ISyE graduate students Kevin Ryan and Amy Musselman each have been awarded an ARCS Scholars Award from Georgia Tech. According to the ARCS Atlanta website, ARCS awards recognize the “best and brightest” students in their fields … and meet high standards for academic excellence.”

ISyE graduate student Kevin Ryan has received $7,500 from the Achievement Rewards for Academic Scientists program (ARCS). When asked how he felt about receiving the award, he said, “Humbled and a bit vindicated. On the one hand, I know the history of the award and the amazing researchers who have won it in the past. To live up to the standards that they have set will be a challenge. On the other hand, I feel that now I can say with more confidence that I must be doing something right in my research.”

Ryan chose Operations Research at ISyE because of the depth and breadth of the faculty. He looks forward to pursuing “the best research opportunities” as a result of the award, and participating as a future ARCS member.

ISyE graduate student Amy Musselman has been awarded the $10,000 Global Impact Award from the Achievement Rewards for Academic Scientists (ARCS). Musselman chose to do her Ph.D. at ISyE because of the numerous faculty doing applied research in a wide array of fields. When she received notification about winning the ARCS award, she was sitting on the beach in Belize with two friends, and she thought, “Could my life be much better right now?”

Musselman has tried to focus her research on areas that will have a positive social or environmental impact and see the ARCS award as confirmation that others see her work as valuable as well.