University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Incoming doctoral student Cindy Bick was awarded a Rackham Merit Fellowship, one of the largest and most prestigious awards for incoming students. The RMF recognizes entering students who have outstanding academic qualifications, show exceptional potential for scholarly success in their graduate program, and demonstrate promise for contributing to wider academic, professional or civic communities.

Bick is investigating questions pertaining to differential survival in a Pacific Island endemic species, terrestrial snails, with her advisor, Professor Diarmaid Ó Foighil. She is currently a U-M EEB Frontiers Master’s Program student, presenting her thesis defense June 13, 2012. She joins the Ph.D. program in the fall of 2012.

The RMF for doctoral students is a five-year funding partnership between Rackham and the graduate program that includes tuition, stipend, health and dental coverage, during each fall and winter term, with select summer stipend and benefits.

In addition to the five-year funding package, RMF doctoral students are invited to participate in the Summer Institute (SI), sponsored by the Rackham Graduate School. The eight-week program provides an accelerated introduction to graduate studies for newly awarded RMF recipients the summer before students begin their doctoral studies. Tuition and required fees for courses are covered by Rackham as well as a summer stipend, health and dental insurance.

The Rackham Merit Fellowship Program helps sustain the academic excellence and inclusiveness of the Michigan graduate community, one that embraces students with diverse experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, cultural, geographic and familial backgrounds.