Krieger School sophomores Sareen Muthyala and Natalie Bernstein have been named Johns Hopkins’ inaugural Ethan M. Poser Fellows. The fellowship, designed to support independent student research with the potential to change the world, includes an award up to $11,000.

The award was established in honor of Ethan Posner, a biophysics major who died March 8, 2024, after a brief illness. A sophomore, Posner made a far-reaching impression with his intelligence, work ethic, and generosity. Always striving for excellence, he modeled curiosity, a passion for learning and community involvement, and the pursuit of knowledge both academic and personal. An active researcher in the lab of biophysics professor Karen Fleming and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Posner was a member of Hopkins Hillel, club swimming, the German Club, and the Undergraduate Brain Computer Interface Society. He hoped to develop new antibiotic therapies to target protein-protein interactions.

Two Krieger School students—one in the natural sciences, and one in the arts, humanities, or social sciences—will be named fellows each year. Following in Posner’s footsteps, candidates must demonstrate a passion for research and the desire to help others. Fellows craft their proposals in conjunction with a faculty mentor, and are selected for their motivation to pursue research based on a desire to change the world; vibrant energy and passion as reflected by their involvement at Hopkins; and caring commitment to the university community. The fellowship is managed by the Krieger School’s Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity (URSCA), which supports undergraduate students in creating, planning, and undertaking hands-on research projects. More information about the Fellowship and the students’ research can be found here: https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/01/27/two-sophomores-named-inaugural-ethan-m-posner-fellows/