated to my academics and research,” von Abo said. “But what's special about the [scholarship], for my case, is its focus on innovation with a forward-looking approach rather than focusing on general research excellence."

When she arrived at Penn State, von Abo began working in the Kwapis Lab under Janine Kwapis, assistant professor of biology and director of the Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders. In the Kwapis Lab, von Abo works to discover whether specific transcript variants of the circadian clock gene Per1 contribute to Per1's role in memory while others contribute to its role in the circadian system. Von Abo interned at Regeneron in 2024 and developed a novel high-throughput analysis technique for tissue and cell samples to support target identification for therapeutic focus areas.  

Von Abo said undergraduate research solidified her desire to continue neuroscience research in the future, excel in courses and advance her communication skills.   

Von Abo said undergraduate research solidified her desire to continue neuroscience research in the future, excel in courses and advance her communication skills.   

“Having the background and experience in laboratory techniques gives me a clearer understanding of the topics discussed in class as well as conducting the lab classes themselves,” she said. “While explaining my research at poster presentations, I also learned the importance of effective communication and framing my research in a relevant way for my audience.”  

In the future, von Abo said she plans to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience and apply that knowledge to therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, with the main motivation that her grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease.  

Von Abo is the vice president of Science LionPride in the Eberly College of Science for which she danced in THON, a Schreyer Leadership intern, an Undergraduate Research Ambassador and was a security leader for the THON Rules and Regulations committee. 

More about the Astronaut Scholarship and how to apply 

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) was established in 1984 to “ensure that the United States would maintain its leadership in science and technology by supporting some of the very best science, technology, engineering and math college students,” according to the website. 

The program was created by the six surviving members of the Mercury 7 astronauts along with Betty Grissom, widow of astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom; William Douglas, Project Mercury flight surgeon and Henri Landwirth, businessperson and friend of the Mercury 7. The founding members awarded the first seven scholarships in 1986 and began to fundraise for future scholarships with each astronaut making personal donations and raising awareness for the program. Today, the foundation awards more than 60 scholarships valued up to $15,000 to each scholar. 

The Mercury 7 were America’s first astronauts picked from U.S. military pilots in the late 1950s and included Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard, Deke Slayton and Grissom. The foundation also gained support from astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle missions. 

Scholarship programming includes an Astronaut Scholar conference, mentorship, professional development, networking and recognition, as well as lifelong engagement with the astronauts, Astronaut Scholar alumni and the foundation. 

The University uses an internal Penn State selection process facilitated by Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) to nominate up to two applicants for the award each year. To be selected, applicants must be U.S. citizens, full-time second- or third- year Penn State students and be majoring in an approved STEM field with intent to pursue a career in research. Nominations are based on creativity and innovation, initiative and exceptional academic performance. 

Nominated students must then ensure eligibility requirements are met, provide two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a copy of transcripts and a CV or resume. 

Students interested in applying for the scholarship can contact Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring at urfm@psu.edu to learn more about the scholarship program and verify that they meet eligibility criteria. 

Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of the Penn State Office of Undergraduate Education.